London activities feature Chinese culture
Hundreds of thousands of people in the United Kingdom will experience some of the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia in early February, at an event that will feature dragon and lion dances, stage performances, parades, traditional Chinese food and a wide range of fun activities.
The actual date of Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, varies from year to year because it is dictated by the lunar calendar. Each year of the Chinese calendar is represented by one of the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac. This year marks the Year of Pig, and Lunar New Year falls on Feb 5.
The celebrations in London will take place on Feb 10 throughout the downtown area. Most of the stage performances are set for Trafalgar Square, most foodie treats can be found in Chinatown, family-friendly entertainment will be based in Leicester Square, and additional stages will be set up on Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road. All the events are free to attend. More than 50 colorful handcrafted floats will take part in the Chinese New Year Parade, which will set off at 10 am from Charing Cross Road before passing along Shaftesbury Avenue and ending up in Chinatown.
Trafalgar Square’s festivities will begin at noon, with screen shows and a thanksgiving ceremony followed by speeches, firecrackers, and the lions’ eye-dotting ceremony, where special guests will paint the eyes on the giant lion costume.
People will get to see traditional dragon and flying lion dances, ahead of stage performances that will include Chinese dance and music shows, acrobatics, rock music, and interactive dance sessions.
The celebration will also offer the chance to taste Chinese food, with street food on sale at stalls lining Trafalgar Square.
People will be able to experience the special performances, workshops and activities between noon and 6 pm, including performances by British-Chinese artists in the talent and community zone on Charing Cross Road, the children’s zone in Leicester Square, and martial arts performances on Shaftesbury Avenue.
In recent years, with the country’s Chinese community has become more integrated, China’s international profile has risen, there have been several landmark Chinese investments in the UK, and a growing number of Chinese students are choosing to study in British universities, meaning the cultural significance of Chinese New Year in the country has increased significantly.
Around 430,000 ethnic Chinese people live in the UK, and the population is growing.