SNOW failed to put a damper on Durham's Chinese New Year Festival yesterday.

Organisers were forced to move planned open-air performances of traditional Chinese dance and music inside the town hall as the weather made a stage erected in the Market Place too slippy.

The inclement conditions did not stop hundreds of people from jamming into the town hall to watch the dance of the lion - the animal considered by the Chinese as a symbol of good luck.

The Year of the Snake celebrations were also marked by a display from Gateshead's Choi Lee Fat Kung Fu Club and dancing choreographed by Annie Pui Ling Lok.

Children, and some adults, took the chance to see how their names are written in Chinese symbols.

There were traditional crafts on display, such as jewellery, lanterns and making paper dragons. An auth-entic taste of the Far East was pro-vided by the serving of Chinese food.

Festival coordinator Alison Lister, of Durham City Arts, said: "We weren't going to let it rain on our parade. I think everyone has enjoyed it. The turn-out isn't as good as we would have hoped because of the weather, but the hall has been packed."