HAPPENING UNTIL 1 MARCH 2026 | Fenix is putting Lunar New Year centre stage on Katendrecht, with a free festival afternoon on 1 March and a run of food, games and film-linked programming in the days before. Alongside the celebrations, Fenix is also asking Rotterdam to help unlock a newly found Chinese community membership register connected to early Chinatown history on the peninsula.
Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, and Fenix is framing it as a shared Rotterdam moment where different traditions sit side by side, and also flow into one bigger celebration.
The main event on 1 March at Plein
Fenix's Rotterdam Lunar New Year takes place on Sunday 1 March 2026, 13:00 to 18:00, at Plein, and it is free. Fenix says the day happens both inside and outside: outside on Deliplein there will be performances, music and a high-energy festival atmosphere, while inside on Plein there will be “living room” spaces styled in Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean themes.
Lion dance route and fireworks finale
If you want a proper Rotterdam twist, the festival listing notes that the full lion dance can be followed from Hotel New York, with a start time of 14:25. The day is set to end with a fireworks show from Kop van Zuid at 18:30.
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What you can do inside on Plein
Inside on Plein, there is a full afternoon of activities running 13:00 to 18:00, including mahjong workshops led by the Red Dragon Social Club, table tennis, and a children’s make-up and craft table in Lunar New Year theme, hosted by Wereldmuseum Rotterdam. There is also a Lunar New Year “living room” space focused on traditions and rituals, including tea ceremonies (Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean), a quiz, and a new year wishes activity.
Calligraphy and martial arts workshops
The programme listing also includes scheduled performances and workshops: a Japanese calligraphy show (15:00–15:15), a Wing Chun workshop (16:00–17:00), and a Chinese-style boxing workshop (17:00–18:00). Fenix says the broader programme is developed with Rotterdam Chinese New Year and Verhalenhuis Belvédère, and is meant to work for a wide audience across ages.
A newly found register from Katendrecht’s early Chinatown
One of the most interesting threads running through this month is a historic object now featured at Fenix: the membership register of the Hark Ching Association. Fenix says the book was recently donated after someone found it by chance at a flea market.
Fenix places it in a specific Rotterdam context: in 1911, Katendrecht became home to what it describes as the first Chinatown on the European mainland, where Chinese migrants set up associations to meet and support each other. The Hark Ching Association, based at Tolhuisstraat 16, was one of them.
On view at Fenix: Membership register of the Hark Ching Association
579 names and an unexpected detail
The register contains details of 579 members, including names, places of origin, postal addresses, and sometimes even family addresses in China. At the back, there is also an inventory list of what the association owned in 1923, ranging from beds and chairs to teapots and a lion dance costume, which suddenly makes the Lunar New Year link feel very immediate.
How you can help Fenix fill in the story
Because the original register cannot be browsed freely in the exhibition, Fenix has digitised every page so you can scroll through it online. Fenix is asking anyone who recognises a name, a photo, or has background on the association to get in touch via the contact form on the register page. Fenix also notes it is working on a Dutch translation, expected to be published in the week of 16 February.
A sharing session during the festival
During Rotterdam Lunar New Year on 1 March, Fenix is also hosting a gathering on Plein with Verhalenhuis Belvédère, inviting people to view the digitised register together and share stories and knowledge that can help interpret the object and its meaning for Rotterdam. If you have family history connected to Katendrecht, Chinese-Dutch communities, or old association life around the docks, this is the kind of call-out that can genuinely change what ends up in the historical record.
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Mahjong show & play on 22 February
Before the festival day, there is also a standalone mahjong meet-up: Mahjong Show & Play on 22 February 2026, 13:00–16:00, at Plein. The working language is English, and tickets cost €2.50, including tea collected during entry at the kiosk.
The format is intentionally beginner-friendly: a short group intro, a quick demonstration round so you can see how it works, then low-pressure play with hosts walking around to help explain rules and keep things moving.
A dinner table built around the fire horse
On 19 February 2026, Fenix is also running Crossing Tables #8, themed Year of the Fire Horse, from 18:00–19:30, with entry from 17:30. Tickets are €35 and the event language is English. Drinks are not included, but available at the bar.
This edition is designed by the creative culinary collective NA KU Unfold, who created both the table setting and the three-course menu. Fenix describes the dishes as inspired by Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine, built around warmth, transformation and movement, and inviting guests to slow down and follow their senses.
Panel talk, dinner, then film at LantarenVenster
On 27 February 2026, Plein hosts Panelgesprek & diner: ‘Meer dan Babi Pangang’ from 17:00–21:00. The panel discussion is free to attend, but you are asked to register via the ticket link. The evening connects directly to a film screening at LantarenVenster at 19:30. The programme is: dinner buffet (17:00–18:00), panel discussion (18:00–19:00), then film start (19:30).
What the panel is about, and what is for dinner
The panel features director Julie Ng and writer David Zee, digging into themes of identity, family history, and inherited stories, and how personal and collective experiences translate into film choices and representation. Dinner is served by Jinai Looi (Het Zesde Geluk), described as born in Singapore and raised in Rotterdam. The menu includes Ajam Pangang made with chicken (100% halal) and a vegetarian option, and you can eat during the panel talk. Dinner costs €22.50. Film tickets are sold via LantarenVenster.
Dim sum bar weekend on Plein
Across the Lunar New Year weekend, Fenix also hosts a Dim Sum Bar on Plein, featuring Sieuw Tong and Jinai Looi and her team from Het Zesde Geluk. It runs 28 February to 1 March 2026, with serving times listed as Saturday 11:30–15:00 and Sunday 10:00–18:30. The menu highlights vegetarian spring rolls, steamed or fried buns with turnip (vegetarian), and chicken siu mai, offered steamed and/or fried.
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Useful links
- Hark Ching Association membership register: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/fenix-verhalen/hark-ching-lidmaatschapsregister/
- Crossing Tables #8: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/te-zien-en-doen/crossing-tables8/
- Mahjong Show & Play: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/te-zien-en-doen/mahjong-show-play/
- Panel discussion and dinner: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/te-zien-en-doen/panelgesprek-meer-dan-babi-pangang/
- Rotterdam Lunar New Year festival: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/te-zien-en-doen/rotterdam-lunar-new-year/
- Dim Sum Bar: https://www.fenix.nl/nl/te-zien-en-doen/dim-sum-bar/
How to get there
Fenix’s Plein programme takes place on Katendrecht, around Deliplein, which is easy to reach from Wilhelminaplein metro station. From there it’s a short walk across the neighbourhood towards Hotel New York and the waterside. If you are cycling, Katendrecht is one of the easiest parts of Zuid to reach from the centre, and Deliplein is a familiar meeting point with plenty of nearby spots to lock up your bike. Coming by water taxi also makes sense here, especially if you are already by the river.
