Chinese New Year at Wereldmuseum Leiden

The first day of the Chinese calendar marks the start of the Spring Festival. The festival lasts 15 days and revolves around traditions such as praying for prosperity, family gatherings and promoting harmony. Since 2024, the festival and the activities that go with it have been on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. For the Wereldmuseum, this is a great opportunity to go all out this year with a spectacular lion dance. Come and chase away the evil spirits of the old year together.

This year, the mysterious and intelligent snake takes centre stage. The story goes that long ago, the Chinese emperor organised a race for all the animals. The winners were given a place in the zodiac. The snake secretly crawled onto the horse's back and slid forward just before the finish to win. So come and make a Chinese jiǎnzhǐ snake or make a lantern with the Chinese character 蛇 (snake).

We open the celebration with a lion dance. You can also attend a music performance, do workshops or follow guided tours. In addition, restaurant Woo Ping provides snacks in the café. Please see the programme for more information and registration.

The first day of the Chinese calendar marks the start of the Spring Festival. The festival lasts 15 days and revolves around traditions such as praying for prosperity, family gatherings and promoting harmony. Since 2024, the festival and the activities that go with it have been on the UNESCO list of intangible heritage. For the Wereldmuseum, this is a great opportunity to go all out this year with a spectacular lion dance. Come and chase away the evil spirits of the old year together.

This year, the mysterious and intelligent snake takes centre stage. The story goes that long ago, the Chinese emperor organised a race for all the animals. The winners were given a place in the zodiac. The snake secretly crawled onto the horse's back and slid forward just before the finish to win. So come and make a Chinese jiǎnzhǐ snake or make a lantern with the Chinese character 蛇 (snake).

We open the celebration with a lion dance. You can also attend a music performance, do workshops or follow guided tours. In addition, restaurant Woo Ping provides snacks in the café. Please see the programme for more information and registration.