First Lunar New Year celebrations in Vancouver in 3 years

Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood hopped into the Year of the Rabbit with its first Lunar New Year in three years.

Jan. 22 marks the first day of this year’s Lunar New Year. The return of Vancouver’s Chinatown Spring Festival parade saw thousands of spectators and a few politicians from all over Canada celebrating the Lunar New Year.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by and met Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

Dragon and lion dancers performed at the 48th Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Parade on Jan. 22, 2023. (Credit: OMNI News)

Sim says it was exciting to see “tens of thousands of people” attending the event.

“We talked about the revitalization of Chinatown and celebrating our heritage, not just Chinese heritage but Canadian Heritage. This is a great first start,” Sim said.

Sim believes the parade is significant “not only for Chinatown but for Vancouver and the region.”

The mayor also points to the diversity in the crowds that came to celebrate.

“It’s not just the Chinese community. If you look around here there are people from all walks of life and all different cultures and they’re embracing it. It just feels great,” he said.

Lunar New Year celebrations in Vancouver on Jan. 22, 2023. (Credit: OMNI News)

B.C. Premier David Eby also attended the festivities and took a moment to reflect on the tragic shooting in Monterey Park, California.

“It’s just such a reminder of why we need to fight racism every day in British Columbia and Asian racism, and what better way to deal with a big party on the street to celebrate our diversity, the contributions of Chinese Canadians, of Asian Canadians, and Asian British Columbians,” he said.

The streets of Chinatown were filled with onlookers for the 48th Vancouver Chinatown Spring Festival Parade. The parade started at 11 a.m. with dragon and lion dances and performers celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.

The parade embarked from Andy Livingstone Park and made its way around East Pender and Keefer street, where it ended at the Chinatown Plaza Parkade.

Sim proclaimed the week of Jan. 22-28 as Lunar New Year Week.

With files from OMNI News