Chinese New Year was celebrated exuberantly in The Hague. Thousands of people attended the festivities in and around the city hall of The Hague and in Chinatown.
The Spuiplein was crowded when during the traditional opening ceremony the lions were awakened by Vice-Mayor Karsten Klein and the King’s Commissioner in South Holland, Jaap Smit (Spuiplein).
Afterwards, the audience fanned out over Chinatown, following the Chinese lions and dragons through the streets and to the Chinese market (China Town).
Meanwhile, a spectacular show was given by dozens of artists from China and the Netherlands on stage at City Hall. After the official opening speeches by, among others, Vice-Mayor Karsten Klein and the (new) Ambassador of China to the Netherlands, Wu Ken, the artists from Jiangsu Province showed their qualities in music, song, dance and acrobatics (City Hall). 
While the invited guests enjoyed an excellent buffet lunch, the Atrium flooded with people who not only wanted to see Chinese artists on stage but also the lovely ladies of the Miss Impress Pageant (Miss Impress).
The spectacle ended with a traditional performance by a large ensemble of Chinese artists from Xi’an, in the past the capital of the Chinese Empire.
The pictures on the website give an impression of the festivities in The Hague (Photos).