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The Bendigo Chinese Association has unofficially been around since the Chinese arrived in Bendigo during the gold rush of the 1850s with around 4,000 Chinese on the Bendigo fields. The association became incorporated on the 12 March 1986 with its headquarters located in Bridge Street.
The Bendigo Chinese community have had a long and proud history in Bendigo, through its charity works for the local hospital, to participating in the Bendigo Easter Festival.
From this, the Bendigo Chinese Association established the Golden Dragon Museum which proudly presents the history of the Chinese people in Bendigo and displays artifacts of this time.
Also on display are many of our dragons, such as Loong, the oldest Imperial dragon in the world which was heritage listed in 2008, and Sun Loong, the longest imperial dragon in the world, which still makes a public appearance at the Easter Festival.
Upcoming Performances
Chinese New Year - 2010 - Year of the Tiger
Gong Hei Fat Choi - Happy New Year.
May your new year be blessed with health, prosperity and good luck.
Chinese New Year is a very important time of the year for Chinese people because we celebrate with family as a time of reunion and thanksgiving. It is also a time of acknowledging the presence of the ancestors spirits. The dinner symbolises family unity and honors the past and present generations.
EASTER 2010
Bendigo Chinese Association Awakening of the Dragon Ceremony
Date:Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010
Where: Mc Crae Street Carpark, Bendigo opposite BRIT
Time:2 pm-4 pm
Cost: Free
The Awakening of the Dragon is unique to Bendigo and started in 1892. Today's ceremony is performed to awaken Sun Loong before he parades in the streets on Easter Monday and it is also used to raise money for 'Bendigo Health'.
The ceremony includes performances by the Bendigo Chinese Association (BCA), Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne (CYSM) and Hung Gar Yau Shu (HGYS). A lot of noise is required to awaken Sun Loong and over 100,000 crackers are lit to awaken the dragon during the closing of the ceremony.
Torchlight Procession
Date:Easter Sunday, 4 April 2010
Where: Begins at Mitchell Street and finishes at the Tom Flood Centre to view the fireworks display.
Time:7 pm-8.30 pm
Cost: Free
Bendigo Easter Festival Gala Parade
Date: Easter Monday, 5 April 2010
Where: Bendigo CBD
Time: 12 noon
Cost: Free
On Easter Monday, after Sun Loong has paraded in the Bendigo streets returns back to his resting place. Tiered seating is provided outside the Golden Dragon Museum for people to view the amazing event of Sun Loong and his regalia's return.
Sun Loong enters backwards, through the big red doors to his permanent home, while Southern Lions perform outside protecting and paying respect to him. The lion teams include - Bendigo Chinese Association (BCA) Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne (CYSM) and Hung Gar Yau Shu (HGYS).
The finale is the loud noise of many strings of 10,000 crackers, ending the Bendigo Chinese Association and Golden Dragon Museum's Easter celebrations in 2009.
Click to find out about the Golden Dragon Museum
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The information, layout and images on this website are protected by copyright, trademark and other forms of intellectual property rights. Unless indicated otherwise, copyright, trademark and other intellectual property rights in the information on this website are owned by the Bendigo Chinese Association Inc. 2008.
Website created by Troy Henderson
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