Chinese in London Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chinese in London - Essay Example The author of the paper tells that Britain promotes cultural connections with many countries through the use of cultural festivals and events. This is particularly prevalent in terms of Chinese culture. The interest that Britain people in general have towards China and the Chinese culture can be seen in the dramatic increase of people learning Chinese within Britain. There are close to 100,000 people throughout the United Kingdom who are learning to speak Chinese through language classes. One explanation for this interest is the focus that Britain has placed on Chinese culture. This interest in the culture and history of China has continued to grow among United Kingdom citizens. This evaluation will consider the China in London cultural festival that occurs annually around the time of the Chinese New Year. The festival is an example of the celebration and teaching of the values of one culture within another. In this case, the annual festival is continuing to grow, driven by an increa sing interest in aspects of Chinese culture. There are many different aspects to this festival, including a variety of events, exhibitions and concerts. For London residents who have a Chinese heritage, the event provides a way to express cultural pride. Additionally, China in London makes use of many Chinese people and groups from China itself, forming and maintaining relationships between the two countries. The process of organising and planning the event each year is a substantial logistical effort involving a large amount of long-distance communication and coordination. The festival lasts approximately a week, beginning with the lighting of Chinese lanterns, which occurs in Oxford Circus. The final component of the cultural event is a celebration of the Chinese New Year. This occurs at Trafalgar Square, and consists of a large number of performances and events. The exact dates of the festival are different each year, but they generally centre on the dates of the Chinese New Year . For example, in 2010, the festival ran from February 14 to February 21, where February 14 was the official date of the Chinese New Year. China in London is a celebration of values and traditions that are an ingrained part of Chinese culture, but are not well recognised in the Western world. It is now considered to be the largest celebration of the Chinese New Year outside of China. This case study considers the China in London festival, with particular reference to the 2009 and 2010 festivals. Theme One: Globalisation and the visitor experience The world continues to grow more globalised, with travel between countries becoming commonplace, and many aspects of different cultures intermingling with one another.