Chinese New Year in London

26 January 2009: Year of the Ox
Traditionally, the London Chinatown Chinese Association holds the Chinese New Year celebrations on the first Sunday after new year's day.

Why Does The Date Change?

Chinese New Year is based on the lunar and solar calendars so the date varies from late January to mid-February.

Sunday 1 February 2009.
12pm - 6pm.

The official opening ceremony is at 12 noon in Trafalgar Square. This is followed by performances by artists from the Qinghai and Kunming provinces in China, as well as Chinese dragons, lions and Chinese acrobatics.

Chinatown will be specially decorated and there are cultural stalls, food and lion dance displays. Also, for the first time, Shaftesbury Avenue will become 'Hong Kong in London' with a stage featuring performances by local Chinese artists. There will also be a guest appearance by Haibao – the official Shanghai 2010 mascot throughout the day.

To close the celebrations there will be a colorful fireworks display in Leicester Square.

• Leicester Square
• Piccadilly Circus
• Charing Cross

Use Journey Planner to plan your route by public transport.

Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese communities. Each year in the Chinese calendar is represented by one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac: the Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, and Rabbit.

In the days leading up to the Chinese New Year, people clean their houses, repay debts, buy new clothes and have their hair cut. A celebratory meal is held on the eve of the new year, with many traditional dishes served, and fireworks and firecrackers are let off to see in the new year.

With the start of the new year, Lion Dances pass through the streets to bring good luck to the households and businesses they visit. The drums, gongs and cymbals that accompany the Lion Dance are used to scare away evil and bad luck.