Chinese New Year - Celebrating the year of the Horse in London

Chinese New Year is today, Friday 31^st January, but the traditional celebrations in London will be held on Sunday 2^nd February. 

Our social programme will be joining the festivities with a visit to London’s China Town on Sunday.

China Town is just a short walk from IH London’s Covent Garden language school. It sits between Leicester Square and Soho, where restaurants specialising in many regional variations of Chinese food sit next to shops selling all the food and equipment you’ll need to prepare these dishes in your own home. There are also numerous Chinese teashops, cultural centres and social clubs.

This weekend the busy, vibrant neighbourhood will be taken over by parades, dancing and music as the community celebrates the Year of the Horse.

London’s Chinese community dates back centuries and the original China Town was in the East End where a large number of Chinese employees of the East India Company began to settle in the 18th century.

The Second World War and the intensive bombing of London’s East End destroyed the homes of businesses in the old China Town and many in the community had to look for new sources of income.

British soldiers returning from the Far East had developed an appetite for Chinese cuisine. To cater for this new interest in Chinese food a few restaurateurs set up business in Gerrard Street in the West End - the hearty of today’s China Town.

The popularity of the new Chinese establishments attracted more China restaurateur away from the East End to seek their fortunes. This happened around the same time that the local London councils decided to move the old China Town from the east to its current location.

Today, China Town is popular with locals and tourists alike, whether they want to enjoy traditional Dim Sum or modern variations of classic Chinese food.

At IH London we run an intensive Mandarin course for beginners with the next  course starting on 24 February.