2015 Chinese New Year celebrations in Sydney "best ever": lord mayor

Sydney's lord mayor of 11 years has been immensely proud of her city and the visitors who came to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

Clover Moore has been instrumental in turning a small celebration 18 years ago in the city's Chinatown into one of the biggest festivals held annually in Sydney.

This year there were more than 80 events staged between Feb. 13 and March 1 in the center of the city, with daily lion dances, feasts, art exhibitions, a dragon boat racing tournament and more.

The biggest event was a parade through Sydney's main thoroughfare of George Street, ending in Chinatown.

It featured more than 3,000 people in the parade and was watched by tens of thousands of people, and included acrobats from China, huge Year of the Sheep inspired floats and spectacular lighting, something Sydney specializes in.

"We have just completed our 2015 festival and I think the festival and parade have been our best ever," the mayor told Xinhua.

"And we say that every year. It started as a small community event at our Chinatown, and that was about 18 years ago."

"And each year since, I've been mayor over the last 11 years, it has become bigger and better. And I think there was particularly a change when we introduced the lantern parade in the evening, and this year it was just spectacular. This year it was the Year of the Sheep, some people say Year of the Goat."

Mayor Moore explained the sheep has particular relevance for Australia. The wool from their backs famously built the wealth of a modern young nation, which started out with 11 ships filled with convicts in 1788.

Many Chinese arrived in Australia in the 1850s during a gold rush, but when it ended they pursued other jobs. One was shearing sheep.

Today Australia is home to at least 200 different ethnic communities.

"We like to pride ourselves that we're one of the most multicultural countries in the world," the mayor said.

"Here in the city we have people from 200 nationalities living here, and about 10 percent of that group has a Chinese background. And they have been very much part of the Australian community for 150 years."

"I think Chinese cuisine was the first non-Anglo sophisticated cuisine we got in Sydney, and that was many years ago now."

"From the tea rooms to the wonderful Chinese restaurants we have, and it's now a very important part of the business community and really contributes to our culture."

"We are proud of our Chinese communities and our Asian communities."

There are thousands of Chinese students in Australia and especially Sydney. And their families provide a huge spike in tourism numbers each February.

"China is very important to Australia," Moore said.

"It's our major trading partner. There is cultural exchange with students and Sydney has been proclaimed one of the most popular cities in the world for students to study in."

"I went to China last year to visit five cities to say thanks for coming to Sydney for New Year, and I was given a an amazing reception." Endi