Vancouver’s Chinatown marks Lunar New Year with 50th parade

Feb. 10 marked the start of the Chinese New Year, and this year, more than 100,000 people attended Vancouver’s Lunar New Year Parade.

“The Year of the Dragon holds special significance, symbolizing strength, good fortune, and positive energy,” said Frank Huang, vice president, Chinese Benevolent Association of Vancouver. “It is a time for communities to come together, celebrate Chinese culture, and usher in prosperity for the year ahead.”

The Chinese calendar assigns an animal to each year in a 12-year cycle. Each animal is meant to reflect certain attributes that symbolize the year ahead. The 12 animals are the tiger, rat, ox, horse, rabbit, rooster, sheep, snake, monkey, dragon, dog, and pig. Last year was the Year of the Rabbit, associated with politeness and thoughtfulness. This year it’s the dragon, and next year will be the snake, associated with wisdom and intuitiveness.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

The new year is one of the most important holidays on the Chinese calendar. Every year, millions of people in China travel home to spend the holiday with family.

Last year, the country saw 4.7 billion trips made during the Spring Festival travel rush. That marked a significant jump from the previous few years after the Chinese government lifted COVID-19 travel restrictions.

This year, a record nine billion domestic trips are expected to be made during the 40-day travel period around the Lunar New Year. Chinese television network, CCTV, reported about 80 per cent of those trips will be self-driving road trips, also a record, with the rest by rail, air, and water.

Here in Canada, communities around the country are planning various cultural events to mark the new lunar year; and in Vancouver it’s a special anniversary. Vancouver’s Chinatown will play host to it’s 50^th annual spring festival and parade which kicks off the new year. The celebration took place on the second day of the Lunar year on Feb. 11.

“In Vancouver, the Year of the Dragon will be celebrated with various events, including the Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Parade,” said Huang, who also serves as a coordinator on the Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Celebration Committee. “This iconic parade, marking its 50th anniversary, will showcase vibrant performances, traditional lion and dragon dances, and cultural displays.”

Vancouver Celebrates Chinese Culture

This year the parade kicked off at the Millennium Gate in Chinatown at 11 a.m., proceeding along East Pender Street, Gore Street, and concluding at the intersection of Keefer Street and Carrall Street. The parade covers about 1.3 kilometers, taking approximately three hours.

The Spring Festival Cultural Fair also took place on Feb. 11 at the Chinese Cultural Centre and the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Garden.

British Columbia’s Lower Mainland is home to one of Canada’s largest Chinese communities. Vancouver’s parade is one of the city’s largest annual cultural events and is expected to attract big crowds.

“Lunar New Year holds significant importance for many Vancouver residents and brings an undeniable sense of pride to our community,” said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. “This celebration isn’t just about honouring cherished traditions. It’s about bringing people together and enriching our shared cultural heritage.”

Last year’s parade saw around 150,000 people attend, with appearances by Ken Sim, the city’s first Chinese Canadian mayor, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and B.C. Premier David Eby.

This year, the City and Chinatown BIA are planning to welcome the year with new dragon-themed neon streetlights. The banners feature a five-clawed dragon in blue, purple and yellow and were installed along a part of East Pender Street.

Festivities Not Without Controversy

However, the event wasn’t without some controversy. Two Vancouver organizations say they were rejected from participating in this year’s parade. Progressive grassroots group Chinatown Together, and 2SLGBTQAI+ group Lunar New Year For All, said they received emails stating they had been denied.

In a statement, Chinatown Together expressed disappointment at the decision. “While we are no longer welcomed by the parade committee, we will continue to move forward as Chinatown Together with our events. This isn’t a setback, but a disappointment,” the statement read.

In a statement, the Spring Festival Celebration Committee said it was “committed to upholding the tradition of promoting community, collaboration and tolerance.” The committee statement further said that its decisions about parade participants were based on making the parade “a safe and inclusive event.”

The ban on the groups was reversed shortly after the controversy came to light. Melody Ma, an organizer with Chinatown Together, said they were hoping to put politics aside and celebrate with the rest of the community.  MW

✯ Municipal World Executive and Essentials Plus Members: You might also be interested in Tyjondah Kerr’s article: Inclusion, equity, and diversity is for all of us.

Ibrahim Daair is Staff Writer at Municipal World.

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