In Pictures: Colourful parades mark Chinese Year of the Snake

Performers take part in Chinese new year celebrations in Liverpool (Peter Byrne/PA)

PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

Performers have taken to the streets in London and Liverpool to celebrate the arrival of the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac.

The parade in Chinatown in the capital is part of the biggest Chinese new year celebration outside of China.

Performers in gold outfits with scrolls in their mouth ahead of the lunar new year celebrations (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A performer dressed in pink does the splits ahead of Chinese new year celebrations in London (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A red dragon model is held in the air by a parade performer (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

Performers hold up a yellow display during the parade (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A performer wears a white mask with a design in black, blue, pink and red (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A woman dressed in red waves two fans (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A number of performers in multi-coloured dresses line up (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

A member of staff at the Mrs bakery in Chinatown in London, interacts with lion dancers (Jonathan Brady/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Jonathan Brady

The arrival of the Year of the Snake was also marked in style in Liverpool, which hosted the Chinese dragon, lion and unicorn procession.

Crowds watch as performers walk past with colourful props (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

An orange prop is paraded down the centre of standing patrons (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

The head of an orange dragon is paraded as part of the celebration (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

Chinese new year performers walk through crowds during the parade (Peter Byrne/PA)PA Wire/PA Images - Peter Byrne

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