Also known as Spring Festival or Lunar New Year, Chinese Year Year is celebrated all over the world, and no country celebrates it in quite the same way.
From firecrackers and fireworks to parades and dancing dragons, some of the biggest and craziest festivities actually happen outside of China. In fact, the world’s largest celebration outside of Asia takes place surprisingly close to home in London.
Official celebrations welcoming the Year of the Rat will kick off on 25 January and end on February 4. So break out the red lanterns and find out where rings in the Lunar New Year with a bang.
Nuanquan Town, Hebei province, China
This sleepy town doesn’t really feature on the tourist trail for most of the year. On the 15th day of the Spring Festival, however, it’s home to a jaw-dropping, 500-year-old tradition involving a lot of fire and molten iron.
The da shuhua (translated as ‘beating tree flowers’) is a tradition in which the local blacksmith hurls ladles of molten iron at the city gates, producing a shower of sparks. This fireworks display with a difference has been UNESCO-listed as one of China’s great examples of intangible cultural heritage.
London, UK
The UK capital claims to have the biggest Lunar New Year party outside of Asia. The one-day, jam-packed festival takes place on 26 January and there will be a Chinese parade that winds its way through the streets of the West End, followed by stage performances in Trafalgar Square. There’ll be traditional dance troupes, acrobats, dragon dances, opera and martial arts acts, before the celebrations wrap up with a spectacular fireworks display.
Chinatown, San Francisco
This west coast city is home to the largest Chinatown outside Asia, and the oldest in the United States. Needless to say, San Francisco knows how to put on a show during Chinese New Year. Throughout the 15-day festival there are hundreds of floats, acrobats, exploding firecrackers, marching bands, an illuminated night parade, plus a 268-foot Golden Dragon, which requires more than 100 people to hold up.
Singapore
Singapore’s River Hongbao is home to a buzzing festival with giant lanterns, traditional song and dance, Chinese delicacies and impressive fireworks. Head downtown for the Chingay Parade, the largest street and float parade in Asia.
Paris, France
The French capital is home to a large and vibrant French-Chinese community who ring in the Lunar New Year with fabulous parades and festivities. It’s one of the city’s biggest annual events and one heck of a party, taking place largely in the districts of Belleville and the district near the Centre Georges Pompidou.
Beijing, China
Unsurprisingly, the mother of all Chinese New Year celebrations takes place in Beijing. In addition to festivals, firecrackers, fireworks and parades, there’s a real emphasis on reflection and family. One of the city’s biggest draws is the Ditan Park Temple Fair, which transports visitors back to a bygone era by reenacting an imperial ceremony from the Qing Dynasty.
Sydney, Australia
Numerous events take place throughout the city, including karaoke competitions, martial art demonstrations, dancing dragons and more, but Chinatown is where most of the action takes place. There are dragon boat races in Cockle Bay and don’t miss the twilight parade, the city’s signature event.
