The year of the snake is almost upon us, but the celebrations will last well beyond January 29. Though the Lunar New Year, also known as Spring Festival originated in China, it is now celebrated worldwide.
Here’s a look at some destinations that celebrate Chinese New Year:
1. Shanghai, China
The Longhua temple in Xuhui is a great place the celebrate the Chinese New Year. Buddhist monks visit the temple’s famous pagoda and ring its bell to keep off evil spirits in the year ahead. The world-famous lantern show at the Yu Garden bazaar is also worth a visit. You can witness enormous displays of different lanterns that hang above streets and plazas between January 1 to February 12.
2. Singapore
Each year, students at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) create an annual Chinatown light-up display for Chinese New Year. This festive display sets the stage for the Hong Bao Carnival, named for the
lucky red envelopes of money given to children on New Year’s Eve.
3. San Francisco, United States
Celebrating Chinese New Year has been a tradition in the Bay Area since the 1860’s. The most exciting event is the night parade, which consists of all the beautiful parts of Chinese New Year traditions, such as a parade where 100 men and women carry a 201-foot-long golden dragon through the crowd.
4. Paris, France
The city of light gets even brighter every year when Chinese New Year celebrations begin. Celebrations fill the streets of the 13th Arrondissement for the Chinatown Parade event with firecrackers, costumed dancers, and paper lanterns.
5. Beijing, China
Temple fairs fill with local snacks, folk art, and traditional performances can be witnessed outside local temples throughout Beijing every Chinese New Year. These marketplaces have been around for hundreds of years, dating back to the Ming and Qing Dynasty (1368– 1912).
6. Hong Kong
Entertainers come from as far as the United States and Germany for a chance to perform at the famous Hong Kong New Year parade. The main event is the horse races at the Sha Tin racetrack on the festival’s third day, when the region’s best jockeys compete for the Chinese New Year Cup in front of 100,000 roaring spectators.
7. Harbin, China
If you prefer winter festivals to spring ones, the celebrations in Harbin are perfect for you. This provincial capital combines the traditions of Chinese New Year with its own Ice and Snow festival among a village of huge, bright ice and snow sculptures.
8. New York City, United States
With a large population of Chinese of its own, New York knows how to do Chinese New Year right. The firecracker ceremony and cultural festival on the first day of the Lunar New Year starts with midday fireworks and continues well after the sun goes down. On the second weekend after the Chinese New Year, the annual parade, complete with dragons, dancers, and traditional delicacies, winds its way through lower Manhattan’s Chinatown.
9. London, England
London claims to host the
largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of Asia. Parades, acrobat performances, dragon dances, and martial arts acts all unfold in one wild day in the bustling West End and Chinatown. Stop by the craft stalls and food stands along Wardour and Gerrard Streets in Chinatown to complete the experience.
10. Sydney, Australia
Sydney’s summer weather offers a warmer way to celebrate ‘Spring Festival’. Dragon Boat races in Darling Harbour are a major highlight and foodies won’t want to miss the Lunar Markets at Pyrmont Bay Park.
Whether you prefer the lively San Francisco parades or the stunning ice sculptures in Harbin, there’s a Chinese New Year celebration that everyone can enjoy. So, where are you going to celebrate this Chinese New Year?
