Milan’s Chinatown in northern Italy is gearing up for the Spring Festival on Feb 17, as locals and tourists are prepareing to celebrate the most important holiday for the Chinese community.
According to local media, festivities for the upcoming Chinese New Year, the Year of the Horse, will reach their peak with a Dragon Parade at the Arch of Peace on March 1, complete with music, elaborate costumes, and vibrant performances
"Chinese New Year has become a celebration of Milan, it is not only for the Chinese community. The main parade has been held for 15 years, and every year more and more people take part," said Jay Lin, a staff member of the Italy-China New Generation Entrepreneurs Association, the event organizer.
Wang Yiran, a dance teacher rehearsing for the Chinese New Year parade, said she is thrilled to join the festive event.
"We feel very excited to prepare traditional dance, Chinese dance, for the Chinese New Year," said Wang.
Tourists said the atmosphere in Milan's Chinatown was already buzzing ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations, as visitors milled about the streets.
"It's amazing, there are a lot of people from everywhere here," said a tourist.
The Italian city is currently in the international spotlight as a co-host of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Milan's Chinatown gears up to celebrate Chinese New Year
The 62nd Munich Security Conference (MSC) concluded on Sunday after leaders from the United States and Europe clashed for days over the future of the transatlantic partnership and the global order, laying bare their rifts.
In his closing remarks, MSC Chairman Wolfgang Ischinger said this year's Munich Security Report, titled "Under Destruction," had sparked diverse views. While German Chancellor Friedrich Merz argued that the international system is not only under attack but "already gone," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for its "renewal and restoration."
Ischinger pointed to mounting questions over whether "what we used to call the West" still shares common values, adheres to the same rules, and truly remains on the same team.
He also referred to warnings voiced by participants from Denmark and Greenland, noting that if certain lines are crossed, they must be taken seriously.
Addressing the Ukraine crisis, Ischinger described its outcome as an "existential question for Europe" that will shape the continent's future in multiple ways. He stressed that this reality should be recognized not only across Europe but also in the United States.
The 62nd MSC, held from Friday to Sunday, focused on issues including European security and defense, the future of transatlantic relations, and competing visions for the global order.
62nd Munich Security Conference ends amid doubts over transatlantic ties
