Chinese New Year is always a big celebration in Newcastle and the North East, with a vibrant Chinese community welcoming everyone to join in. The Chinese lunar new year begins on 29th January marking the Year of the Snake and Newcastle is celebrating on 2nd February.
Find out more about the Spring Festival, celebrations in Newcastle and our Chinese community, as well as Chinese language and culture events and activities available for schools, as part of Express Yourself North East Festival of Languages in March.
Chinese Spring Festival (New Year)
Chinese New Year is a traditional Chinese holiday celebrated at the turn of the Chinese calendar. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival.
The date for Chinese New Year is different every year as it is set according to the Lunar calendar. It falls on the first day of the new moon which begins in either late January or February. Celebrations last for around 15 days, ending on the day of the full moon.
Customs differ, but Chinese New Year is important for families to come together and wish each other peace and prosperity for the year ahead.
Chinese New Year in Newcastle
The 2025 Chinese New Year celebrations are set to be a spectacle of colour and sound taking place on Sunday 2nd February in Newcastle’s China Town.
In honour of the year of the Snake, festival goers will be able to see the heralded Lion and Dragon Dance parade from 11.30am. The parade will start at Grey’s Monument and wind its way along Blackett Street and Gallowgate and culminate at the Chinese Arch at Stowell Street.
With events continuing throughout the day, there will be food vendors, fairground rides, arts and craft activities in Stowell Street and Bath Lane from 11am.
Festival goers can visit the Chinese Association situated on Stowell Street and participate in a selection of activities exploring Chinese culture and heritage.
Newcastle’s Chinese Community
China Town in Newcastle is one of only five China Towns in the UK and sits at the heart of the Chinese community. Based around Stowell Street in the city centre, it has a bustling Chinese community centre, supermarket and a fabulous selection of restaurants.
There are now over 35,000 people in the community in the city and surrounding areas, from all over the world – Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, and South East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore). There is also a strong Chinese student body in both Newcastle and Northumbria Universities.
The North East Chinese Association (NECA) and the Northern British Chinese Entrepreneur Association are two of the key organisations supporting and representing the community. NECA was formed in 1979 by volunteers to support the local community and now provides a wide range of cultural, social and education services and opportunities.
Did you know?
- St John’s cemetery in Elswick has the first recorded Chinese person in the city, with a headstone in Chinese letters from 1881, dedicated to a Chinese sailor.
- The first Chinese restaurant opened in 1949, but it was in the 1960s-1980s that a lot more migration occured, with people seeking business opportunities and the chance to make a better living.
- China Town marked a significant step when in in 2004, an 11 metre high Chinese arch, built by Shanghai craftsmen was erected on St Andrew’s Street, flanked by two Chinese guardian lions and facing St James’ Park, the home of Newcastle United Football Club.
Year of the Snake Education Pack
British Council have produced a Year of the Snake Education Pack for primary schools. The pack contains resources to help schools learn about and celebrate the spring festival, Chinese Language and Culture:
- learn about Chinese New Year/Spring Festival and the Legend of Lady White Snake
- take part in drama and creative activities and find out about regions in China and other Chinese festivals
- find out fascinating facts about snakes
- practice some Chinese calligraphy
- learn about and prepare leaf-wrapped rice dumplings
- hold a Year of the Snake celebration event
Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages events and activities for schools and groups (January-March)
There are lots of events and activities that schools and groups can get involved in with a Chinese focus as part of this year’s Express Yourself: North East Festival of Languages, which runs from January to 31st March 2025. Visit the dedicated Festival Chinese page or scroll down to find out what schools and groups can get involved with linked to Chinese language and culture.
- Welcome to China Events with Confucius Institute
- Chinese Documentary Film Screening at Newcastle University
- Language and culture taster sessions with Newcastle University Language Resource Centre
- Festival Song (What a Wonderful World) sing in Chinese
- Mother Tongue Other Tongue – write poetry in Chinese
- Weaving Friendship art project in Chinese
- Language Calligrams – create images from Chinese words
- Language student immersion in Chinese at Durham University
- Languages and careers webinars – where Chinese and other languages can take you
- ENACT around the world club Chinese activities
- Visit the Multilingual Library in Gateshead
- Links to support from British Council for language learning and Confucius Institute at Newcastle University to learn language and about Chinese Culture
You can also celebrate International Mother Language Day as a Chinese speaker on 21st February or Celebrate Speaking! in February as part of the national celebration of languages spoken at home, in the community or learned at school.