The Australian National Maritime Museum will celebrate Lunar New Year with a calendar of festive events and activities for all ages, including lion dances, dragon boat displays, Mandarin tours, creative arts and crafts for kids and a 'Spot the Rat' activity trail in honour of the Year of the Rat.
It's also bringing back its highly popular Murder Mystery at Sea with "The Great Ratsby", a brand-new 1920s style thriller aboard the Ena, one of the finest Edwardian steam yachts in the world, for just six nights in January. The adults-only adventure mixes gangsters with the party set as they'll seek to unravel the mystery of a body found floating in the harbour.
The diverse program will run from 10 January to 9 February, celebrating with festivities for Lunar New Year on the 25 January 2020 and continuing until February 9th.
"We've taken inspiration and 'rat'-ified our programs to celebrate of the Year of the Rat this Lunar New Year," quips Michael Harvey Australian National Maritime Museum Head Assistant Director, Public Engagement and Research.
"Our younger visitors can participate in the 'Spot the Rat - Activity Trail', exploring the museum to find the rats and enter a competition for an amazing prize pack, while creatively-inclined visitors can take part in crafts in the maker space, inspired by traditional stories and mythological maritime creatures.
"We're also encouraging the millennial detectives and sleuths amongst us to see if they can solve The Great Ratsby murder mystery without getting too 'rat'-tled."
Conveniently located right on Darling Harbour, the Museum is ensuring it's welcoming to the many international visitors who come to the precinct by offering four Mandarin-speaking tours daily between 12 January to 9 February 2020.
The tours take visitors through the galleries where they will learn about early Australian history, indigenous Australians, colonisation and migration. The tour then explains the significance of the vessels and drop visitors at the wharf to explore them at their leisure.
LUNAR NEW YEAR PROGRAM DETAILS: Jan 2020 - Feb 2020
Entry to all zones included in a 'Big Ticket' admission. Members FREE.
Located right on Darling Harbour (the Pyrmont side) at 2 Murray St, Sydney
Creative Crafts
Sundays 11am-3pm throughout February
Celebrate Lunar new year with creative crafts inspired by traditional stories and mythological maritime creatures. Craft a water-dragon shadow puppet, stamp a rat-hat, fold a paper fish lantern, paint watercolour lotus blossoms or learn inkbrush lettering.
Spot the Rat - Activity Trail
Every day of Lunar New Year
Explore the museum with a special lunar New Year themed activity trail challenge. Spot the rats. Can you find them all? Enter your finished trail in our competition for a chance to win an amazing store prize pack giveaway.
Mandarin speaking tours
12 Jan- 9 Februrary
10am, 11am, 2pm, 2:45pm
Gallery tour to learn about early Australian history, indigenous Australians, colonisation and migration, followed by a wharf visit to the vessels to be explored at leisure.
The Great Ratsby
10 Jan – 25 Jan 2020, Friday and Saturday evenings
2x per evening: 6-7:30pm and 8-9:30pm
Sydney in mid-1920s is a city ready to explode. Gangs, the plague, police and the legend that is "The Great Ratsby" come together on a steamy night in January. At a ritzy party on the luxury yacht Ena, gangsters mix with the Sydney party set until a body is found floating in the harbour. Once the body is discovered, the police and detective arrive and guests are coerced in assisting with the investigation. Guests move from the wharf into the museum, back of house and the loading dock as they search for clues and try and uncover the mystery. Join Detective First Class Xavier Harris, as he trolls the murky underworld of Sydney docks to unravel the mystery behind the body in the water.
18+
Lion and Dragon Dance Performances
Sunday 2 February 2020, 12pm and 1pm
Spectacular traditional dance performances by Dong Tam Association.
Dragon Boat displays
Sunday 9 February 2020 12.30pm
Experience the excitement of a demonstration dragon boat race with displays from local Dragon Boat Clubs on the museum's waterfront. Meet the paddlers and find out more about dragon boating tradition and stories.
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Notes to the Editor:
Download high res images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/yhxiqal7zq3d1vs/AAB14Tzw_PccN4KVk3if75SVa?dl=0
Photo caption: The Great Ratsby Murder Mystery on Ena, Australian National Maritime Museum
Photo caption: Art at Summer, Australian National Maritime Museum
Photo caption: Chinese visitors for Lunar New Year, Australian National Maritime Museum
Photo caption: Lion dance for Lunar New Year, Australian National Maritime Museum
Media Contact:
Andrea Plawutsky 0419 970 984 andrea@amplifyme.com.au