Chinese New Year 2009 London

31 January 2009 & Sunday 1 February 2009
Trafalgar Square, Chinese Association, Chinatown, 15a Gerrard St, London W1V 7LA
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7851 6686

Soho comes alive as London starts to prepare the celebration of the Chinese New Year on the 6 February 2009 by the annual lighting of the Chinese lanterns at Oxford Circus. The celebration itself takes place on Sunday, 10 February. The Chinese New Year is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese Communities, this year we celebrate the year of the rat. Each year the Chinese calendar is represented by the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac: the dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger and rabbit. At the start of the New Year Lion Dances pass through the streets to bring good luck to households and businesses they visit. Drums, gongs and cymbals accompany the lion dance to scare away evil and bad luck.

For the Chinese New Year 2009 celebrations in London, a parade will start at 11 am from Strand and will go along Charing Cross Road and Shaftsbury Avenue. The parade will display an array of colourful and lively dragons and lion dances showcasing ancient traditional Chinese culture and tradition. At Trafalgar Square London from 12 noon to 6 pm there will be entertainment for the family where traditional and contemporary Chinese artists from London and China perform on stage. There will also be cultural stalls, food booths and decorations throughout the day in Chinatown (Soho) London and fireworks display in Leicester Square in the evening.

Visiting Chinese New Year 2009 in London:

Cost: Free

Time: Parade 11am;
Trafalgar Square entertainment 12pm-5.30pm

Nearest Hotels: Stay at one of our London hotels: Quality Crown Paddington, Quality Crown Hyde Park, Quality Crown Hotel Kensington and Derby Hotel Kensington which are all located centrally and are walking distance to tube stations. Take the District Line to Embankment from Kensington and it is walking distance to Charing Cross Road and Shaftsbury Avenue. Travel time is 20 minutes.

For more information on Chinese New Year 2009 in London please visit:
www.chinatownchinese.co.uk





Forthcoming February Events in London

LondonEdge & LondonCentral - 1st to 3rd Feb '09

Strictly Come Dancing Live 09 - 3rd to 4th Feb '09

Wine + 09 - 3rd to 4th Feb '09

The ARC Show 09 - 4th to 5th Feb '09

Destinations 09 - The Holiday and Travel Show - 5th to 8th Feb '09