Vodafone London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House Anyone who longs to be part of the London Fashion Week action will love the Vodafone London Fashion Weekend, a stylish consumer event that takes place just after London Fashion Week itself. Set against the stunning backdrop of Somerset House, the four-day event offers catwalk shows, lectures and – of course – exclusive shopping opportunities. Tickets start from £15.50.21-24 Feb 

The London Super Comic Convention at ExCeL

A must for comic book fans, the London Super Comic Convention is the largest event of its kind in the UK. Exhibitors come from across the globe to display the latest in comics and comic memorabilia, whilst many of the world’s most famous comic creators will be on site to meet fans and sign autographs. Tickets start from £17.50. 23-24 Feb

Banff Mountain Film Festival Tour at the Union Chapel

Temperatures are plummeting in Islington this weekend, as the Banff Mountain Film Festival tour skis in to the Union Chapel. The festival is one of the most prestigious mountain festivals in the world, and celebrates adventure, human endurance and the great outdoors through the medium of film. The London screenings allow you to see the festival’s best short films and share in a world of high octane action, beautiful vistas and remote cultures without leaving the (comparative) warmth of Islington. Screenings vary depending on the evening and tickets are £13.50. 21 Feb-1 Mar

Chinese New Year Celebrations at the National Maritime Museum

Discover British East Asian heritage and how the sea aided the flow of ideas from Asia to Britain at the National Maritime Museum, which is hosting a day of free Chinese New Year celebrations. From 11am to 4pm, both adults and children can enjoy themed workshops, music and performances that celebrate the Year of the Snake and highlight the influence of Oriental culture on the UK. 23 Feb

Anton & Erin Go To Hollywood at The Barbican

Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag, stars of the enduringly popular Strictly Come Dancing, are bringing a dash of glamour to the Barbican this Saturday. The twinkle-toed pair are dancing in a new show that pays homage to classic MGM musicals such as Gigi. Featuring a 25-piece orchestra, memorable songs and show-stopping choreography, this is guaranteed to put a spring in your step. Tickets start from £19.50 and there are two performances to choose from. 23 Feb

More events in London

Find out more about Chinese New Year in London including tomorrow’s parade and festival in Trafalgar Square.

This weekend, the largest Chinese New Year celebrations outside of Asia take place in and around London’s Chinatown in Soho. But did you know that London’s original Chinatown was in East London?

Limehouse was the site of a short-lived porcelain factory founded by George Wilson in 1746. It was one of many attempts to make a British version of the beautiful, white ceramic that was flooding into London from the Far East. Limehouse porcelain  looked Chinese but was made in East London. You can see examples of this porcelain at the Museum of London.

One hundred years later, a small community of Chinese sailors settled at Limehouse Causeway. This was one of two small, East End Chinese communities. The other was in Pennyfields in Poplar, where Chinese sailors from Shanghai had settled. Virtually all were single men, some of whom married British women.

By 1914, there were around 30 businesses and 300 people living in these small East End communities. Limehouse and Pennyfields became known as Chinatown, and many of its inhabitants made a living by running laundries.

During the Second World War, the Docklands area, including Chinatown, was badly damaged and many Chinese people moved out. In the 1950s, the market for Chinese food grew and restaurants and stalls began to spring up in Gerrard Street and Lisle Street. This was the start of the Chinatown we know today in Soho.

Find out more about Chinatown’s history or discover today’s Chinatown in Soho

Guest post by the Museum of London as part of our brand new Visiting the Past blog series. More fascinating facts about London’s history from the Museum of London next week!

London will be awash with colour this weekend: not only does Sunday see the vibrant Chinese New Year celebrations taking over Trafalgar Square, but Kew Gardens will also be filled with a rainbow of orchids. Elsewhere, you can see some of the world’s oldest art, take the whole family dancing or watch James McAvoy star in the Scottish play.

Ice Age Art: Arrival of the Modern Mind at the British Museum

Learn about the beginnings of art at this fascinating exhibition, which brings together works of Ice Age art from across Europe. Created more than 20,000 years ago, the works of portraiture and sculpture demonstrate the evolution of figurative art and humans’ enduring ability for creative expression. Not only does the exhibition contain striking works of ancient art, but modern masterpieces by artists such as Picasso, Henry Moore and Matisse are also displayed to demonstrate themes that span millennia. Adult tickets are £10. Until 26 May

Orchids at Kew Gardens

Kew’s Princess of Wales Conservatory is filled with an unseasonal burst of colour this month, as it hosts a four week long celebration of orchids. The glorious plants are arranged in a variety of captivating displays, with a centrepiece that pays tribute to the majestic giant water lily. Adult tickets are £14.50; children 16 and under are admitted free of charge. Until 3 Mar

Chinese New Year in Trafalgar Square

Celebrate the Chinese Year of the Snake on Sunday with a colourful parade and celebrations that will light up the West End. London’s Chinese New Year celebrations are the world’s largest outside China and centre around a lively stage in Trafalgar Square, from which fireworks will be released at the end of the day. Don’t miss the parade to Chinatown’s Rupert Street, which leaves the square at 10am. 10 Feb

