Video: Hundreds turn out for Chinese New Year 2013 parade in Medway

HUNDREDS of people turned out in Chatham yesterday for a colourful parade marking Chinese New Year.

Crowds lined the High Street to see the country's third largest parade of its kind, which featured dancing dragons, costumed characters and the banging of drums.

The Mayor of Medway Cllr Vaughan Hewett and his wife, mayoress Jenifer Hewett, joined the celebrations down Chatham High Street along with other dignitaries and cultural representatives.

Check out our photo galleries of the parade: Part 1, part 2 and part 3.

Midday heralded the start of the parade at the Military Road junction of the high street, which took an hour to reach its finishing point opposite Tesco. There, dragon dancers performed a dramatic display which proved popular with the gathered masses.

Their performance ended with the spectacular feat of climbing - and dancing - up a 9 metre pole.

The celebrations, which began a week ago with a preview event in Chatham, are taking place to mark the Chinese year of the snake.

Babies born this year are meant to be thoughtful, wise, insightful and intuitive, according to Chinese mythology.

This year's festival was rounded off with The Wonderful China show – a showcase of dancing, martial arts, music and magic at The Central Theatre in Chatham.

The production featured The Medway Dragon Team, The Foshan and Medway Lion Dance Teams, The Dance Alley Dancers, Shi Kon Martial Arts and special guests from the Cantonese Opera from Hong Kong.

Check out our photos from the parade:

• PHOTOS: Chinese New Year parade Medway 2013 - Part 1
• PHOTOS: Chinese New Year parade Medway 2013 - Part 2
• PHOTOS: Chinese New Year parade Medway 2013 - Part 3

Where you at the Chinese New Year parade? What did you think of the event? Leave a comment below.