Year of the Pig kicks off in Barcelona

Tuesday February 5 is Chinese New Year, but the celebrations for the Year of the Pig have already begun in Barcelona, with the traditional procession through the streets of the Eixample district on Saturday, in which 4,500 people took part, according to local police.

Participating in the procession, which featured folk groups, people dressed in traditional costumes and the obligatory dancing dragons, were members of more than 65 Chinese associations and federations in Catalonia.

This year's procession also featured symbols of Catalan culture, including dancing devils and giants and, appropriately given that it is the Year of the Pig, the Porca de Sant Antoni, the porcine figure that is the focus of the local festival of the Sant Antoni neighborhood.

The day included demonstrations of Chinese popular culture on the Lluís Companys avenue, such as Chinese opera, traditional drummers and exhibitions of kung fu and tai chi. There was also a food fair, where visitors could try some of the specialities of Chinese cuisine.

With the New Year's festivities underway, Catalonia's Chinese community can now look forward to two weeks of celebrating the Year of the Pig.