There were flashes of colour, modern and traditional music and dumplings galore as around 500 people turned out to see in the Chinese Year of the Snake.

Ham & High: Chinese silk fan dancer Wen-Chun Tang. Picture: Dieter PerryChinese silk fan dancer Wen-Chun Tang. Picture: Dieter Perry (Image: Dieter Perry)

The Chinese New Year party at Porchester Hall in Queensway, Bayswater, was the first time an event of this scale had been held in central London – and it attracted hundreds of guests, mainly Chinese students from around London.

They were entertained by a range of music and dance performers, including rock singer Adam Qi, popular Chinese band Transition, a classical string trio and long silk fan dancers.

The party, on January 27, aimed to bring young Chinese people together and celebrate the contribution that the culture has made to the West End. It could be the first of many annual Chinese new year celebrations at Porchester Hall.

Jichun Li, one of the organisers, said: “It was brilliant. People enjoyed the dumplings and the drinks. This is the biggest point of the Chinese year.”

Cllr Lee Rowley, Westminster Council’s cabinet member for community services, added: “Chinese culture has been a jewel in the West End’s crown for more than 40 years.”

The event was put on by Charing Cross Library, which is next to Chinatown and is home to the UK’s largest public collection of Chinese books, together with Paddington Library and the Two Sides of China Young Association. It was sponsored by Chinese businesswoman Shuzhen Deng.