Happy Chinese New Year and welcome to the Year of the Rat! It might not sound very appealing but in Chinese mythology the rat is revered for its cleverness and loyalty and the Year of the Rat is considered very auspicious.

Although today is New Year’s Day in the Chinese calendar, the Spring Festival celebrations last a week. It’s a really big deal in China, more so than usual this year because of the coming Olympics in Beijing. Virtually everyone in China returns home to their family, although this year not everyone will make it thanks to the big freeze that has kept most of China icebound.

When I first went to China in 2003, we neglected to check the Chinese calendar, and ending up travelling on Chinese New Year, along with millions of locals. We flew with Air China from Shanghai to X’ian - the home of the Terracotta Warriors, some of which are currently on display at the British Museum.

The situation was not quite as grim as the current extreme weather, but guess what? Our flight was delayed by 12 hours due to fog. Faced with hordes of angry customers who were anxious to get home to their families, the airline treated us to a free banquet in a hotel near the airport. My travelling companion fell ill and one of our fellow passengers went with me to help me buy medicine at the pharmacy - Chinese medicine, of course. The flight finally left around 10 o’clock at night and we arrived at our hotel in X’ian just after midnight.

We rolled out of the taxi, cold, tired, hungry and a little grumpy and, in my friend’s case, a little nauseous and weak. Our taxi driver beckoned to us, went to the back of his car and pulled out a bag of firecrackers, which he presented to us as a gift. We thanked him and accepted the gift but at that point all we really wanted to do was get to our hotel room as quickly as possible and collapse in bed. As it turned out, fate had other things in store.

The clock had just struck midnight and there was no one at the reception desk so we went back outside where half a dozen people were milling around. We asked the first person we saw if they spoke English and if they could help us with our reservation. “Yes,” she cried, grabbing my arm. “But first we play!”

It was impossible not to be swept up in the enthusiasm as we joined the Chinese hotel staff and our taxi driver letting off fireworks in the hotel carpark. Everyone was having stacks of fun, despite the bitter cold and the fact they had to work on New Year’s Eve. At one point, one of the fireworks went too close to one of the cars and the alarm went off. My friend and I started laughing and one of the Chinese staff turned around and looked at us in astonishment. We pointed at the car with its alarm blaring and they looked, and started laughing as well. It was a great ice breaker!

X’ian had a festive atmosphere all throughout the week of Spring Festival. It’s an important regional city and the town was packed with holidaymakers from more remote parts of western China. We were the subject of quite some curiosity as we explored the town, visiting the medieval city walls or the Bell Tower and Drum Tower in the centre of town, or making the trip to the site of the Terracotta Warriors excavation by public bus (and passing the No. 1 Terracotta Warrior Factory on the way). And we were equally curious in return, visiting the Muslim Quarter to pay our respects to the Great Mosque and eat some mutton as a welcome relief from the constant barrage of pork, and watching families fly their kites in the main square.

The Chinese diaspora is vast and Chinese New Year is a holiday you can celebrate virtually anywhere in the world. There is certainly plenty to do here in London.

  1. Saturday 9 February - Chinese New Year celebrations at the British Museum, to include dance and music displays, shadow puppets, story telling, film, gallery talks, craft and lots of Chinese food. From 2pm to midnight.
  2. Sunday 10 February - Chinese New Year parade in Trafalgar Square and Chinatown area. The day includes plenty of Lion Dancing and you can watch the paper lions jumping for lettuces around the shops of Chinatown - this is a community fundraising activity and the prize is actually the wads of cash hidden inside the lettuces. You can also partake of Chinese street food and have fun throwing firecrackers - simply gun powder in paper - and hearing the loud and satisfying crack as it hits the pavement. The photo is from the 2005 parade and shows a glimpse of the fabulous costumes and characters you might encounter. From noon until 6pm.
  3. Now until 6 April - China in London season of events running the Olympic Torch passes through London in April en route to Beijing. Includes arts, cinema, performance, food and drink, a writing competition for children, and special events at the London Zoo, National Portrait Gallery, the Museum in the Docklands, and other institutions around London.
  4. Any time - There is plenty of good Chinese food in London. Chinatown (the area between Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue, north-west of Leicester Square) is packed with Chinese eateries and food shops. There are also top Chinese restaurants such as Hakkasan (recently voted the best restaurant in London by Time Out magazine). There is plenty of dim sum, including at the trendy Ping Pong chain or at more traditional establishments in Chinatown. Or visit a Chinese tea house, such as Yauatcha.

How do you celebrate Chinese New Year in your home town? Let me know in the comments.

Read my travel article on Shanghai.

Read my recipe for festive Chinese noodles.