The Best Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year in London

From Chinese New Year orchestra concerts and Chinese film screenings, to volunteering opportunities and Chinese New Year afternoon teas, our list of the best things on offer to help you celebrate the Year of the Pig is sure to have something for everyone.

What to eat
Instagram-loving diners should head over to fantastic Cantonese restaurant Duddell’s, which offers dishes as gorgeous as they are delicious, but if you’re brave enough you’ve got to check out the no-menu restaurant, Hunan, for an experience like no other. The restaurant is Taiwanese-inspired but also serves up dishes from the Hunan province too. My Old Place (Lao di Fang) near Liverpool Street has received a lot of praise for its authentic Szechuan cuisine and Silk Road offers superbly spicy dishes from Xinjiang. Those craving original Xi'an food should pay Murger Hanhan on Sackville Street a visit. My personal favourites are Min Jiang for dining with a view and then desserts at Kai, an amazing spot for modern Chinese Nanyang cuisine – both innovative and tasty.

Those looking to splurge on a little celebration should be sure to check out Fortnum & Mason’s Chinese New Year afternoon tea. The celebration begins on the 4 February at 3:30pm and at 4pm you’ll be toasting the New Year when the clock strikes midnight at China Standard Time. Guests take home a goodie bag filled with Fortnum’s favourites too.

If all that food’s left you yearning for a long walk, you might like to join China Exchange’s Community-led walking tours which uncover the secrets of Chinatown’s rich history. The tours take place on several different dates, last two and a half hours and include a Chinese lunch with the host. At the moment individual tickets have sold out but you can arrange a group tour with your friends by emailing them.

Where to drink
Soho pub and Cantonese restaurant The Duck and Rice is hosting live music on Sunday 4 February, giving you the unique opportunity to munch on dim sum and Cantonese roast duck while enjoying some jazz. My personal recommendation is Opium Cocktail and Dim Sum Parlour, a secret three-floor bar that serves a fantastic variety of drinks and food (fellow truffle-lovers will adore their mushroom & truffle dumplings). Be sure to book a table for Chinese New Year as it gets busy – for good reason!

What to do
UCL Chinese Students and Scholars Association is having a New Year Gala that’s open to everyone, so save your place by buying your tickets while they’re available. If all that ticket-buying isn’t for you though, visit the historic Cutty Sark sailing ship 2-3 February to take part in the free celebratory art workshops inspired by the ship’s voyages to China.

From 4 February, Fitzrovia-based London Fo Guang Shan Temple will be holding a range of services and activities including the Chinese New Year Dharma Service and a series of other New Year activities.

You might also like to take part in volunteering with the London Chinatown Chinese Association (LCCA), who are offering the opportunity to go behind-the-scenes at the Chinese New Year festival in London; volunteers can help with a variety of tasks, including stage, backstage and production support, press and media area management, and Grand Parade stewarding among others at the big event on 10 February. Find out more by visiting the Students' Union's dedicated page.

What to see
If you’re a film-lover, head to the BFI, which is screening a range of Chinese films to celebrate the New Year, including 海上城市 (The Fragile House) and 喜马拉雅之灵 (the Soul of Himalaya). Both films take place on different days (30 and 31 January, respectively), so you’ll be able to make it for the Royal College of Music’s Chinese New Year concert on 4 February, just be sure to book your tickets first.

Whatever you get up to, we wish you a fantastic New Year’s celebration in London and all the best for the New Year!
新年快乐