New Year's Eve in Montreal's Chinatown

Montreal's Chinatown celebrated the Lunar New Year over the weekend.

Several events and activities were planned for the Year of the Dragon.

Organizer YiFeng Eva Hu said, “This year is the year of the wooden dragon.” “The wooden dragon represents opportunity, creativity and prosperity. So you can see a lot of creativity going on.”

“This is a very important year to celebrate because the dragon represents prosperity and is a symbol of abundance,” added community leader Winston Chan. “I believe this is one of the most important signs in Chinese astrology.”

The heart of the celebration is Sun Yat Sen Park and Chinatown Cultural Center.

On Saturday, there was a Lunar New Year parade with a lion dance and a dragon dance, as well as traditional fashion shows and art performances on the streets of Chinatown.

A martial arts demonstration, as well as traditional dance and Chinese opera, are scheduled for Sunday.

“We are very happy because we are getting more than last year,” YiFeng said. “So we have a light show at night on top of all the lights and lanterns on the street. We have a few little hidden statues around Chinatown that belong to the 12 zodiac signs. We have a beautiful arch, we have a wishing tree … and you can make wishes at home and do many activities.”

The festivities also include activities that showcase various Asian cultures, including a musical show of Vietnamese instruments, Mandarin and Korean performances.

“Montreal Chinatown is unique because we've welcomed different groups of immigrants at different times, from the railways from ancient China to the Republic of China to the modern People's Republic of China, and you're talking about the Vietnamese immigration group that came in at that time. The Vietnam War, you're talking about the Chinese, Cambodian who came at a certain time, also in the 70s,” YiFeng said. “So these are different groups, and we want to highlight them as well.”

“It's been a very difficult few years with the pandemic,” Chan added. “And now is the perfect time to celebrate and turn the page and begin the new Year of the Dragon with abundant prosperity, long life and good health.”