Description
It's the year of the dragon! Celebrate Lunar New Year at the National Museum of Asian Art with free attractions for all ages, including performances, chef talks, tours, hands-on activities, and more.
Activity Schedule & Map
Free timed tickets are required for the Vietnamese Opening Ceremony performances. Tickets can be picked up at the performance location, Discovery Theater, starting at 11 a.m. If you do not arrive within 10 minutes of the performance time, your seat may be given up to those waiting in the standby line.
Free timed tickets are required for the Sichuan Opera performance. Tickets can be picked up at the Meyer Auditorium starting at 2 p.m. If you do not arrive within 10 minutes of the performance time, your seat may be given up to those waiting in the standby line.
Advance registration recommended. RSVP here.
About Lunar New Year
Also known as the Spring Festival in China, Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family. A highlight that often kicks off the holiday is the Lunar New Year's Eve reunion dinner, a feast with a spread of symbolic dishes representing abundance, all of which are said to bring good luck and fortune. The fifteenth and final day of the holiday is sometimes marked by eating tangyuan, sweet glutinous rice balls, and carrying lanterns to conclude the celebration.
We acknowledge that many Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders do not follow the Chinese/lunar zodiac.
This event is copresented by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Vietnam Society, and the Korean Cultural Center Washington, D.C.
Read more about the Lunar New Year here.
