Chinese New Year was celebrated with a colourful ceremony this morning.

School children and shoppers watched a Chinese lion parade in Gravesend through the town to the St George’s Arts Centre.

The lion was woken in Gravesend Borough Market at 11am by the mayor, Cllr Peter Scollard, and the Deputy Lieutenant of Kent, Dr Bhargawa Vasudaven.

Chinese New Year 2023 fell on Sunday, January 22 and finishes with the Lantern Festival on Sunday, February 5.

This Lunar New Year is the zodiac year of the Rabbit and the celebrations mark the transition between the year's zodiac signs.

Lucky things associated with this Chinese New Year include the colours red, pink, purple, blue and the numbers three, four and nine.