Each year in Liverpool the Chinese community host a celebration for the Chinese New Year in Chinatown which is home to the oldest Chinese community in Europe
The arch located at the gateway of Chinatown is also the biggest, multiple-span arch of its kind outside of China, and it’s estimated that 2% of Liverpool’s population are Chinese or of Chinese descent making it the city’s single largest non-white ethnic group.
This year Hubs, daughter and I headed into town to enjoy the festivities. It really was an dismal day weather wise as it was absolutely freezing, blowing a gale and raining. Grim, really grim it was. And as all the major roads were blocked off we had to park miles away so it was a case of heads down and power walking for an hour into the city. By the time we got there we were beginning to lose the will to live!
Just as we reached Chinatown we looked up and realized that the parade was almost finished! The last firecracker was flickering in the rain and the drums fell silent. Gutted we were and frozen solid….and drenched! All we could see was a dragon rapidly disappearing into the distance….which hubs reckoned was on it’s way home. Refusing to lose out I followed it….and to my surprise it crept off into a square where hundreds of people had gathered and the festivities began all over again. How lucky was that!!!
It was a wonderful display. Banners soared high above the crowds and dragons danced recklessly in front of the exploding firecrackers to the beat of huge drums that exactly matched the beat of our hearts.
Smoke and pieces of firecrackers were blinding, and deafening. And then on the top of the scaffold a guy tried to put some rogue firecrackers out and almost blew his foot off!!!Fortunately, he was o.k.
So we got to enjoy the parade and all the celebrations after all.
By this time the three of us could no longer feel our fingers, toes or noses, and as the festivities were winding down and the dragon was definitely heading home we decided to go and have a Chinese meal.
Now normally when the three of us decide to have a spontaneous meal it never seems to work out. Daughter may decide she doesn’t like the menu, or hubs dislikes the prices and venue….etc etc etc…of course I’m the easy going one who NEVER puts barriers in the way of a good meal….anyway, in the past the three of us have often roamed aimlessly, squabbling, from restaurant to restaurant ….but NOT on this day. Oh no.
The first restaurant we came to, the three of us were happy with, without even looking at the menu or prices…and …it was closed!!! So…on to the next one.
Which was absolutely packed….and had a three hour waiting period. I kid you not, but we traipsed around town for HOURS looking for a meal and we couldn’t get in anywhere. So we walked to the other side of town and had an Italian meal….not really in keeping but still utterly delicious.
So…on behalf of our wonderful Chinese community, I would like to wish you all a very happy, healthy, prosperous Chinese New Year.
Oh my. You have a way of describing your (mis)adventures that makes me smile, even as I began to worry that your will to live was being severely tested. Glad you FINALLY got to eat something. Our family doesn’t have a huge to-do for new years — we even delayed gathering to celebrate until about a week later.
Lol, thanks Nikki. I hope you enjoyed your belated gathering….and are feeling better.xxxxx
Yes, it was nice, though several of families had the same idea! And thank you for asking, I am feeling a bit better. Antibiotics and an ear lavage have done wonders.
I would have loved to see the celebrations not living near a city you tend to miss out on things like that – glad the weather didn’t quite spoil your fun.
Thanks Elaine. We are quite lucky as we live in a countryfied area but only ten miles from the city.xxxxx
Good for you for sticking with your plan which ended well ~ you poor frozen things, tho! Enjoyed your photos ~ cold and all.
Thanks Glo….it’s become a little milder over the last few days….I even saw a bit of blue sky today!xxxxx
You can see how cold it is by how everyone is so well wrapped up.
Looks like it was a wonderful celebration rounded off with a good meal in a warm restaurant.
Oh it was absolutely perishingly cold and when we finally got in a restaurant we almost passed out with the heat!xxxxx
It’s a good job you decided to follow the dragon, what a waste of a day that would have been otherwise. Glad you managed to see, and join in with, the festivities, and also that you managed to find somewhere to eat, i prefer Italian to Chinese.
Thanks Jo…hubs laughed when I decided to creep off after the dragon but it did pay off!
I LOVE Italian food too!!!xxxxx
It’s the perfect time of year to have a colourful celebration; a bit of colour when it’s grey/wet/cold is always welcome.
