Hundreds of people gather at Old Market Square in Nottingham, UK on Jan 21 to watch the performances presented by a group of artists from Ningbo, East China’s Zhejiang province. [Photo/nbyyjt.com]

Old Market Square in Nottingham, UK can be a drab place in the winter. But on Saturday the square was brought alive with color, as a group of artists from Ningbo city in East China's Zhejiang province put on a series of spectacular performances to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year.

This marked the first time the "Happy Chinese New Year" events came to Nottingham, and hundreds of government officials and local residents went to the event in spite of the extremely cold weather.

An energetic dragon dance by students studying at the University of Nottingham raised the curtain of the event, which was aimed at offering season's greetings to the city's overseas Chinese and British residents.

A variety of performances gradually drove away the winter cold, including the solo dance Spring Views at Dongqian Lake and a rendition of the famous folk song Big Bowl of Tea, which depicts the distinctive cultures and landscapes of China.

The event reached its peak with a folk song played by suona, the traditional Chinese double-reed horn. The high tunes and strong rhythm impressed the audience, filling up the square with a merry festive air.

"Chinese artists are great. It was worth the trip," said one local resident.

In addition to the performances, people also had fun trying out various traditional Chinese folk crafts, including writing New Year-themed couplets on paper scrolls, and making Chinese knots, paper-cuttings and lanterns.