Top Chinese New Year Parties Around the World

The Chinese Year of the Goat is almost upon us, and, as a result, Chinese communities all over the world will be celebrating in great numbers come February 19th.

Chinese New Year is traditionally a time for families to come together, festivals and big cultural displays - it's an explosion of colour and revelry.

Although most of the best celebrations take place in China - some of which are on this list - the Chinese New Year is very much a global celebration. Here are some of the best places to welcome the Year of the Goat in 2015.

London

London's Chinese population certainly knows how to celebrate in style, and the New Year Parade is actually the biggest outside of China. The parade itself is something you have to see with your own eyes to truly comprehend. There will be colourful lanterns, vivid decorations, exuberant dragon dancers and a whole host of traditional acts making their way through London's famous streets.

It goes without saying that you'll want to be in Chinatown for this momentous occasion as the atmosphere here tends to go up a notch during the New Year - an impressive feat considering how lively it is normally. The festivities will kick off on Saturday 21st with a smaller, more traditional ceremony, followed by the main parade on Sunday 22nd.

Beijing

The cultural and religious significance of Beijing makes it one of the most important places in China to celebrate the New Year. Once the capital of the Yuan, Qing and Ming empires, the city is full of grand temples which become the site of many fairs and special activities.

You can expect incredible martial arts displays, fascinating lion and dragon dances, delicious festival food and a big party atmosphere. Longtan Temple, Ditan Temple and Dongyue Temple all play host to large temple fairs where you will find the above entertainment.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong deserves special mention for its New Year celebrations if only for the jaw-dropping firework display that takes place.

Celebrations here are a little different to those in mainland China, and the party here is much, much bigger. On the actual day of the New Year, things kick off with a Night Parade where groups of performers gather to put on a carnival-like show. The streets of Hong Kong are alive with a friendly atmosphere, making it a great night out.

The next night, you will be treated to a firework show of truly epic proportions. There is not much to say about it other than it is truly wonderful. The sky above Hong Kong is lit up brilliantly, and the explosions of colour are accompanied by a 3D light show and the Symphony of Lights.

On the third day of fun, get down to the Sha Tin Racecourse for the Spring Festival Races: a day of fun and celebration in which all the profits are donated to charity.

Melbourne

Melbourne has a large Chinese community and its Chinatown is one of the most vibrant in Australia making it the perfect place to celebrate the New Year down under.

This year, there will be a number of events taking place, and in a city as creative and unique as Melbourne, you can be sure that each one will be a real spectacle.

There are nine different Chinese New Year celebrations in Melbourne - all of which take place over the course of February - and each one has its own feel and identity.

Arguably the most popular of these parties is the annual Box Hill event which takes place at Box Hill Market Street and lasts from 1pm to 1am. It regularly attracts 70,000 people, and this year, it will be happening on February 14th.

New York

New York's rich cultural diversity means that there's always a party or celebration going on somewhere, and the Chinese New Year is no exception.

Usually, the Big Apple kicks things off with a huge parade that starts in Chinatown and goes on for a good few hours.

After the usual fun of dragon dancers, Asian magicians, acrobatics, music and gloriously-ornate floats, the march becomes a carnival where the party continues in much the same vein that it started, with a great deal of action and revelry!