Barcelona is a cosmopolitan, international city with many ethnic communities. In the last decade the Chinese population has increased dramatically, bringing many new restaurants, festivals, shops and welcome new faces to a city that has always thrived on immigration.
The Chinese calendar is significantly different to Europe’s, and Chinese New Year, this year the year of the Goat, begins on February the 19th. The Year of the Goat is a year in which Chinese custom emphasises families reuniting and reconciling any difficulties.
This year you can join in the New Year festivities of the Chinese New Year at the wonderful Chinese Lantern Festival taking place in the Parc del Fòrum. The Lantern Festival has been a part of Chinese New Year since the first century AD (western calendar).
Here it is given a modern twist, with some 500 illuminated figures occupying an area of 9,000 square metres, and divided into eight thematic areas. These areas blend of Chinese and Catalan culture in a unique way, with these including traditional Chinese culture and tradition, Oriental lanterns, Catalan Art Nouveau, the seasons, the Nativity story, and Gaudí, Miró and Picasso and their cultural legacy in Catalunya.
