With a lavish feast and festivities, the legendary palace hotel heralds the Lunar New Year and honours China’s creative spirit.

Since its founding, The Peninsula Paris has delighted in marking each year’s Lunar New Year – the most important holiday on the Chinese calendar – with special feasts and performances. For its 2024 celebrations, however, the iconic Parisian hotel will pay tribute not only to the festive day itself, but to the rich and storied cultural creativity of China.

In honour of this vibrant heritage, The Peninsula Paris has announced that its Lunar New Year festivities on 9 and 10 of February will toast what it calls “The Year of the Wooden Dragon.” The term combines two highly esteemed symbols in traditional Chinese culture: the dragon, signifying success and good luck; and wood, a natural element that represents vitality and renewal.

Lunar New Year’s Eve Feast at LiLi

On Friday, February 9, 2024, the hotel’s glamorous Cantonese restaurant, LiLi, will host a magnificent dinner for guests celebrating the Chinese New Year. The evening’s menu, created by chef Tak Lau Yuen and his team, will feature traditional holiday preparations, including an assortment of barbecued meats and fishes, Atlantic salmon served Lo Hei-style, flame-cooked sea cucumber, crispy sea bass with pineapple and fresh peppers, beef fillet sautéed with black truffle, and longevity noodles flavoured with crab and caviar. Delicious Cantonese desserts, like the traditional Chinese New Year sweet rice cake, Nian Gao, will also be served.

In addition, diners at LiLi will get to take part in a cherished Chinese New Year custom: the exchange of Lai See, red envelopes bearing messages of good fortune (and perhaps a few surprises) for the coming year.

Chinese New Year Dances

In keeping with tradition, the hotel’s Lunar New Year’s Eve celebration will culminate with mesmerising performances of lion and dragon dances. Set to the wild beats of drums and gongs, these depict two animals who are powerful symbols of good luck, wisdom, and courage in Chinese culture. The lion dance features costumed dancers who circulate among guests while skilfully emulating lions’ movements and behaviours, while the dragon dance brings multiple performers together inside an elaborate dragon costume, which ripples and winds to the dancers’ coordinated choreography. Both of these stunning dances, which embody the vivid artistry of Chinese tradition, are sure to captivate guests.

Lunar New Year’s Day Brunch at LiLi

On February 10 – Chinese New Year’s Day – the culinary team at LiLi will once again welcome guests to enjoy a sumptuous menu of Cantonese specialities for brunch. The offerings, which will include dim sum, Pekin duck and seared tuna, will allow diners to partake in one of the most significant and time-honoured Lunar New Year rituals: Sharing delicious food among friends and family.

Additional information

Lunar New Year's Eve at LiLi:

• Friday, February 9, 2024
• Starting at 6:30 pm
• Lion and Dragon Dances from 8 pm
• €278 per person (excluding drinks)

Lunar New Year Brunch at LiLi:

• Saturday, February 10, 2024
• From noon to 2 pm
• €138 per person (excluding drinks)

For reservations, guests may call +33 (0)1 58 12 67 50 or email lilippr@peninsula.com.