农历新年庆典 2026——喜迎馬年 · 馬到成功
以社区为核心的马年庆典
On Saturday 28 February 2026, the Goulburn Valley Chinese Association (GVCA) proudly presented the Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 – Welcoming the Year of the Horse at Riverlinks Eastbank in Shepparton.
2026 年 2 月 28 日，高宾华人会（Goulburn Valley Chinese Association，GVCA）在谢珀顿 Riverlinks Eastbank 成功举办了 2026 农历新年庆典——喜迎马年 · 马到成功。
Designed as a free, family-friendly event, the celebration welcomed people from all cultural backgrounds across Greater Shepparton and the broader Goulburn Valley to come together through music, performance, cultural traditions and shared community experiences.
本次活动以免费、家庭友好和社区参与为理念，欢迎来自大谢珀顿及周边地区、不同文化背景的居民齐聚一堂，通过音乐、演出、传统文化与互动体验，共同庆祝农历新年。
Program highlights and community participation
活动亮点与社区参与
Throughout the afternoon, the venue was filled with warmth and energy — from the excitement of the Lion Dance, to live performances and DJs, to cultural workshops where children and families explored calligraphy, traditional knotting and festive activities together.
活动当天现场气氛热烈而温暖：舞狮表演点燃节庆氛围，舞台演出与音乐互动贯穿全场，书法、中国结等文化工作坊则让孩子与家长共同参与、共同体验。
One moment captured the spirit of the day perfectly, when a child from our community said: “This was the best day ever!”
一位来自社区的孩子在活动中开心地说：“这是我过得最开心的一天！” 这句话，成为本次活动最真诚、也最动人的注脚。
We were also deeply encouraged by feedback from visiting performers, including a Pipa artist Zoey Xu from Melbourne who shared that the event felt “warm, community-focused and genuinely people-centred.”
我们也收到了来自外地演出嘉宾的反馈。一位来自墨尔本的琵琶演员Zoey Xu表示，这是一场“非常温暖、很有社区感、以人为本的活动。”
In an era where many large-scale events are increasingly commercialised, GVCA is proud to create celebrations that prioritise connection, participation and community belonging.
在当下许多大型活动日益商业化的背景下，GVCA 始终坚持把空间留给人，把重点放在连接、参与与社区归属感上。
What the celebration delivered
活动内容概览
The Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 featured:
- A diverse stage program of cultural and contemporary performances
- Lion Dance as a key festive highlight
- Hands-on cultural workshops, including calligraphy and traditional knotting
- Community service and information stalls
- Family-friendly festival activities encouraging participation across all ages
本次庆典活动内容包括：
- 融合传统与现代的舞台演出节目
- 作为节庆亮点的舞狮表演
- 文化体验工作坊（书法、中国结等）
- 社区服务与信息摊位
- 适合不同年龄段参与的亲子友好互动活动
Attendance and reach｜参与规模
The Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 was attended by over 1,000 people throughout the afternoon, reflecting strong community interest and engagement from across Greater Shepparton and the wider Goulburn Valley region.
2026 农历新年庆典当天共吸引 超过 1,000 人次参与，展现了来自大谢珀顿及周边地区社区成员的高度参与度与广泛支持。
The strong turnout highlighted the importance of inclusive, community-led cultural celebrations in regional Victoria, and reaffirmed the role of GVCA in creating spaces that bring people together across cultures.
如此高的参与度，体现了维州社区对多元文化、包容性庆典的真实需求，也进一步肯定了高宾华人会在推动跨文化交流与社区凝聚力方面所扮演的重要角色。
Chair’s Message｜主席致辞
“In Chinese culture, the Horse symbolises resilience — quietly moving forward, step by step, with strength and determination. This is exactly how our Chinese community in the Goulburn Valley has grown, through time, effort and perseverance.”
