H
appy Chinese New Year 2017 ! As you all know, this is the year of the honest, energetic and confident, this is the year of the Rooster! The new year, most welcomely celebrated as the Spring Festival, has already begun, and will last until Feb 15, 2018. And no matter which Chinese zodiac sign are you, there is no reason you must forego the most pompous festivities around the world, and so, we have this official guide prepared for you to revel in the holiday bashes and have a gala time all year long!
1. The Magical Lantern Festival , London
You would be delighted to know that London has been chosen as the first city outside the Far East to host the Magical Lantern Festival, a dazzling extravaganza of lights, music theatre, culture and art. And where to satiate all those hunger pangs ?
Y Ming, 35-36 Greek Street, W1:
This is a cute, little, amicable place,not one bit ostentatiously hippy and serves northern Chinese food, instead of the Cantonese you typically get in London. The options for vegetarians are galore and there is a pre-theatre menu for only £12.You must try the soft shell crab (£8.50) and the beef with coriander in a wrap (£11). However if you want Peking Duck done properly, you must give four hours’ notice, so that is one thing you must definitely add to your wishlist.
Royal China on Queensway, Bayswater:
Their dimsums are a must have ,one, because of the workmanlike servicing of huge circular tables chocablock with Chinese families, businessmen and locals, and secondly, because they do awesome dumplings. Duh! You could vouch for the Shaolin Monk Hotpot, loaded with bean curd, which never fails to disappoint your taste buds.They do this sublime Mango Pudding, which is also a culinary treat to gorge on.
2. Quang Ba Flower Market, Hanoi, Vietnam
What is the one thing you must carry if you happen to be in Vietnam to celebrate the Lunar New Year? A bunch of pretty flowers! And where can you happily avail that? Yes, you guessed it right. Hanoi’s Quang Ba market is the hotspot of all the frenzy involving beautiful flowers during this colourful festival. Crazy shoppers search for the most alluring bouquets (most famously peach blosoom, the bright yellow ones, coveted favourably during the fest) in the midst of all the hustle bustle of the busy lanes, the buzzing of motorcycles running to and fro , all carrying an exquisite bunch of flowers along. The vibrant sights and eclectic sounds mixed with the pleasing aroma of street foods is enough to titillate your senses for an amazing New Year blast. Quang Ba Flower Market, Au Co Street, Tay H, Hanoi, Vietnam; open daily from about 3 a.m
3. Nuanquan Town, Hebei province, China
Get ready. A shower of molten metal is coming to melt you into the most magnificent blowout of the year! With a small population of less than 20000 even, Nuanquan is not really tainted as a tourist hotspot, all year round. But on the 15th day of the Spring festival, this dormant town literally fires up with a breathtaking display that has even been acknowledged by UNESCO as one of the China’s astounding symbols of rich cultural heritage. The da shuhua (translated as ‘beating tree flowers’) tradition is more than 500 years old and commences in a spectacular display where the local blacksmith throws ladles of molten iron at town’s gates creating a stunning shower of sparks. February 11, Nuanquan Town
4. Chinatown, San Francisco
You would say, Chinatown is a wistful tourist destination all round the year, but what can be a better time to embrace it all the more, than at Chinese Nnew Year? As the biggest Chinatown, away from Asia, and the oldest in the US, San Francisco’s Chinatown knows how to put on a dazzling show during the Chinese New year spree. A host of events are in line for the 15-day festival, including a grand parade hosting more than a 100 floats and wonderful performances including a 28-foot-long Golden Dragon float. You simply cannot miss this grandeur of merrymaking. San Francisco’s 2017’s Chinese New Year Parade takes place on February 11, at 5:15 p.m., starting from the corner of 2nd and Market Streets
5. Raohe Night Market/Wu Lao Guo, Taipei
If for you, the Spring Festival is just another name for an insane two-week eating marathon, then look no further than Taipei. As a city renowned for its street food ,the culinary feast put on here, is nothing short of a spectacle. Raohe night market is abuzz with street food stalls and strange sideshow games that carry a whiff of nostalgia along with them, all over its 600-meter length. Pepper cakes and fresh seafood , anyone?
Raohe Night Market, Taipei
Wu Lao Guo, 36-1, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan.