Macbeth at Trafalgar Studios

Bafta-winning actor James McAvoy, famous for starring in films such as Atonement, Wanted and X-Men: First Class, takes to the stage as Macbeth in a new production of Shakespeare’s renowned tragedy. The play follows the Scottish Lord Macbeth in his murderous quest for power, and is considered one of the bard’s darkest plays. Tickets start at £10. Until 27 Apr

Family Barn Dance at Cecil Sharp House

Deal with your children’s half-term high spirits at this energetic afternoon of British country dancing. Commencing at 3pm, the barn dance features live music and a caller to guide you through the lively steps. Tickets start from £3 and adults must be accompanied by children, see the website for full details. 10 Feb

Here’s a great video showing some of the highlights of the Chinese New Year celebrations in London from last weekend.

Do you have any photos of the events? Don’t forget to add your photos to the Visit London Flickr pool.

Images by Mark Baynes.

Were you there? Don’t forget to add your photos to the Visit London Flickr pool.

Visitors to Trafalgar Square this morning were intrigued by a pop-up Pepys Show installation.

Peeping through holes in the wall, passers-by were treated to a host of fun, 3D images of London events including Chinese New Year, Shakespeare’s Globe plays and major art exhibitions.

A fine-looking Samuel Pepys expert in full costume was on hand to welcome the crowds.

The free event is part of the Limited Edition London campaign to promote the capital in the run-up to the 2012 Games.

Pepys Show will be in Trafalgar Square for the rest of today

Happy Chinese New Year!

In honour of the Year of the Tiger, this week we’re asking you for your favourite Chinese Restaurant in London.

Whether you love going to one of Alan Yau’s places for a treat (Hakkasan, Yauatcha, Cha Cha Moon), or have a favourite local budget option, or always frequent the same special place in Chinatown, this is the time of year to celebrate your love of Chinese food.

Let us know where you think the dim sum dazzles, the noodle soup has you salivating and where you can get a mean chow mein.

Noodles, rice, sweet and sour, fireworks, and… tigers?!

What a combination! Strange I know, BUT it’s Chinese New Year: the Year of the Tiger, and it falls on Valentine’s Day, 14 February. Now, I know I’ve already mentioned you should take part in Magic 105.4′s charity Gala Performance of Dirty Dancing on Saturday… so why not go for it this weekend, and join in the Chinese New Year Celebrations on Sunday as well?

If staring into your loved-one’s eyes in the privacy of your own home or over dinner at a romantic London restaurant is top of your list, you can still join in the China Town Association’s celebration on Sunday 21 February. There’ll be an amazing display in Trafalgar Square celebrating the New Year. It’ll be so much fun for the kids. My two daughters are doing a project on Chinese New Year at school, so you know where I’m going to be next Sunday! 

Firecrackers, dragons, lions… the one thing I’m really looking forward to are the Chinese acrobats. They always put on such a spectacular show, full of colour, vibrancy and energy; I can just imagine children wanting to join in the fun.

The great thing about Chinese New Year is that there’s so much for the whole family to do. The two events I’ll be taking my girls to over half term are workshops at the following :

• National Maritime Museum – arts and crafts workshops making Chinese head dresses, good luck flags and watching performances from the Greenwich Chinese Community School

And

• Straight after my show on 20 February, I’ll be making my way down to Westfield’s Shopping Centre where the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, having officially opened the Spring Festival, will be putting on a display of Chinese dance, acrobats, and plays performed by children of Chinese origin

Now, the one thing I haven’t mentioned is food. You can’t celebrate Chinese New Year without having a good Chinese meal! So it’s prawn crackers, chicken in black bean sauce and special fried rice for me, in the heart of Chinatown!

Happy Chinese New Year (and happy half-term) to you all, and let me know what you get up to!

• Snuggle up by the fire with a Valentine’s afternoon tea at The Montague
• Get a Flirty £30 ticket for London Zoo, and follow the Love Trail to see happy animal couples, from tigers to penguins
• Enjoy a free, outdoor screening of Billy Wilder’s classic film The Apartment outside the National Theatre
• Book a fairytale Valentine’s break - complete with horse-drawn carriage – at Swisshotel The Howard
• Get an underwater diver to pop the question for you at the London Aquarium

Single? Don’t fancy the usual Valentine’s fare? Don’t worry, there are plenty of London events for you!

• Dig out your costume and join the largest number of people dressed as Star Trek characters on London’s Millennium Bridge
• Grab a group of friends and party at Harvey Nichols and Mahiki
• Sip champagne and mix with single boys and girls on a Love POP flight on the London Eye
• Forget Valentine’s Day and celebrate Chinese New Year instead with a meal at Min Jiang
• Head to Feeling Gloomy‘s Down with Dating night, where you can have a go at Speed Hating, and then join fellow miseries at the Tainted Love club night

How will you celebrate Valentine’s Day this year? Let us know in the comments below.