“马，在中华文化中象征着坚韧与前行。它不张扬，却始终向前。这也正像我们在 Goulburn Valley 的华人社区一样，一步一步，用时间和坚持，慢慢走到今天。”
— Jimmy Li, President, Goulburn Valley Chinese Association
李沛｜高宾华人会 会长
During the opening of the Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 – Welcoming the Year of the Horse, GVCA President Jimmy Li delivered a bilingual address reflecting on the meaning of the Year of the Horse and the journey of the Chinese community in the Goulburn Valley.
在活动开幕仪式上，高宾华人会会长 李沛（Jimmy Li） 发表了中英文致辞，分享了马年象征的坚韧精神，并回顾了华人社区在 Goulburn Valley 扎根与成长的历程。
For those interested in reading the full address, the complete speech is available below.
如希望阅读完整致辞内容，可在下方下载 主席致辞完整版。
Formal acknowledgements
正式鸣谢
GVCA extends its sincere thanks to all partners, sponsors, supporters and leaders whose contributions made this celebration possible.
高宾华人会谨向所有合作伙伴、赞助商、支持单位及社区领袖致以诚挚感谢，正是大家的支持，成就了这场庆典。
Major supporters and funding partners
主要支持与资助单位
We gratefully acknowledge the support of:
- Greater Shepparton City Council
- Victorian Multicultural Festivals and Events Program
- Sinopec (Major Sponsor)
Community partners and collaborators
社区合作伙伴
We also sincerely thank our valued community partners and collaborators, including:
- Australian Red Cross
- Excell Dance Centre （舞蹈团队/合作方）
- Goulburn Valley Public Health Unit (GV PHU)
- Goulburn Valley Water
- headspace Shepparton
- Multicultural Emergency Management Partnership (MEMP)
- Plunkett Orchards
- Riverlinks Eastbank
- Shepparton RSL Sub Branch Inc.
- Verney Road Milk Bar & Takeaway
- Victorian Electoral Commission
- 中国·丽江及相关支持伙伴
同时感谢所有工作坊带领者、演出团队、社区服务机构及摊位伙伴对本次活动的支持与参与。
Elected Representatives and Civic Leaders
政界与市政领袖鸣谢
The Goulburn Valley Chinese Association sincerely thanks the government representatives who attended and supported the Lunar New Year Celebration 2026 – Welcoming the Year of the Horse. Their presence demonstrated strong support for multicultural, community-led celebrations in Greater Shepparton and regional Victoria.
高宾华人会谨此衷心感谢出席并支持 2026 农历新年庆典·喜迎马年 的各级政界代表。他们的到场，体现了对谢珀顿地区多元文化社区活动的重视与支持。
We were honoured to be joined by:
Federal and State Representatives 联邦及州议会代表
- Sam Birrell MP, Federal Member for Nicholls
- Kim O’Keeffe MP, Member for Shepparton and Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Multicultural Affairs
Greater Shepparton City Council 大谢珀顿市议会
- Shane Sali, Mayor
- Anthony Brophy, Councillor
- Rod Schubert, Councillor
- Fern Summer, Councillor
Their engagement throughout the celebration reinforced the importance of inclusive, community-focused cultural events in strengthening social connection, belonging and mutual understanding across our region.
各位议员在活动期间的参与与交流，进一步肯定了社区主导型文化庆典在促进社会连接、包容性与社区凝聚力方面的重要意义。
Volunteers, performers and community
志愿者、演出者与社区
This celebration was built by volunteers and powered by community goodwill. GVCA sincerely thanks:
- Our volunteers and committee members
- All performers, workshop facilitators and stallholders
- Every family and community member who attended and shared the day with us
本次活动由志愿者团队共同策划并执行，也离不开社区各方的信任与付出。正是每一位参与者，让这场庆典真正成为“属于社区的节日”。
Looking ahead
展望未来
The Year of the Horse symbolises resilience, steady effort and moving forward together. GVCA looks forward to continuing to build connection, belonging and cultural exchange across our region.
马年象征着坚韧、行动力与稳步向前。高宾华人会将继续致力于推动文化交流与社区连接，期待与大家再次相聚。
All the photos taken by Leah Doyle and Justin Liang.
