Fred Vloo's picture view the location of this item Amsterdam's Asian Food Festival 2012

Chinese New Year, also known as the Lunar New Year, is the most important event in the Chinese calendar. It’s a special occasion marked by family gatherings, special food, temple offerings and the color red.


In 2012, Chinese New Year fell on 23 January.

Celebrations in Amsterdam were held on Sunday, 29 January with the Asian Food Festival.

Among the delicacies on offer were yu sheng, a raw fish salad which is said to bring good luck, and fai-hai, a type of seaweed that is believed to bring prosperity.

Vegetarians choose to eat lettuce, which the Chinese believe sounds like the word for 'luck'.