The celebration of the Chinese New Year will take pride of place in Madrid as it officially welcomes in the Year of the Dragon with a full programme of activities in the capital.
The festival which dates back more than 4,000 years, marks the beginning of the crop cycle, as it bids farewell to the winter and welcomes in the Spring – hence its also known as the “Spring Festival”.
As in previous years, 2024, the Year of the Dragon (beginning on 10 February), Madrid City Council will be joining her 30,000 Chinese residents in supporting the celebrations with an extensive programme of activities for all tastes and ages, to see in the New Year.
Each year in the Chinese zodiac is associated with an animal sign, and the Dragon is considered a symbol of strength, courage, and good fortune.
Chinese New Year falls on different dates each year as it follows the lunar calendar which this year starts on February 10th and continues for 15 days, with the Lantern Festival marking the end of the celebrations.
The Madrid programme is organised by the City Council´s Department for Culture, Usera District Council, Chinese Embassy, Chinese neighbour associations in Usera, Casa Asia and the Confucio Institute.
The two most awaited moments are the Chinese New Year Party (on Saturday the 10th; 6-8:15pm), with music in the small temple at Pradolongo Park followed by a sensational firework display lighting up the sky and the lake, and the Chinese New Year Multicultural Parade (Sunday the 11th; 12-3pm), which fills the Usera neighbourhood with magic, outfits brought from China, gigantic dragons and lions, iconographic elements of the Asian country, lanterns made by children and live music.
CHINESE NEW YEAR PROGRAMME FEBRUARY 2024
FROM FEBRUARY 2 UNTIL 29
- Exhibition “Descendants of the Dragon” : Exhibition Hall of the Usera Cultural Center.
- Exhibition “DRAGONES DIGITALES” | Exhibition Hall of the Junta Municipal del Distrito de Usera.
- Exhibition “Collective Dance of the Dragon” : Exhibition Hall of the Junta Municipal del Distrito de Usera.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
- Children’s theater: THE PEOPLE OF TAOHUA AGAINST THE MONSTER | Assembly Hall of the Municipal Board of the District of Usera (12:00 pm).
- Family Musical: THE STORY OF NIAN | Assembly Hall of the Municipal Board of the District of Usera (18:30 hours).
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9
- Inauguration of the Chinese New Year: Plaza Junta Municipal del Distrito de Usera (17:00 pm)
- Tasting of tea and traditional pastries | Esplanade of the Municipal Board of the District of Usera (from 6:00 pm)
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10
- Origami workshop : Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center (from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
- Storytelling “Dragons and dragonesses” at José Hierro Library (at 12:00 and 16:00 hours)
- Chinese New Year of the Dragon Party: Pradolongo Park (from 18:00 to 20:15 hours)
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11
- Great Chinese New Year Parade of the Dragon ( 12:00 p.m.). The parade starts at Marcelo Usera Street and ends at Rafaela Ybarra Avenue.
FROM FEBRUARY 9 UNTIL 11
- Exhibitions of Chinese associations : Stage of the Plaza Junta Municipal del Distrito de Usera (Friday February 9 from 18:00 to 20:30 h. / Saturday February 10, from 11:00 to 14:00 h and from 16:00 to 18:00 h / Sunday February 11, from 16:30 to 20:00 h.)
- Spring Market and food trucks of Chinese food : Plaza Junta Municipal del Distrito de Usera (Friday, February 9 from 16:00 to 22:00 h. / Saturday, February 10 from 11:00 to 22:00 h. / Sunday, February 11 from 11:00 to 22:00 h.)
- Wall of Wishes : Dolores Barranco Street, fence of the Municipal Board of the District of Usera
OTHER ACTIVITIES
- February 10 and 16: Creation of Java puppets and Chinese shadows: Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center (from 4:45 to 5:45 p.m.)
- From February 16 to March 9:‘Colorful Cities: Zhong Lyu’s Notebook‘ : Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center
- February 17: Chinese calligraphy workshop: Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
- February 18: Plants of China: Maris Stella Environmental and Cultural Education Center (From 11:00 to 12:30 a.m.)
All of these activities can be added to the program organized by the Center of Chinese Culture in Madrid (Calle General Pardiñas, 73):
- Chinese New Year Chinese Cooking Course (January 23 – February 15)
- Chinese Gastronomy Festival (from January 24 to February 25)
- Land and Sea’ Art Exhibition (from February 2 to March 27)
- Chinese New Year Concert 2024 (February 3, sold-out)
- Family Day “Happy Chinese New Year” (February 3)
- Flower workshop (February 8)
- Chinese New Year Run “Corre Cobo” (February 10, at 10:00 a.m., at Manuel Cobo Calleja Street in Fuenlabrada).
- The Chinese Temple Fair: Plaza de España (February 24 and 25, 11:00 am – 9:00 pm)
- ZHNGGUÓ. El País del Centro (from January 27th to May 5th at the National Museum of Anthropology)