Richmond mall welcomes Chinese New Year with gold and luck

Aberdeen Centre’s annual Chinese New Year celebration returns with a gold theme to bring in good luck and fortune.

The Richmond mall aims to bring luck to visitors with an abundance of giant gold coins and “golden cheese” displays for the Year of the Rat.

Joey Kwan, director of public relations at Aberdeen Centre, said she was told the Year of the Rat will be an unstable year by a fortune teller.

With this in mind, Kwan wanted to share an interactive display that will bring more luck to visitors and the mall.

“The goal and theme for this year is to have an abundance of gold, lucky coins and lucky ‘fortune sticks’ to balance out the unluckiness and bring more luck and positivity into the New Year,” said Kwan.

Visitors, said Kwan, can choose their “fortune sticks” and take pictures with their lucky pick and the display at the mall.

Aberdeen’s flower and gift fair will kick-off this year’s Chinese New Year festivities from Jan. 18 – 26.

A live countdown to the Year of the Rat will take place on Jan. 24. with stage shows and blessings from the Chinese God of Fortune featuring Richmond Coun. Bill McNulty starting at 8:30 p.m. in the mall’s atrium.

More festivities will take place at Aberdeen from Jan. 25 to 26 featuring a dragon and lion dance, Chinese music orchestra, and dance performances.