A prestigious theatre group has appeared in Preston to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

The Shanghai Theatre Academy was invited to perform at Preston Charter Theatre by the UCLan Confucius Institute.

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The group’s sell-out performance marked the Year of the Pig and included traditional dance and musical instruments, plus Chinese puppetry and opera singing.

An exchange student from the University of International Business and Economics in China acted as an interpreter at the event, and two UCLan students introduced each performance.

Read more: A riot of colour as Preston welcomes the Year of the Pig

Several schools came to the show including St Stephen’s C of E Primary and Farington Moss St Paul’s C of E Primary. Also in attendance were Mayor of Preston councillor Trevor Hart and UCLan Executive Director of International Strategy and Partnerships Tim Steele.

The UCLan Confucius Institute aims to promote Chinese language and culture in the community.

Director Feixia Yu said: “It’s great to see Preston really embrace Chinese New Year with a whole host of celebratory events.

“The Shanghai Theatre Academy is a very prestigious dance company and we’re very proud to bring the troupe to Preston for the public to enjoy a cultural experience and join in the New Year celebrations.”

Did you join in any of Preston’s Chinese New Year celebrations? Let us know in the comments below.