For those born under the “green wood sheep” sign, a prosperous year is beginning! This date especially marks the Chinese New Year and gives rise, in certain large cities, to colorful festivities. Marseille will not see large parades in its streets but more modest initiatives.
The origin of Chinese New Year
Also called Spring Festival, dates back a few millennia. It is believed that the noise of cracking firecrackers, the lights carried by torches, and the strips of red paper frighten and drive away the Nien monster, symbol of bad influences. This way, it will be kept away all year round!
Of course traditions and legends vary from one region and one country to another, but the Chinese calendar is everywhere based on the same lunar and cyclical system of twelve years, each year being associated with a different animal.
In Marseille
The Chinese community, mainly from Zhejian Province (Wenzhou community), mixes with other Asian immigrants and still only has a diffuse presence. It must be said that this immigration is recent since it began in the 1980s. We cannot therefore speak of a real Chinatown, like cities like Paris or New York. The population of Marseille, although very attracted by exoticism, must make do with the few Chinese grocery stores present in the central districts of the city...
Chinese tourism
Chinese tourism, on the other hand, has greatly developed in recent years in the Provençal region and in Marseille in particular. These visitors appreciate our delicious local cuisine, the scent of our lavender, our sunny coves... It is true that television series broadcast on CCTV1 (equivalent to our TF1), watched by tens of millions of viewers, and filmed on the sets entirely natural from Marseille must have motivated quite a few visitors!
