January 20, 2012 – The year of the Dragon for the Chinese New Year starts on January 23, 2012 and with a growing population of Chinese immigrants to Costa Rica, there will be many attractions and events to see.

However, most places in Costa Rica will be celebrating it on the January 28, 2012.

The Year of the Dragon is the fifth in the Chinese horoscope cycle and to be a Dragon in the Chinese zodiac you must be born in one of these years, 1904 * 1916 * 1928 * 1940 * 1952 * 1964 * 1976 * 1988 * 2000 - Click here to learn more about the being a Dragon in the Chinese horoscope.

To understand a bit more about the Chinese culture in Costa Rica, here is a brief history lesson.

The first Chinese that came to Costa Rica arrived from the province of Canton, making a group of 77 people to build the railway of Panama in 1855.

Eventually, Chinese communities began to rise throughout Costa Rice starting primarily on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts before finally arriving in the Central Valley.

Today, Costa Ricans of Chinese origin can be found all over Costa Rica. In fact some of the more prominent Costa Ricans have Chinese ancestry such as Costa Rica’s first astronaut, Franklin Chang-Diaz and Harry Shum Jr. of Glee.

Here are some places that will have some special events for the Chinese New Year in Costa Rica:

Traditional Dragon Dance

• Location: Centro de Articulos Chinos
• Address: San José, 50 al norte y 50 al este del Cine Variedades, Avenida 1, Calles 5 y 7, San José, Costa Rica
• Date: January 28, 2012 (yes it a week later but still worth seeing)
• Time: 10am until 4pm
• Price: Free
• Phone Number: 506 2221-7820

Year of the Dragon Celebration Party

4 buffet stations, non-alcoholic drinks and desert. A tradition dragon dance show will be held along with people that will write your name in Chinese calligraphy and much more…

You must reserve in advance.

• Location: Tin Jo Chinese Restaurant
• Address: downtown San José on Calle 11, between Avenidas 6 and 8.
• Date: January 28, 2012 (yes it a week later but still worth seeing)
• Time: 12:30 until 3pm
• Price: 22,000 for adults and 10,000 for children 5-12 years of age
• Phone Number: 506 2221-7605

Lindsay Long is a real estate broker in Costa Rica that specializes in finding residential properties in Costa Rica for her clients. She is an avid surfing enthusiast who has traveled in many parts of the world.? She can be reached at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it