Chinese New Year in London

London’s multi-cultural heart will once again be laid bare for the rest of the world to see on Sunday February the 10th, as the streets of Soho's China Town are set to unravel, releasing all the colour, vibrancy, energy and passion of the Chinese New Year. 

Performance

With over 500 performers coming from China and across the UK to showcase their talents on the festival's three stages in Chinatown (two in Shaftesbury Avenue and Leicester Square, and the main-stage in Trafalgar Square), as well as five street performing areas along Charing Cross Road, Dr Chan exclaims that this will be “the best ever Chinese New Year Festival!” It’s easy to see why he is so confident. With organisers having put together a really exciting bill of events that includes colourful floats (each showcasing a different Chinese theme), martial arts performances throughout the streets, performers in traditional Chinese costumes, a whole host of lion and dragon dancing and a huge firework display to boot, the celebrations look set to be memorable.

Culture 

It’s not all performance. There will be plenty of opportunity to immerse oneself in Chinese culture, as other activities will be taking place in Chinatown throughout the day. There'll be plenty of stalls selling souvenirs, as well as a workshop set up to showcase and teach Chinese Calligraphy and traditional Chinese paper cutting techniques to audiences.

“This is the biggest Chinese New Year Festival in the world outside of China, with over 500, 000 people attending every year. The celebrations showcase an exciting array of Chinese culture from traditional Chinese musical instruments to Peking Opera” whilst also embracing “up-and-coming talent from the UK”, Dr Chan tells us. Working very closely with the Mayor of London – the festival’s main partner – and professional organisations like the Metropolitan Police, Westminster City Council, and Transport for London, Dr Chan points out how the event is able to “run smoothly and safely”. “This is the first major event ever to be supported by the Mayor of London" that aims to "showcase to the rest of the world that London is a major multi-cultural city, embracing the different cultures of its ethnic groups through celebrating Chinese New Year on this massive scale.”

So, that really only leaves one thing unanswered. With 2013 being the Year of the Snake, what does Dr Chan think lies ahead in the next 12 months? “People born in the Year of the Snake tend to be thoughtful, wise and are good at solving problems”, he says. “Snakes are also said to be very insightful and naturally intuitive, but also mysterious. Ancient Chinese philosophy believed that a snake in your house was a good omen because it meant that your family would not starve in the coming year.” Ultimately then, “2013, the Year of Snake will bring steady progress through attention to detail” and therefore, “focus and discipline will be necessary to achieve goals.”

So, there it is. Concentrate, focus and be disciplined, but perhaps wait until the Chinese New Year festivities are all wrapped up first? There is far to much fun to be had!

The Chinese New Year celebrations take place in central London on Sunday 10th February from 10am. For further information, go to chinatownlondon.org

Words: Russell Cook