CELEBRATIONS for Chinese New Year took place in Newport today.

Over 80 people including Newport mayor councillor Herbie Thomas, filled the Chinese Community Centre to welcome in the year of the Monkey with festivities including Tai Chi dancing, a raffle and a large buffet.

Alongside the festivities, it was announced to the filled hall that the centre has been awarded lottery heritage funding for the next 18 months, totalling £60,000.

The Tai Chi dancing was performed by the centre’s own Qi Gong group, whose performances included the ‘Land of the Five Animals’, described as “Zen filling” by Jayne Bryant.

The Welsh Assembly Labour candidate for Newport West added: “They have given so much to Newport and to hear of them being award the lottery funding for the project is really good and means future generations will hear these life-changing Chinese stories.”

The centre on Locke Street has been going for 13 years, and is the brainchild of a small group of both local people and Chinese ex-patriots who wanted a place for everyone in the area to come together.

The centre's founding member,Vera Davies, 75, said: “The centre is only open three days a week, and to see so many happy people here today is an amazing mark of this community.”

Mao Ling, who manages the centre, spoke of how the centre and occasions like this are all about bringing “local Chinese people together".