It was a positive start to the Chinese New Year at Lan Yuan on Saturday night, as thousands of people attended to mark the Year of the Horse. Dunedin City Council museum and galleries director Cam McCracken said conditions were perfect for the evening, and a key example of how the community at large had embraced the Chinese community. "I think this evening is very close to the hearts of the Chinese community in Dunedin." A dragon lantern floats in the pond as the fireworks burst overhead at Dunedin’s Lan Yuan Chinese garden on Saturday. Dunedin Chinese Cultural Festival advisory board deputy chairman Peter Lee said, on numbers coming through to the food stalls and gardens alone, this would have been the "busiest ever".

Source: Otago Daily Times February 23, 2026 05:39 UTC