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Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe Lifestyle Editor
The Celebration Centre is the place to be today as celebrations to mark the Chinese New Year take place this afternoon into the early evening.

Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association coordinator Ms Penny Yung said although the Chinese New Year is on February 19 the celebrations have been slotted for the weekend for convenience as the day is not a public holiday in Zimbabwe.

“The event is being sponsored by associations for Chinese business organisations in Zimbabwe comprising Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association, Chinese Federation of Zimbabwe and The Chamber of Chinese Enterprises in Zimbabwe.”

Entry is by invitation. The highlight of the day is expected to come from the Happy Chinese New Year Troupe, who arrived in the country yesterday for their first ever performance here at seven in the evening.

The group of over 30 artists gives highly polished performances in acrobatics, dancing, music, martial arts and other performing arts.

To kick off the celebrations there will be a party in the afternoon starting at two during which a charity lottery sale will be conducted. There will also be a heritage show and also photography exhibition.

The curtain comes down on the afternoon’s activities at five. Dinner will be served between the two functions so that revellers need not go back home or look for diversions in the interval.

Ms Penny Yung said the event has been designed to cater for St Valentine’s Day as well.

“There are lots of exciting things and of course we are not forgetting that it is Valentine’s Day. There will be special roses on sale and to spread the love even further all the proceeds of those sales will be going to charity.”

This is not the only charity fundraising function that will be there:

Raffle tickets will also be on sale in the afternoon and those feeling that their ship may just come in today stand a chance to walk away with $3 000 cash, Harare to Beijing return air tickets, coupons for stays in some local hotels, a television set, a solar geyser or and water filter.

All money raised will be channelled towards the payment of fees for vulnerable children and the construction of an orphanage in a rural area.

The Chinese people have shown a dedication to helping the less fortunate and their Government donated $500 000 to help the Tokwe Mukosi flood victims last year. This was topped by $50 000 from local Chinese businesses and the ticket sales of the Night of Beijing 2014.

Night of Beijing is an annual event where superb artists from China are brought into the country for an intense cultural fiesta.

As part of their Christmas goodwill gesture, Zimbabwe Chinese Business Association paid fees for 53 orphans at Hurungwe Children’s Home among other good works.