Chinese New Year was this week, and London's Chinatown had festivities today in Trafalgar Square and Chinatown proper. I got to see a dragon dance and a lion dance by the Chen brothers who are from Hong Kong and acrobatic geniuses. There were loads of lanterns and good luck charms in gold and red strewn about, and everything just felt really festive. It is the Year of the Rabbit, and there were loads of rabbit themed items being sold in the shops.  

The streets of Chinatown were literally wall-to-wall people trying to catch a glimpse as smaller lion dances were happening to bring luck and prosperity to businesses in the quarter. The shops hang up a cabbage or a bundle of lettuce with a red packet of money tied to it, and the lion team dances a specific dance for each kind of vegetable to earn the packet. While I may have been stuck along one street packed like a sardine, I did get to see one dance up close as the lion passed by. Even when I was in Hong Kong over the summer, there weren't that many people packed in one space!

 

I mangaed to snag a cha sui bao(bbq pork filled fluffy steamed bun) and some pandan cake before abandoning the crowds. I'm looking forward to the Autumn Moon Festival in September, so I can pick up some moon cakes and see a different kind of celebration here in London. After all, festival food is the best part!