HUNDREDS of people packed Newbury College on Saturday for West Berkshire's first official celebration of Chinese culture.
The crowds enjoyed a free feast prepared by chefs from local restuarant Chenz and takeaway Howan, while the Szechuan Inn sponsored a traditional lion dance.
The event, which was postponed from Chinese New Year due to the heavy February snowfall, was organised by the West Berkshire Minority Ethnic Forum (WBMEF), which next month celebrates its first anniversary.
Children were offered workshops in traditional Chinese games, brush paingting, Chinese calligraphy and origami.
The day also included a Tai Chi display, and singing by schoolchildren learning Mandarin in classes at Falkland Primary School.
The forum's project manager, Waheeda Soomro, said: “It was absolutely fantastic. We had over 300 people from all sorts of backgrounds, and the college said they had never seen it so full for such an event. The day was great for community cohesion and appreciation of different cultures.”
The forum now runs after-school Mandarin lessons at Falkland Primary School, originally set up in order to let pupils with Chinese roots reconnect with their cultural heritage.
Some 25 families now bring their children to the classes, and the forum now want to set up similar classes in Arabic and Koranic studies at Kennet School.
Organisers estimate that there are up to 50 families of Chinese heritage living in West Berkshire, and are already planning another event next year.