More than half a million people are expected to attend the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations in Chinatown and Trafalgar Square.
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Photo: flickr.com/photos/khedaraParade from Chinatown to Trafalgar Square
At 10 AM a spectacular parade of decorated floats, paper-mache lions, fire-breathing dragons and oriental dancers will set off from Charing Cross Road near St. Martin-in-the-Fields church. It will then move along Cambridge Circus and turn left down Shaftesbury Avenue into Chinatown.
There will be lots of decorated stalls along Wardour Street and Gerrard Street, and you might like to try some of the Oritental restaurants and fast food shops which will be festooned with red lanterns and decorations strung across the street.
Photo: flickr.com/photos/joyoflifeThey usually put a special family zone in Leicester Square offering calligraphy lessons, arts and crafts workshops, and dress-up sessions with traditional Chinese outfits.
At 12 noon the parade will arrive back at Trafalgar Square for the traditional lion's eye-dotting ceremony.
Entertainment stage in Trafalgar Square
Photo: visitlondon.comBetween 11 AM and 6 PM you'll be able to enjoy some Chinese entertainment on the large stage in Trafalgar Square, where they'll have everything from acrobats and flying lion dances to contemporary pop singers, opera singers and martial artists.
The big finale at 5.45 PM will include fireworks and firecrackers and a light-show projected onto Nelson's Column.
If you enjoy Chinatown then you might like to visit Leicester Square (you can walk it in less than 2 mins) and Piccadilly Circus (you can walk it in 4 mins)
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