Traditional Chinese lion and dragon dances are performed in the streets of the 8th Arrondissement of Paris as part of the local Chinese New Year celebrations on February 1, 2022 in Paris, France. Paris boasts the largest Chinatown in Europe, with an estimated population of over 50,000 people. 

As the Year of the Dragon draws close, the Chinese worldwide, as well as the countries and groups sharing the festival, are gearing up to celebrate the most important social event in the Chinese lunar calendar. 

For the Chinese, the Spring Festival, or the Chinese New Year, is far more than an occasion for merrymaking. It’s a time for family reunion and the beginning of a new start filled with hope. So the celebrations are also a prayer for peace, prosperity, health, longevity, good luck, and even a bumper harvest. 

These convivial celebrations have also taken root overseas and are flourishing as the Chinese communities abroad expand and more and more locals join in, exploring Chinese culture and philosophy through the window of the Spring Festival. 

This Special Report takes our readers to Europe and beyond to see how different people celebrate the Chinese New Year and through it know more about Chinese culture and aspirations, which goes on to show that there is much beauty in celebrating cultural differences.