Whitehorse welcomes Chinese Year of the Horse

The Chinese New Year has arrived in Yukon with all the energy of a galloping horse.

About 70 performers took part in a Chinese New Year celebration Saturday at the Kwanlin Dun Cultural Centre in Whitehorse.

The Chinese New Year is on Friday, Jan. 31, and thistime the zodiac announces the year of the horse.The horse is considered good luck in Chinese culture.

Xiu-MeiZhang, president of the Chinese-Canadian Association of Yukon, saidthis year's Zodiac animal will have a special meaning for many people.

"The horse signifies love, life, intelligence and fast speed or success," she said.

Song Lin has lived in Whitehorsefor four years and says the Chinese-Canadian community in Yukonis growing.

"We don't have a big population here, maybe around 300 Chinese-Canadians but it's getting bigger," he said. "We started a society two years ago, and now everybody knows about it."

Charmaine Cheung was the master of ceremonies.

"It's such a lovely coincidence, because we are in Whitehorse and this is the year of the horse that's coming up," she said. "I think that's very good luck for everyone that lives in this great city."

The event featured dancing, music and a demonstration ofTaiChi forms featuring local elders.