Celebrate Chinese New Years in Vancouver

Gung Hay Fat Choy!  It’s the Chinese Year of the Rabbit so on February 6, hop on down to Vancouver’s Chinatown and join in the celebrations.  Vancouver has one of the largest Chinese communities in North America and every year this spectacular parade attracts over 50,000 spectators.

According to the Chinese lunar calendar, the year of the Rabbit actually begins on February 3,  but the parade will be held on Sunday, February 6 starting at noon at the Millennium Gate in Chinatown (map) at Pender Street (between Shanghai Alley and Taylor Street) and will end at Keefer and Columbia Street approximately two hours later. The parade route winds through Chinatown for about 1.2 kilometers.  Come down early to get a good vantage point for this fun-filled event.  It’s one of the three largest annual parades held in Vancouver and one of the most colourful.  The parade will have some sixty non-commercial entries with over 3,000 participants from community and cultural groups.  The parade is organized by the Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver.

The International Village Mall (map) expects thousands of visitors to help celebrate the Chinese New Year on February 4 – 6.  The opening ceremony will be hosted on February 4 by popular Vancouver radio host CTV’s Mi-Jung Lee and will feature traditional lion eye-dotting, dance performances and a fashion show.

At the Sun Yat Sen Chinese Garden (map) there will be a colourful festival based on temple fairs which will consist of “hot and Noisy” (re-nao) mix of fireworks, red couplet making, children’s lion parade and other activities.  A donation of $5 is suggested.

Photo credit: W. Ruth Kozak