Festive Spirits High as Leaders Celebrate Lunar New Year in Haymarket

Sydney Hyperlocal News report generated using Gemini AI and media releases/Posted Tuesday 17 February,2026

The morning walk through Chinatown on February 16, 2026, was a high-profile visit aimed at supporting the local community and businesses during the busiest period of the Sydney Lunar Festival.

NSW Premier Chris Minns has been a key figure in the broader 2026 Lunar New Year celebrations—including hosting a lighting ceremony at the Museum of Contemporary Art just days prior—the specific delegation for the morning walk through Haymarket Chinatown on February 16, 2026, was led by several of his prominent Parliamentary colleagues.

According to the details of the event, the delegation included:

Image depicting NSW Premier and others from the FB page of C.Minns

Image depicting NSW Premier and others from the FB page of C.Minns

• Tanya Plibersek (Federal Member for Sydney and  Minister for the Environment and Water)

• Jason Yat-sen Li (State Member for Strathfield)

• Tri Vo (State Member for Cabramatta)

• Donna Davis (State Member for Parramatta)

• Hugh McDermott (State Member for Prospect)

• Zann Maxwell (Labor Candidate)

While the walk was a broader celebration of the Year of the Fire Horse, the group visited several specific landmarks and community-centric locations within the Haymarket precinct.

Image depicting NSW Premier and others from the FB page of C.Minns

Key Locations and Businesses Visited

• The Dixon Street “Fire Horse” Installation: The delegation visited the centerpiece of this year’s festival—a striking, flame-forged horse installation on Dixon Street designed by Basalt Studio. It stands as a symbol of the vitality and passion associated with the Fire Horse, which only returns every 60 years.

• Market City Shopping Centre: The group stopped at this historic hub, which is currently hosting a seven-week festival. They specifically viewed the 5-meter tall “Golden Horse” installation in the Centre Court and acknowledged the long-standing role the centre plays in supporting local Asian-Australian businesses.

• The Lunar Gateways on Hay Street: The MPs walked through the four hand-painted gateways that celebrate the heritage of the Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese communities.

• Local Small Businesses: A major focus of the walk was engaging with stallholders and legacy restaurant owners along Dixon and Sussex Streets. These businesses are the “heartbeat” of the precinct, and the visit served to highlight their importance to Sydney’s economy and cultural identity.

Image depicting NSW Premier and others from the FB page of C.Minns

Community Projects Highlighted

• Haymarket Chamber of Commerce Initiatives: The visit underscored the collaborative efforts between the government and the Chamber of Commerce to revitalize Chinatown through public art and street activations.

• Cultural Preservation: By walking through both Chinatown and Thaitown, the delegation highlighted the “Sydney Lunar Streets” project, which transforms the laneways into a unified street festival, blending traditional lion dancing with contemporary DJs and food stalls.

The timing—New Year’s Eve—was particularly chosen to witness the peak “joyful chaos” of the community preparing for the New Year, which officially begins tomorrow Tuesday , February 17.

While the walk was a broader show of support for the whole precinct, the group specifically stopped at several “pillar” establishments and community hubs that define the modern Chinatown experience.

Featured Businesses and Stops

• The Eight Restaurant (Market City): The group visited this cornerstone of the 1909 Dining Precinct. It is one of the largest yum cha and seafood restaurants in the area and is currently hosting the major “family reunion” banquets for the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce.

• Gong Grocer (World Square): A must-visit for the MPs to see the festive rush. This Asian supermarket has been a focal point for the 2026 celebrations, offering free tastings and traditional “fortune-telling” sessions to shoppers during the New Year period.

• 108 Dixon Street: This is the starting point for many of the official cultural walking tours. The delegation met with tour guides here to discuss how tourism is rebounding for the Year of the Fire Horse, which is expected to bring a significant boost to local hospitality.

• Market City Shopping Centre: The delegation engaged with several retail stallholders on the ground floor near the 5-meter “Golden Horse” installation. They also stopped by the Personalised Calligraphy Station, where traditional blessings were being written for the community.

• Dixon Street Eateries: The walk included visits to several family-owned legacy businesses along Dixon Street. These restaurants are currently the site of “Lion Dance Store Blessings,” a tradition where dancers enter the shops to bring good luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Community Projects in Focus

Beyond individual shops, the walk highlighted two major revitalisation projects:

1. Sydney Lunar Streets: The MPs observed the results of the “laneway transformation” which has turned the area between Chinatown and Thaitown into a pedestrian-friendly festival zone with food trucks and outdoor Mahjong tables.

2. The Four Lunar Gateways: The group visited these new hand-painted installations that honor Chinese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese heritage, signaling a shift toward a more inclusive “Haymarket” identity rather than just a single-culture precinct.

The presence of Tanya Plibersek and Jason Yat-sen Li particularly underscored the government’s commitment to the Haymarket Revitalisation Strategy, which aims to blend these heritage businesses with new cultural infrastructure.