On 11 February 2017, the 4th annual Lantern Festival was held at the Hobart Town Hall. Hundreds of lanterns, big and small, adorned the historic venue, as record crowds enjoyed cultural dance and music performances, and a martial arts showcase. In a fusion of Eastern and Western cultures, the local Exitleft Performance Academy reenacted a scene from the Disney classic, “Mulan”. Hosted by Australian Fujian Association Tasmanian Branch and co-hosted by Tasmanian Chinese Arts and Communication Society and our Academy, the event successfully brought people together on the final day of traditional Chinese New Year celebrations. Master Wang spoke of the history and importance of the Yuan Xiao Jie (Lantern Festival) and its significance from the perspective of unity. He also shared with the audience that “the way Yuan Xiao Festival is celebrated dictates the auspiciousness of the forthcoming year”. Our Academy was also honoured to once again be invited to perform the Vajra Lion Dance as the opening act, and later Young Living Buddha Vajra Sheng-Yuan performed alongside Sarah Liu, in the Four-hand piano piece, “Defend the Yellow River’.
