Saddling up for success: Welcoming the Year of the Horse

On Saturday 21 February, over 300 people gathered at the site of the future Tasmanian Chinese Cultural Park of Australia to ring in the Year of the Horse.

The Spring Festival is one of the most important festivals in traditional Chinese culture. It unites praying for good fortune to eliminate disasters, worshipping deities, enjoying joyous celebrations, as well as humanities and culture into a single grand festival. The ritual of sounding the bell at the commencement of a new year is to pray for good fortune, and has been a part of Chinese and Buddhist traditions since ancient times.

This year is the Bing Wu Year of the Horse, or the year of the fire horse. The horse zodiac symbolises independence, pioneering spirit, and swift movement. It will be a year associated with transformation and wisdom; one that will be dynamic, with essence of freedom, vitality, speed, and enthusiasm.

Amongst many distinguished guests, old and new friends, we were honoured to have the Deputy Consul-General Liu Dongyuan join us from the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Melbourne, along with Consul Li Guo, as well as Mr Marcus Vermey MP representing the Deputy Premier of Tasmania, and other local government leaders and community leaders.

This year also marks the tenth anniversary of the consecration of the temple’s guardian stone lions and Four Heavenly Devas. Over the past decade, the stone lions have steadfastly protected the altar, their presence imposing and dignified. The Four Heavenly Devas have upheld the sacred teachings, their light radiating far and wide. Looking back over the years, we have weathered challenges together, greatly propagating the Dharma; with united hearts, the blessings of the Buddha have grown ever more abundant. 

In commemoration of the milestone, we unveiled the newly hung peace bell at the event. A big thank you to local company BlackCap Construction for making it happen; they worked with Tasmanian suppliers to design, fabricate and install the locally made structure, honouring traditional Chinese architectural styles with a modern twist. Our thanks go out to Pitt and Sherry for design, Outtasite Mobile Welding for fabrication and Xanderware and Saunders and Son for the laser cut patterns.

Following formal proceedings, guests enjoyed drinks and light lunch provided by local food trucks, Kaki Lima Indonesian food and Fried and Loaded, as well as coffee by Staple Coffee and ice creams provided by Miss Whippy, with Academy members bringing more cultural performances on stage during lunch, celebrating the spirit of unity and good fortune.