The biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of China were held in London, Chinatown.  Tens of thousands of people visited the busy streets of downtown London, which were temporarily closed off for the traditional Chinese New Year parade.  Crowds also visited market stalls and took photos of giant displays of dragons, boats and even a colourful swan, all scattered around the city centre.

The British Chinese Project held its own market stall, inviting members of the public to write a wish for the new year.  The young and old alike wrote various wishes such as “love” and “health and happiness” as what they hoped for in the year ahead.  English was not the only language used, well-wishers also wrote in their native tongues including Chinese, Spanish and Russian.  They also enjoyed complimentary sweets and fortune cookies provided by the British Chinese Project for good luck.

The British Chinese Project wishes everyone a very happy Year of the Monkey!