A TASTE of China is coming to the streets of Brighton.

Traders are paying for a ten ft lion, complete with banging drums and gongs, to dance through the North Laine area and bring them financial prosperity for the year.

The giant puppet, which weighs 70kg, will be carried by members of the Sussex-based Fujian White Crane Club. It will leave red envelopes on store windows and is reputed to bring luck to anyone leaving money inside them.

Brainwave

The North Laine Traders' Association is paying for the event, which will be held on May 20 as part of the Brighton Festival.

The idea was the brainwave of Shui Ling Wyen, manager of Oriental Arts, Gardner Street, who said customers were prepared to travel to London to see a Chinese lion dance and wanted to see one performed in Brighton.

She said: "There is a big Chinese community in Brighton but it is quite spread out. A lot of local people say they go to London to see a lion dance at Chinese New Year and I thought why not have one in Brighton?

"Chinese culture, like Feng Shui and crafts, are in vogue at the moment and people seem to want to know more. The lion dance is performed at

traditional festivals so I thought it would be good to have it during the Brighton Festival."

Ms Wyen explained: "Lions are known to only come out in happy events. They celebrate happiness and prosperity and the shopkeepers who leave

money will get a

blessing."

The North Laine Traders' Association is also paying for the first time towards having Brighton Festival street performers in the area on May 12 and 13.

The lion dance will be performed from 12.30pm.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.