Bye bye rat! Hello ox! We give you all the details of the festivities, the routes of the processions (both of them), and all you need to know about the events programmed in the 3rd, 6th and 13th arrondissements…

photo of origami water buffalo by Joseph Wu Origami used under cc licence


新年好 (Happy New Year!). The Chinese New Year of the ox will start on 26th January 2009, and we will all be “filled with an extraordinary force that will makes us move forward and flourish”. At such a morose time of year, that sounds pretty good to me.

The various events programmed in Paris last from 18th January to 1st February, mostly in the 3rd, 6th and 13th arrondissements. Here are the details:

Paris 3rd arrondissement
If you want to avoid the huge crowds of the 13th arrondissement, the 3rd is an interesting alternative with its procession on Saturday 31st January. It leaves place de l’Hôtel de Ville around 2pm and follows rue du Temple, place de la République, rue de Turbigo, rue Beaubourg and rue du Renard. A cultural week should also be happening (details forthcoming).

Bigger map here

Paris 6th arrondissement
The council are organising a storytelling session in the Salle des Fêtes on 31st January at 3pm. And that’s all (last year there was a dance of the dragon on the place Saint-Sulpice, three exhibitions, a tea ceremony and a workshop for discovering Chinese calligraphy) because of “logistical problems”.

Paris 13th arrondissement
THE big event, too big for some; the crowd is huge and visibility limited. The procession is on Sunday 1st February from 1.30pm – 5.30pm, tracing a route from and to rue du Disque. The full route is:

Avenue d’Ivry > Avenue de Choisy > Place d’Italie > Avenue d’Italie > Rue de Tolbiac > Avenue de Choisy > Boulevard Masséna > Avenue d’Ivry

Bigger map here

Even if everyone immediately thinks of the parade as the main event, others are also organised during the two-week festivities.

On the 18th January à 6.30pm in the Salle des Fêtes – Traditional music from the Zhejiang province. Free, space limited.
From 19th – 29th January in the Athena Gallery and antechamber at the town hall of the 13th arrondissement – Ehibition of Chnises lacquer. From 8.30am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. Late night opening on Thursdays until 7.30pm.

photo by bernardoh used under cc licence

You’ll find more details (in French) of all the events due in the Paris region on the Chine Informations website. Wikipedia page about Chinese New Year here.

photo by bernardoh used under cc licence