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London celebrates Chinese New Year 2009
By Saadeya Shamsuddin 26.01.09
Chinatown: London celebrates the Year of the Ox
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You don't have to look far to see the wide reaching influence London's Chinese community has had on the capital, from restaurants and food stores to their very own Chinatown in the heart of the West End. We've put together a pick of the best events taking place across the capital to celebrate the Year of the Ox....
Main celebrations
Sunday 1st Feb
Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Shaftsbury Avenue, free
www.chinatownlondon.org
Traditionally, the Chinese hold celebrations on the first Sunday after New Year's Day, so this year the London Chinatown Chinese Association will be putting on a grand show in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 1st February.
Festivities kick off at 12pm and will include live performances with musicians from Shanghai and the Qinghai and Kunming provinces and Chinese acrobatics. There will also be the pomp and ceremony of the anticipated traditional Lion and Dragon dances and a chance to sample some authentic Chinese cuisine available at the food court.
Over in Leicester Square there will be a fireworks and firecrackers display while Shaftsbury Avenue will be hosting performances by local Chinese artists. Last year celebrations drew in excess of 300,000 visitors so be sure to get there early for the best view of performances.
Chinese Pop Divas: Their Stories and Songs
National Portrait Gallery, 25 January, 1pm and 3pm, free (first come first serve)
www.npg.org.uk
Writer and actress Alice Lee will be telling the story of three legendary singers - Zhou Xuan, Teresa Tang and Wong Faye - sharing how they helped shape Chinese pop music culture. She will also be performing some of their most famous songs, hailing from the genre of Shídàiq, a type of Chinese folk/European jazz fusion music that originated in Shanghai in the 1920s.
Treasures from Shanghai: ancient Chinese bronzes and jades
British Museum, 30 January – 27 March 2009, free
www.britishmuseum.org
This exciting new exhibition displays a dazzling array of ancient jades and bronzes from China's Shanghai Museum. Dating back to the Shang and Zhou dynasty, the artefacts mark the birth of Chinese art. Desired, revered and respected, these precious objects played an important role in Chinese society as ritual objects used in burials, and later gained status as collector's items in the following centuries.
Ping Pong
www.pingpongdimsum.com
From the Monday 26th January 2009, receive £5 off your bill when dining with a guest until 31st January at London's favourite teahouse. You can also try their special New Year set menu for £9.99 per person; including rolls, dumplings and sticky rice, rounded off with mango pudding.
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Reader views (2)
just to say i was working at T.SQ and i must say Chinese new year is the one i look forward to the most, and its been like that in the last few years. Look forward to many more,
- Benji, london
I was very disappointed to find that there was no Chinese New Year parade this year. In previous years I have enjoyed watching the parade on the Strand and waited in vain this year for it to start! Why was there no parade this year? Bring it back next year please!
- Hilary, London UK
