Chinese New Year in London, England is the biggest festival of the year in Chinese communities. It is based on the lunar and solar calendars, the date varies from late January to mid-February. In 2008 the Chinese New Year festival and parade in central London, celebrating the start of the Year of the Rat, took place on Sunday 10 February. A colorful parade went along Charing Cross Road and Shaftesbury Avenue and ended in Trafalgar Square where an all day festival started. The annual event was organized by the London Chinatown Chinese Association. One of the most diverse cities in Europe, whole neighborhoods and communities in London look like they are lifted directly from the Middle East or South Asia.
