Spring Festival Around the World 2011

Though holiday festivities are no doubt most pronounced in Mainland China for the annual lunar New Year with days of elaborate fire works and gatherings, Chinese communities the world over will celebrate the holiday in style. This month we have gathered a list of locations where Chinese New Year celebrations that are slated to take place in Chinatowns throughout the world’s cities.

London
As a true testament to the statement that “size doesn’t matter,” London’s young and relatively small Chinatown knows how to throw a firecracker of a New Years party. Established only during the years following WWII, the Chinese community in London may not rank among the world’s most populous, but they do know a thing or two about putting on a memorable show. Celebrations of years past have included parades accompanied by lion and dragon dances throughout the streets along with acrobat, martial arts, and opera performances scattered throughout London’s West End.

Paris
Considered Europe’s largest Chinese community, the Chinese Quarter, or Quartier Chinois in French, is located within the 13th arrondissement of Paris. In recent years a second Chinese community has flourished in the Belleville area, just north of the city, while small pockets of Chinese citizens sprout up throughout the city, providing numerous spots for celebration seekers to take part in holiday festivities.

New York
Situated within Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Chinatown has been home to New York’s sizable Chinese community for more than a century. Internationally it is known as one of the world’s oldest enclaves of Chinese immigrants outside of Asia, granting it recognition among America’s National Register of Historic Districts. Given their decades of experience in the matter, you can trust this community to ring in the New Year in true Chinese fashion.

San Francisco
Due to its geographical proximity to Asia, San Francisco’s Chinatown is North America’s oldest and largest Chinese community. Depicted in countless films, San Francisco’s Chinatown is perhaps also the most famous in the west. As the main port of entry for Chinese immigrants crossing the Pacific Ocean in the mid 19th Century, San Francisco established itself as a center for Chinese culture abroad. Today the gates of Chinatown attract thousands of visitors and locals to take part in community celebrations.

Honolulu
Honolulu’s Chinatown proves that no matter where you find yourself in the world, good Chinese takeaway isn’t far away. Tracking the establishment of its Chinese community back to the docking of two ships in the mid 1780’s, Honolulu’s Chinatown has grown over the years into an ideal collection of fresh markets, delicious restaurants, and colorful food stalls.

Toronto
Dotted with more than half a dozen Chinatowns, Toronto’s Chinese community is a colorful blend of immigrants from various regions of China. Originally established by Chinese men working to construct the Canadian Pacific Railway, Toronto’s Chinatowns have developed into enclaves densely packed with fresh markets and unique restaurants.

Vancouver
Growing out of two streets home to the city’s Cantonese and Shanghainese immigrants, Vancouver’s Chinatown has developed into Canada’s largest Chinese community due to its western coastal location. Today the neighborhood is speckled with trendy restaurants and boutique hotels tucked alongside quaint grocery stores, bakeries and trinket shops.