Chinese New Year in Amsterdam is celebrated in Chinatown, on the Zeedijk and around the Nieuwmarkt, and the next one is Lunar New Year on Saturday 6 February 2027, which opens the Year of the Goat.
The 2027 Amsterdam programme has not been announced yet, so this guide tells you the confirmed date, what has happened in past years, and where to eat and shop in Chinatown.
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Lunar New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, according to the Hong Kong Observatory’s lunar calendar.
2027 is the Year of the Goat, a sign also called the Sheep or Ram in English.
Lunar New Year 2028 falls on Wednesday 26 January 2028, the start of the Year of the Monkey.
The date moves every year because it follows the lunar calendar, and it always falls between 21 January and 20 February.
The last one, on 17 February 2026, opened the Year of the Horse.
How Amsterdam celebrates
The heart of the celebration is Amsterdam’s small Chinatown, the streets around the Zeedijk, Stormsteeg, Geldersekade and the Nieuwmarkt in the old centre.
The main public event is the lion dance, with loud drums and costumed dancers who move through the neighbourhood to chase away bad luck from the old year and bring good fortune for the new one.
On 17 February 2026, AT5 reported that a traditional lion dance went down the Zeedijk to welcome the Year of the Horse, and that the street was packed with visitors.
Part of the custom is that the lion visits Chinese businesses, where it eats a lettuce and spits it out again, a gesture that is meant to bring the shop good fortune.
For many years the public celebrations in Chinatown have been organised by the Chinese Entrepreneurs Society of Amsterdam, which in 2015 described a lion dance route from the temple across Chinatown to the Nieuwmarkt and back, with fireworks.
Strings of firecrackers are set off to scare away evil spirits; in 2015 the celebration also moved to the Dam for the first time, with a dragon and lion dance on the roof of the Krasnapolsky building.
Amsterdam’s celebration is modest compared with cities such as Hong Kong, as people from the community told AT5, partly because the Chinese community is spread across the city and the day is not a public holiday here.
The official nationwide celebration of the Foundation for Chinese Cultural Events in the Netherlands has in past years taken place in The Hague rather than Amsterdam.
The He Hua Temple on the Zeedijk
The Fo Guang Shan He Hua Temple, at Zeedijk 106 to 118, is the focal point of Chinatown.
It was opened by Queen Beatrix on 15 September 2000 and is described as the largest Buddhist temple in traditional Chinese palace style in Europe.
The temple holds a New Year light offering ceremony, which was on its 2026 calendar.
According to its own website, it is open Tuesday to Sunday from 13:00 to 17:00, with a Sunday service at 10:30, and it closes on 24 and 25 December.
Lunar New Year at the Wereldmuseum
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, at Linnaeusstraat 2 in Oost, held a Made in China makers weekend on 21 and 22 February 2026, with calligraphy, dumpling making, tea workshops and lantern crafts for families, all included in a museum ticket.
Its 2027 plans are not published yet.
Where to eat in Chinatown
Our directory lists 79 Chinese restaurants, 65 of them with an Amsterdam address, and seven of those are on the Zeedijk or the Stormsteeg in Chinatown itself.
On the Zeedijk you will find Nam Kee at number 111 to 113, a Cantonese restaurant that takes walk-ins only, as well as Dim Sum Court at number 109.
Further along are Hoi Tin at Zeedijk 122, Wing Kee at Zeedijk 76 and the hot pot restaurant Hot and Hot Chinese Hot Pot at Zeedijk 57.
Round the corner, Sichuan Taste is at Stormsteeg 4, and China Sichuan Restaurant is also in the same few streets.
Nam Kee also has a second branch at Geldersekade 117, with larger tables for groups and families, which is useful on a busy New Year evening.
For a wider choice across the city, see our guide on where to eat Chinese food in Amsterdam.
Where to shop for a New Year dinner
Three of the 31 Asian supermarkets in our directory are in Chinatown.
Toko Dun Yong, at Stormsteeg 9, sells sauces, spices, fresh produce, frozen food and kitchenware, and has been supplying Asian products since 1959.
It is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 19:00, Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 and Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, according to its own website.
The other two are Wah Nam Hong at Geldersekade 90 and Amazing Oriental at Nieuwmarkt 27.
Our guide to shopping for Asian groceries in Amsterdam covers the rest of the city.
Tips for the day
The Zeedijk is a narrow street and it was packed for the lion dance in 2026, so arrive early if you want to see it up close.
Nam Kee on the Zeedijk does not take bookings at all, so on a busy evening you may have to wait for a table.
Keep an eye on our What’s On calendar in January 2027, when the programme for the Year of the Goat should become known.
More dates in the Amsterdam year: Halloween, International Women’s Day, Father’s Day, the public holidays calendar and What’s On in Amsterdam.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Chinese New Year 2027?
Chinese New Year 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027 and starts the Year of the Goat.
When is Chinese New Year 2028?
Lunar New Year 2028 falls on Wednesday 26 January 2028 and starts the Year of the Monkey.
Where is Chinese New Year celebrated in Amsterdam?
Mainly in Chinatown, on the Zeedijk and around the Nieuwmarkt, where lion dances visit the Chinese shops and restaurants and the He Hua Temple holds its New Year ceremonies.
Is the 2027 Amsterdam programme known yet?
No, as of late October 2026 no programme for Chinese New Year 2027 in Amsterdam has been published.
Is Chinese New Year a public holiday in the Netherlands?
No, it is not one of the official Dutch public holidays, so shops, offices and schools keep their normal hours.
Sources
- Hong Kong Observatory: 2027 calendar
- Hong Kong Observatory: 2028 calendar
- AT5: lion dance on the Zeedijk, 2026
- Euronext: Chinese Entrepreneurs Society Amsterdam celebrates Chinese New Year
- Fo Guang Shan He Hua Temple
- He Hua Temple (Wikipedia)
- AT5: Chinese New Year in CHANG
- Wereldmuseum: Made in China makers weekend
- Nam Kee
- Toko Dun Yong
Photo: Zeedijk in Amsterdam’s Chinatown by Vladislovas Sketerskis, Pexels licence, via Pexels.
