Chinese New Year celebrations in London

2007 will be the Chinese Year of the Pig and this week sees the start of a whole lot of events marking the occassion in London. There are around 60,000 Chinese people in London and the centre of Chinatown is Gerrard Street in Soho. This is probably the time of year when the Chinese community is at its most high profile.
Here are some of the New Year events in London.

12 February - Chinese Students and Scholars Association UK are holding a Chinese New Year Gala at the University of London’s Logan Hall in Bloomsbury, featuring music and dance performances. Its on from 7-10pm with free admission.

15 February - Oxford Circus Chinese lanterns will be lit and and stay on display until 15 March.

16-18 February - Chinese New Year at the Victoria and Albert Museum Three days of events that include demonstrations of Chinese dance, music, calligraphy, painting, acrobatics as well as Chinese tea and New Year cookie tastings and lessons in how to play Chinese chess and Mahjong. Events start around 11am on the weekend and are free.

16-18 February - Chinatown Arts Festival 2007: The Circle On at The Royal Opera House, this is three days of contemporary, traditional and classical East Asian dance, music and theatre. Events start at 7.30pm each evening.

17 February - National Portrait Gallery:Chinese New Year The gallery has a number of family events for Chinese New Year, many aimed at smaller children including Chinese Opera mask-making, traditional dancing and storytelling. Some require tickets others are free.

18 February - Chinese New Year Parade and Festival The largest and most high profile event for Chinese New Year in London organised by the London Chinatown Chinese Association. The day begins with a parade through town with traditionally dressed performers and dancers, it starts at 11am in the Strand then moves up Charing Cross Road to Shaftsbury Avenue and down to Rupert Street, finally arriving in Trafalgar Square at 11.45am for the opening ceremony at 12noon. They’ll be speeches by the Mayor, the Chinese Ambassador and others then the afternoons events will go on with Chinese music and dance, martial arts and two fireworks displays and they’ll be plenty of Chinese food stalls around Traflagar Square.

18-25 February - Museum in Docklands:Chinese New Year Festival This excellent museum is showing a number of Chinese films in the lead up to their festival on 25th February, which will include performances and workshops, lion dancing, a Chinese variety show, demonstrations of Chinese calligraphy and games and displays of Tibetan, Mongolian or Xinxiang costumes from along the Silk Road. All events are free.

Kung Hei Fat Choy.