Travel Tips

Travel Tip: Celebrating Chinese New Year

Locations in this article:  Columbia, SC Los Angeles, CA San Francisco, CA

People think I’m crazy when I still say Happy New Year, but it’s true. It’s Chinese New Year, also known as Lunar New Year. And believe it or not, some of the best places to celebrate are in our own backyards.

In the city of Richmond, British Columbia, 44 percent of residents have Chinese ancestry—the largest population in all of Canada. And the area known as Golden Village is home to one of the biggest Chinese New Year events in North America.

While San Francisco is well-known for its Lunar New Year celebrations, don’t overlook Southern California. Just east of Los Angeles is Monterey Park, where more than 40 percent of the population is of Chinese heritage and the festival is a main attraction.

It’s no surprise that New York has a great New Year celebration, but Boston also has celebrations throughout the city.

And in honor of the event, Boston Food Tours has a whole walking tour of Chinatown, starting with dim sum and traditional New Year’s cake, and, of course, you’ll be in the center of the action for the big parade.

For more information, visit our Festivals archives.

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