Madrid to stage lavish Chinese New Year celebrations

The Madrid local authority held a press conference on?Feb 2?to outline their ambitious plans for the celebration of the Chinese New Year.

The Year of the Monkey starts on Feb. 8 and locals will be able to celebrate a true taste of China from Feb. 4 to Feb. 21.

Over 60 separate events will take place over the period and the plans, which were designed jointly by the local authority and the Chinese Embassy, were presented to the press by Liu Wenqiu, the cultural delegate at the embassy, and Jesus Carrillo, the director general of cultural programs and activities for Madrid's town hall.

The local authority explained the events would cover the entire city "like a giant dragon," although there would be special attention paid to the district of Usera in the south of Madrid, where many Chinese people live.

That area, along with the emblematic Plaza Espana, the China Cultural Center and the Confucius Institute, will host concerts, workshops, parades, fairs and demonstrations of Chinese cooking.

Of special interest is the first ever Chinese New Year fair in Usera, while the Plaza Espana once again hosts a fair highlighting Chinese traditions in art, dance, martial arts and cookery. Every night during the celebrations, the Palacio de Cibeles, arguably Madrid's most famous building, will be lit in red and yellow in honor of the People's Republic of China.

Along with a multitude of concerts, drama and dance, there is enough to ensure no Chinese resident in Madrid feels homesick, while many Spaniards will see enough to want to visit China for themselves.