About

Welcome in the new year with a day of celebration, performances and activities at the National Maritime Museum!

The 2023 event has been created with the Newham Chinese Association, Greenwich Vietnam Women’s Group and the Association of Chinese Women, Woolwich.

All activities at the National Maritime Museum are FREE. You can book Museum tickets in advance to guarantee entry, or simply turn up on the day and join the celebrations.

Below find some of the highlights of the day:

Live Performances
Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit in style with live music, performances and lion dances.

This year, there will be a number of Lion Dance performances and other guest performances to see across the day, including the Association of Chinese Women Woolwich, Bitten Peach Collective, Global Fusion Music and Arts and more.

At 10:00am, the first Lion Dance of the day will open the National Maritime Museum. 

Other performances will be taking place on the Great Map at 11:30am, 1:00pm, 2:30pm and 4:00pm. The 4:00pm performance includes the Jade Emperor Story performed by Global Fusion Music and Arts.

Family Workshops
Get stuck into a range of hands-on activities, craft sessions and games.

Torii Gate Frames | 10:00am-5:00pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Traditionally the torii gate separates the mundane from the divine or the special. Come and make a 3D paper torii gate for all the family to frame a drawing of your special place or landscape, favourite person, or photograph, or even a much-loved treasured object. 
* Suitable for all ages and abilities

Lunar New Year Lanterns | 10:00am-5:00pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Create a lantern with Global Fusion Music and Arts (GFMA) to celebrate the Lunar New Year. 
* Suitable for all ages and abilities

Hongbao Envelopes | 10:00am-5:00pm (last entry 4:30pm)
Create a hongbao, a gift to take away and give to a loved one - workshop is led by GFMA.
* Suitable for all ages and abilities

Learn Mahjong | Available all day
Join volunteers from Newham Chinese Association and discover the game Mahjong. Try your hand at playing one of the volunteers!

Hands on: Lion Dance costumes | Available all day
Come and meet the fierce Lunar New Year lion and find out more about the tradition from members of Newham Chinese Association.

Talks and Tours
Museum collections, expert speakers and fascinating stories take centre stage in the new year celebrations.

Objects in Focus | 10:00am-4:00pm | Near the parkside entrance
Learn and explore our collections up close with our curators, who have selected some star objects relating to the Lunar New Year in this ‘Objects in Focus’ session.

Curious Collections with Asian Connections | 11:30am and 1:30pm | Meet by the Traders Gallery on the Great Map
Find out about fascinating objects from the collections that have East and Southeast Asian connections. This special tour will cover a famous Chinese resident of Bournemouth, Britain’s relationship with Japan, the history of pineapples and much more. Led by Dr Aaron Jaffer, RMG's Curator of World History and Cultures, this tour will take in several of our major galleries, and will cover objects on and off display.

Lecture Theatre Talks | Times to be confirmed
Hear from expert speakers across the day in the dedicated theatre space, featuring talks about tea ceremonies, traditional music and more.

Planetarium Shows
Join the Royal Observatory for a live planetarium show exploring topics in ancient and modern Chinese astronomy, including the Sun, Moon, stars and space exploration.

These events are all held at the Royal Observatory's Peter Harrison Planetarium, a 15 minute walk from the National Maritime Museum through Greenwich Park. Charges apply and advance booking is highly recommended as capacity is limited.

Chinese Astronomy | Show starts at 10:30am on 21st January
In this show, the astronomer will explore the links between astronomy and the Chinese lunisolar calendar such as the motion of the Sun and the phases of the Moon and how they relate to the Lunar New Year - Find out more.

Bilingual Families | 11th February at 10:30am - Mandarin | 12th February at 10:30am - Cantonese
This programme is intended for bilingual or multilingual families who wish to explore the Universe with us in a language other than English - Find out more.

Evening Light Display
Stick around as the Sun goes down for an evening light display, hosted by our partners at the Old Royal Naval College.

The show runs from 5:30pm to 8:30pm in a rolling format, colourfully lighting up the Old Royal Naval College colonnades, the iconic domes and across to the Queen’s House at Royal Museums Greenwich. Viewing area for the display is in the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College. 

To watch the display, head out of the main entrance of the National Maritime Museum and across Romney Road to the Old Royal Naval College. Click here to find more information about the light show and activities happening throughout the day on their website.