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Happy Chinese New Year Barcelona

Every year, the chinese community celebrates its new year at the moll de la fusta, in the old harbor of Barcelona, just down la rambla street.

In fact, the community has grown a lot since 2007 and if before we can see some bazaar shops owned by them.

Nowadays, they have extended their activity including owning a bar restaurant doing tapas, not chinese but catalan and spanish food !!!

Even some building companies started to build home according to the culture and the taste of the chineses, good flat with great price.

During the celebration of the chinese new year, a lot of activities are organized. First the parade of the dragons and lions including the catalan dragons. A shock and a dance of both cultures, it starts normally at la rambla street, exactly at the boqueria square, just where there is the umbrella building with its chinese dragon on its wall.

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Going down, they make some stops to do some performances for the pleasure of the people who cross their way and they will not stop until they will reach the little chapel to pay tribute to Buddha.

It is also here where all the activities are organized, a big scene to perform shows during all the day, stands showing the chinese culture and products and if you like chinese food, there are also some stands cooking for you to eat in.

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In each city, celebration is different so I’m not going to compare with the one done in the chinatown of Paris or New York because in Barcelona, the community has not reach yet their level so I can understand that if you are from those cities, you may find it “not interesting”.

One of the things that surprising me is that people who handle the dragons and the lions are not chinese, most of them are catalan. And I was thinking, are we sure that this is a celebration of the chinese new year or a copy of it organized by chineses and done by catalans !!!

chinese new year barcelona chinese new year barcelona

It is like to say that the most important traditional festival of Barcelona called La Mercè is done by chinese and organized by catalans. I mean, do you imagine that castellers (human castle), the giants, the correfoc (parade of the demons), the sardana (the catalan dance)… are performed by chinese !!!

Although the Chinese community is not so big like the one in Paris and New York, I believe that there are enough Chinese people in Barcelona eager to participate at their own celebration and proud to show the real spirit.

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Anyway, like you know, the chinese calendar is based on the moon so if you are here between the last week of january and the first week of february, you will be able to live the chinese new year.