DANCING dragons entertained shoppers for a special Chinese New Year celebration.

Lion Walk Shopping Centre in Colchester staged the event which brought dancing dragons to life as they celebrated the Chinese New Year with a number of colourful and energetic street performances.

The multi-talented acts offered high impact, attention grabbing performances including traditional Chinese stilt walkers in traditional costume as well as energetic giant doll heads performing their swirling ribbon dances.

The seasonal Dragon Dance, traditionally performed at the Chinese New Year to scare away evil spirits, was a huge hit with families who turned out to watch the performances which were deliberately staged after school hours so children could enjoy the festivities.

They were also able to pose with the performers for photographs to mark the offical start of the Year of the Pig.

Peter Scopes, Lion Walk Shopping Centre manager, said the event was a colourful addition to what can be a dark time of years.

He said: “Chinese New Year is such a lively energetic and colourful festival we wanted to celebrate and share some of its energy and fun with our customers.”

He added: “We had a great turn out and our shoppers really enjoyed the performances which were spectacular.”