Chinese New Year of the 13th

Parisian Chinatown Celebrates Since 1986

The Grand Parade of the Chinese New Year of the 13th was created in 1986 by the ARFOI association (Association of French Residents of Indochinese Origin). For four decades, this event has become the largest Lunar New Year parade in Europe, transforming the Asian quarter of the 13th arrondissement each year — between Avenue d'Ivry, Avenue de Choisy, and Boulevard Masséna — into a vast celebration space blending Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Laotian traditions.

A Spectacular Parade

The parade brings together over two thousand participants: dancers in richly embroidered traditional costumes, with makeup applied according to ancestral codes, accompanied by dancing dragons and lions that can measure up to thirty meters long. Decorated floats in the colors of the zodiac year parade through the neighborhood's avenues, accompanied by percussion, cymbals, and gongs whose joyful din is meant to ward off evil spirits. For a decade, Caribbean and Guyanese groups have also participated in the parade, adding a multicultural dimension to the event.

2025 Edition: The Year of the Wood Snake

The 2025 edition of the Grand Parade celebrated the entry into the Year of the Wood Snake. The procession paraded through the 13th arrondissement's Chinatown with its dragons, lions, dancers, and traditional floats, attracting hundreds of thousands of spectators. Festivities extended over several weeks, with activities, exhibitions, and shows in the neighborhood's cultural venues.

2026 Edition: The Year of the Fire Horse

The Grand Parade of the Chinese New Year 2026 took place on Sunday, March 1, 2026, celebrating the Year of the Fire Horse, the seventh sign of the Chinese zodiac symbolizing energy, freedom, and movement. The parade started at 2 PM from 44 Avenue d'Ivry, with a route along Rue Tolbiac, Avenue de Choisy, Boulevard Masséna, and Avenue d'Ivry. The Lunar New Year festivities spanned from February 13 to March 1, 2026, with a rich program of activities, exhibitions, and shows throughout the 13th arrondissement.

A Living Cultural Heritage

The Grand Parade of the Chinese New Year of the 13th is more than just a parade: it embodies the cultural vitality of Paris's Asian community and its ability to share its traditions with the entire population. The event has become an unmissable fixture in Parisian life, contributing to the multicultural radiance of the capital and the preservation of Lunar New Year traditions in its adopted homeland.