Chinese New Year 2009 Celebrations: UK and Around the World
Chinese New Year is the perfect antidote to the winter weather in the UK. Colourful displays, dancing lions and dragons and noisy firecrackers are a match for any damp and grey day.
From British Columbia, Canada and Lima, Peru, to Penang, Malaysia and, of course, Beijing, China, people have been celebrating the biggest festival of the year.
The Guardian has a great gallery of pictures that I thought Your Travel Planner readers would enjoy: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2009/jan/26/1?picture=342327843
Join in the UK celebrations
Cities and towns all over the UK are welcoming the Year of the Ox too. Celebrations span the end of January and the beginning of February. Although 26 January was the first day of the Chinese New year celebrations, there’s still time to join in the fun:
Birmingham Sunday 1 Feb, 12 - 5pm, Arcadian Centre, FREE: Cultural performances, music, entertainment and firecrackers, plus a temporary market on Hurst Street selling Chinese goods and crafts. Dragon Dance and Firecrackers at noon, followed by Chinese karaoke, folk dancing and Kung Fu. More Dragon Dancing at 4.30pm to round it off.
Edinburgh Sunday 8 Feb, 12 - 4pm, National Museum of Scotland, FREE: Music, dance, art and animation.
London Sunday, 1 Feb, 12 - 6pm, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Shaftesbury Avenue and Chinatown, FREE: Traditional and contemporary Chinese entertainment in Trafalgar Square with performances from artists from Qinghai and Kunming provinces in China. Plus fireworks in Leicester Square, cultural stalls, food, decorations and lion dance displays in Chinatown and local performance stage in Shaftesbury Avenue. HaiBao, the mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will take part in the event.
Manchester Sunday, 1 Feb, 11am - 7pm, Chinatown, Albert Square, FREE: A whole day’s celebrations with lion and unicorn performances, 175ft long dragon, stalls, arts and crafts, calligraphy, oriental food, concluding with a 20 minute long spectacular fireworks display at Chinatown.
Nottingham Sunday, 1 Feb, 4.30 - 6.50pm, Lakeside Arts Centre, FREE: Lion and dragon dances, Korean drumming, dance performances and fireworks.
Wishing everyone “Kung Hei Fat Choi“, a very happy and prosperous year of the Ox.
If you have taken part in Chinese New Year and have a picture to share with Your Travel Planner, please let us know.
