Chinese New Year is one of the most important celebrations in China and in many other parts of the world where there are Chinese communities. In Valencia, the celebration of Chinese New Year is becoming more and more popular due to the large Chinese community. This year, in 2025, a series of events and activities are expected to celebrate the New Year and honor the Year of the Snake.
In this article, we present a complete guide to everything you need to know about the Chinese New Year 2025 celebration in Valencia.
Chinese New Year Parade in Valencia
Next Saturday, January 25, 2025, the city of Valencia will host the parade to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The celebration will be led by the Federation of Chinese Associations of the Valencian Community and will have the collaboration of the Confucius Institute of the University of Valencia, among other entities.
The celebration will begin at 17:30 hours and will go through the city center, from Pelayo Street to the Town Hall Square. The parade will feature colorful costumes, music and traditional dances, as well as a large dragon and a lion symbolizing strength and prosperity for the new year.
About 10 floats will participate, with about 80 people each, several groups of taiji, wushu, martial arts, and the public will be able to admire the traditional costumes and the dragon and lion dance.
Chinese New Year activities in Valencia
The parade is just the beginning of a series of events and activities being held for the Chinese New Year in Valencia. The Confucius Institute of the Universitat de València will offer a series of workshops and lectures on Chinese culture, and the Federation of Chinese Associations of the Valencian Community will also prepare several cultural events to promote understanding and cultural exchange between the Chinese and Valencian communities.
From 11 am to 5:30 pm on the same Saturday , activities related to Chinese culture will be held at the Town Hall Square in Valencia. Among the activities, Chinese calligraphy, knots, calendars, dances and traditional songs.
Activities at the Confucius Institute
From January 20 to February 13, the Confucius Institute of the University of Valencia (ICUV) has programmed and organized a wide range of cultural and festive activities and exhibitions to mark the arrival of the Chinese New Year, which, in this year 2025, corresponds to 4723 according to the traditional count.
- Monday, January 20, 17:30: Taichi workshop in preparation for the parade (Sede Serpis, UV).
- Tuesday, January 21, 18:30: Conference “How Chinese people celebrate their New Year in Valencia” by Antonio Liu Yang (FNAC San Agustin).
- Tuesday, January 21, 17:30: Children’s snake craft workshop (Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication).
- Wednesday, January 29, 14:00: Presentation of the traditional calendar at El Corte Inglés (Avenida de Francia).
- Saturday, January 25:
- 11:00: Activities at the Town Hall Square: dances, calligraphy, music, among others.
- 17:30: XII Gran Cabalgata (route along Pelayo, Xàtiva, Marqués de Sotelo).
- Wednesday, February 12, 17:30: Children’s handicraft workshop on lanterns (Faculty of Philology).
- Thursday, February 13, 18:00: Conference “The metaphor of water and fire versus stress and calm” by Félix Castellanos (Faculty of Philology).
Traffic closures for the Chinese New Year 2025 in Valencia
The Valencia City Council has published the streets affected by the cuts during this Saturday’s parade through the city center:
The best Chinese restaurants in Valencia
Valencia is known for its wide variety of Chinese restaurants, especially in the neighborhood of La Roqueta and in the vicinity of the North Station, which is considered the area with more Chinese restaurants throughout the city. From classics such as fried rice and dumplings to lesser known regional dishes.