Big welcome for the Chinese Year of the Horse

Published: 23 February 2026

Last week saw Chinese New Year, and the start of the Year of The Horse. A large group of local residents gathered at Walthamstow Hall School to celebrate it, and to mark the achievements of children in the Sevenoaks Chinese Community.

Over 120 people connected to the Sevenoaks branch of Dartford Chinese School were at the event, including families who have moved here from Hong Kong, from other parts of China, UK nationals with Chinese partners, teachers and lots of children. The role of the School is to help families with Chinese heritage sustain their language and culture while living in the UK. It’s been going on Sunday mornings in Sevenoaks for about eight years, but was founded by volunteers in Dartford much earlier.

Proceedings started with a fierce display of a Lion Dance - after which the Mayor and Mayoress said thanks to the Lion in the form of lucky red envelopes containing money posted into its mouth. Then followed a full programme of music, poetry, dance and songs including demonstrations of Chinese children’s games. Its surprising how similar children's games can be across continents! Prizes for achievement in all these areas - and wider educational and social goals - came next with more lucky red envelopes and certificates. It was a joyful - and noisy - celebration of the children in this community, and of the contribution they make to Sevenoaks.

 

The biggest surprise of the day was discovering that the founder of the School - Alvin Chan - had studied at Sussex University just as we arrived there 55 years ago - and we had been taught by some of the same professors. It’s a very small world.

The School is run by a combination of volunteers and professional teachers - like many organisations in Sevenoaks. They make a very colourful crowd when dressed up to celebrate something as important as New Year, which in the Chinese calendar is a bit like Christmas and New Year rolled into one and spread out over weeks!

We finished with a very good lunch - for which I was glad I had practiced my chopstick skills - with Chinese tea. My thanks for a chance to get to know a fascinating and dynamic section of life in Sevenoaks.