With lion and dragon dances, spectacular parades, and authentic food, Chinese New Year has become a big part of the United Kingdom’s cultural calendar and cities have this year hosted celebrations on an unprecedented scale.

London and Manchester were the scene of parades and shows on Sunday that each attracted thousands of visitors from the local communities and all over the world. And other cities also marked the event. Edinburgh Zoo hosted a Chinese lantern festival, while children in Sheffield drew pictures inspired by the Year of the Dog for a competition that will see the winners’ efforts displayed in the Lord Mayor’s office.

“Chinese New Year is now a key part of Manchester’s cultural calendar, thanks to the surging number of Chinese students and businesses here, and local residents’ growing interest in Chinese culture,” said Rhys Whalley, executive director of the Manchester-China Forum.

The city, which was home to some of the first Chinese people to live in the UK, claims it has the nation’s second-largest Chinatown. Manchester’s ties were boosted recently when Hainan Airlines began direct flights between Manchester and Beijing. To celebrate the link, Manchester Airport offered passengers and their families regional Chinese cuisine at a pop-up food hall.

In addition to its lantern display, Edinburgh has lit up several of its historic buildings in red, the color traditionally associated with Chinese celebrations. Buildings include Edinburgh Castle and the Bank of Scotland. And, on Thursday, the city will host a Chinese New Year concert.

Roddy Gow, founder and chairman of the Asia Scotland Institute, said: “The growing celebration highlights Scotland’s desire to connect more with China, and to make Chinese visitors and residents feel welcome in Scotland.”

Napier University’s incubation center hosted a China-themed entrepreneurship lecture on Friday, along with a festival at which students ate Chinese food and were given lucky dog motifs, red envelopes, fortune cookies, and more.

“We wanted our students to share the festival spirit of our culture, and, at the same time, learn something they’re interested in,” said Wendy Wu, manager of the incubator, which is also known as the Bright Red Triangle.

Sheffield will host a Chinese New Year show at city hall on Tuesday that an audience of 2,300 people will watch. The performance will include lion dancing, acrobatics, and face-changing art.

Ben Hui, interim China consultant at Sheffield City Council, said the celebrations are aimed at spreading the joy and good luck of Chinese New Year in the local community, and promoting understanding between diverse communities in the city.