the Chinese New Year Festival,2016

Last weekend, I finally tasted dumplings for the first time at the Chinese New Year Festival!

It's been a while since I had the opportunity to celebrate Chinese New Year. The last time was in 2008 - in Central London - and I was super excited to be able to relive that experience here in The Hague, Netherlands. 😊

The Chinese new year celebrations take place in the Atrium of The Hague City Hall. The opening ceremony includes music, dance, Chinese martial arts, and acrobatics. There's also a Chinese open market in the city centre, where you can buy Chinese dishes and artefacts, among other things.

We arrived in The Hague early on Saturday morning and made our way to the city centre.

Our first stop was the dumplings stall! It didn't feel right to have eaten a number of different Chinese dishes, but not to have tasted dumplings. So I was eager to cross them off my list.
Afterwards, we made a stop at a Chinese artist's table. He was writing people's names in Chinese, and was kind enough to write three words for me instead: Debz Meets World. Seemed appropriate, don't you think? 😉

We later toured the streets of Chinatown so as to get a feel of the local atmosphere. Remnants of fire-crackers littered the streets, and every now and then we heard a new batch of them going off in the distance.
Our last stop of the day was Fat Kee Restaurant, where we enjoyed a selection of Chinese dishes. As a student, I'm so used to eating a quick meal on my own, so sharing a meal with friends for a change was a personal highlight for me.🍜

All in all, it was a lovely day, one that I'm glad that I got to share with friends.😊

If you're planning to take part in the next Chinese new year celebrations in The Hague, make sure you do so on a weekend. There's a lot more going on then, which gives you a better chance of being part of a more wholesome 'Chinese New Year' experience. Plan to get there early in the morning so that you have more time to explore the area and enjoy the activities.
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- ✗O✗O.