Yes, we do need something amongst all this gloomy weather.xxxxx
How wonderful that you had a taste of the holiday!
Thanks Shimon, we did have a lovely time despite the awful weather.xxxxx
It’s good to see that in spite of the weather that you didn’t miss out on the celebrations, and managed to enjoy yourselves.
I just wish that it was the year of something other than the snake though as they really do give me the heebie-jeebies! xx
Thanks Flighty…..lol….the year of the snake is not supposed to be a very good year…..maybe because of the reputation of snakes!!! Yes, they are rather alien aren’t they.xxxxx
The New year was great wasn’t it… my UGG’s took a beating though. They soaked up that much water I felt like I was carrying to small children on my feet all day! xx
Lol…..one must NEVER wear ugg’s in the rain!xxxxx
I love the picture of the firecrackers burning and the blue lion – the guy almost looks as though he’s kicked a burning ball!! Great fun xx
Hahahaha….thanks Scarlett!
What an experience – ghastly weather but at least you persisted and that wonderful colourful dragon was on hand to cheer everyone up! There’s a sizeable chinatown in Brum too, where I used to live. I know that feeling of not being able to get into a restaurant … glad you found one in the end! It all sounds fun if exhausting 😉
Lol, thanks Gilly, yes, some days out are great fun but utterly exhausting. I suppose we have to take the rough with the smooth. Brum is well known for it’s Chinese community, we seem to have so many in Britain don’t we. The Chinese are a wonderful people, you rarely ever hear of them causing any kind of trouble. I bet you often miss your old stamping ground, a hum of human activity.xxxxx
Chinatown in Soho (London) is a fun place to be during the period of the Chinese New year celebrations. Fortunately, while some of the Chinese eateries might be closed for celebrations, there are loads of SE.Asian restaurants that serve similar food. The crowds can take their pick of them and some of the Chinese ones that remain working. Again, there are people who make dim sum on street stalls and cook them. The turn over is so high, that there is no need to wait for an order to be prepared, they just keep coming up freshly cooked with a variety of fillings.
I can understand why other international food eateries were available. It was a Chinese holiday after all. Our local Chinese restaurants and take-aways shops close as well. There is one that stays open about fifty miles down the road; it is owned and run by Brits.
Glad you got warmed up.
Ah Soho….yes, I’ve often been there for the Chinese New Year. Wonderful as you say.
The weird thing was even the Asian restaurants were packed out……miles from Chinatown!!!
We were going to eat street food but we were so wet and cold we were determined to find somewhere warm to sit, and of course we were utterly famished.
Lol….fancy your brit owned Chinese staying open!!!xxxxx
My thoughts are similar to Catherine’s, great photo’s and a lovely description of an event I will probably never get to see. I don’t feel like I’ve missed out now, thanks for a wonderful post Snowbird.
Thanks Sam….now if you ever want to see it come to Liverpool next year and I’ll give you the grand tour!!!
Wow, you really persevered! Thank you for these glorious photos and the tale to match. I’m glad you finally found tasty food and warmth, and, from my experience, Italians are as festive as the Chinese, so the spirit of the holiday seems to have been honored! Glad you followed the Dragon!
Thanks Catherine. It was a great day in the end and when we finally got into a restaurant we couldn’t believe how warm it was. Then after a couple of hours we had forgotten how cold it was outside and had to do the long walk back to the car.
Yes our Italian community are a wonderful bunch too, the Italian waiter even wished us a happy new year in Chinese.xxxxx
oh crikey! you persisted in the face of great enormous adversity and finally triumphed but heck what COLD and WET an I just KNOW that looking around hungrily for the right place to eat and that trying to get consensus with awkward beasts and it being shut or packed etc etc… but you do get a STAR for Endurance and Perseverance in the face of adversity! :)) Well done!
I never knew there were so many Chinese people in Liverpool… well fancy that!!!
Hahahahahaha…..you put it into words so beautifully! We all had a great, allbeit a bit of a damp squid at times.
Yes, we have a large Chinese community, many who live in Chinatown, and they are always so welcoming.xxxxx
Splendid post D! These pictures really give a marvelous ‘taste’ of trhe atmosphere….I’m sure it was wonderful…..Thanks for sharing. Hugs! 🙂
Lol, thanks Ell, it was wonderful….in the end!xxxxx