CHINESE New Year was celebrated in Whitchurch this evening (Tuesday) as part of the Silk Mill’s lights festival.

Falling in the middle of the mill's Winter Lights festival, the celebration saw crowds gather to watch a special performance by the World Eagle Claw Association UK Lion Dance Team, who entertained with their artistic and acrobatic performance at led by Dai Tau Fut, the big-headed Buddha.

Visitors were also able to make their way around an illuminated walk through the mill and gardens, as light displays transport them through time of the earliest days of the mill.

Mill director Sue Tapliss said: “It is amazing to see so many people here, we have been through two years of intermittent opening and closing, as all museums and hospitality have done. To finally have live events and people coming out is really positive.

“We did the first festival of lights in 2020, at that time all we knew that there was a virus in China, we didn’t think it would be coming here and little did we know.

“The festival was meant to create a renaissance for the mill, so people see it in a new light. This year is a chance to re-start, with people seeing the mill in a new light again.”

The light and sound display was created by Basingstoke-based event management company Zeal.

Sue added: “Before it was just a light show, what Zeal has done is create a story. It is much more of an experience - it really adds to what to what already do.”

The festival continues until February 6. Tickets are available on the mill’s website.