For the fourth year in a row, some of Dublin’s best-known buildings are being lit up in red to mark the 2019 Chinese New Year and welcome the Year of the Pig (Chinese New Year’s Day is Tuesday 5th February). The illumination has been organised by the Dublin Chinese New Year Festival in conjunction with Dublin City Council.
Numerous civic buildings and other sites around Dublin will be illuminated in red, including The Mansion House, Civic Offices in Wood Quay, The CHQ Building, EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, The Convention Centre Dublin, Guinness Storehouse, Trinity College Dublin, the Westin Hotel, Pearse Lyons Distillery, and Smithfield Square.
Above are HE Eoin O’Leary, Ambassador of Ireland to the People’s Republic of China; HE Dr Yue Xiaoyong, Chinese Ambassador to Ireland; opera singer Neria Wang; Nial Ring, Lord Mayor of Dublin; and Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, at the illumination of the Mansion House in red.
Tourism Ireland in China will share images of the various sites illuminated in red via its social platforms – highlighting our rich heritage to potential Chinese visitors and as a symbol of friendship between Ireland and China.
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive, Tourism Ireland, said: “Tourism Ireland is delighted that Chinese New Year is being celebrated in Dublin once again this year, with many of our historic civic buildings lighting up in red. The illumination indicates a gesture of genuine friendship and a desire to further enhance the positive relations between China and Ireland. China is an important emerging travel market and one that Tourism Ireland is committed to growing over the coming years.”
Tourism Ireland has a strong network in China, with offices in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou and Chengdu. The organisation’s activity in China involves establishing and building relationships with influential intermediaries, including the travel trade, airlines and media – highlighting our natural attractions, cities, castles, and proximity to Britain. The Chinese version of Tourism Ireland’s international website is http://www.ireland.com/zh-cn and social media is also increasingly important in helping to raise awareness of Ireland in this mobile-dominant country.
