We are used to measuring time by clocks and calendars, letting days and years slip away along a straight, linear path. Yet from an anthropological perspective, time is far more than cold, numerical marks. It lingers in the alleys and public spaces of a city, settles into cultural symbols passed down through generations, and nestles quietly in the nostalgia and memories of every overseas wanderer.
This year marks UCL’s 200th anniversary, a grand linear timeline recording the history of an institution. For those of us living and studying in London, however, we often encounter a softer, layered sense of time in ordinary moments on the street. As one of many Chinese international students far from home, for me, the London New Year’s Day Parade becomes one such precious occasion.
Every New Year’s Day, London’s most iconic political landmarks—Parliament Square and Downing Street—step out of their usual solemn Western grandeur. Yao ethnic minority costumes, long drum dances, dragon and lion performances, and horse-face skirt fan dances, unfold slowly along the streets, weaving subtle Chinese cultural elements into mainstream urban space. Standing among the crowd and watching quietly, I came to realize that this parade is more than a festive spectacle. It is a gentle reunion across time and culture, a quiet journey for overseas students to reconnect with cultural roots and find a sense of belonging in a foreign land.
Time Embodied in Patterns and Traditions
Much of culture lies quietly within clothing and ritual. A single costume or a set of dance movements carries time sealed away for centuries.
During the parade, the display of Yao ethnic costumes at Parliament Square was particularly mesmerising. Vibrant reds, oranges, and blues blended harmoniously, adorned with delicate diamond patterns and tinkling copper bells. Accompanied by the steady rhythm of long drum dances, the performance effortlessly drew us out of the formal atmosphere of British classical architecture and into the distant mountains and villages of ethnic China. These movements and patterns are no temporary stage arrangements; they are embodied techniques inherited across generations, reflecting the aesthetics, beliefs, and quiet life stories of the Yao people. Thousands of years of folk heritage unfolded gently on the streets of London.
On-Site Yao Costume Performance (Taken by the author)
The appearance of the horse-face skirt brought another wave of quiet familiarity. Originating in the Song Dynasty and flourishing in the Ming and Qing dynasties, this traditional garment carries nearly a thousand years of Chinese sartorial aesthetics. Today, it is no longer merely historical clothing, but a powerful cultural symbol that allows overseas Chinese to recognise their own identity at a glance. As dancers in horse-face skirts flowed gracefully past the architecture of Downing Street, the subtle elegance of Eastern fashion met the solid grandeur of Western landmarks. Ancient Chinese temporality settled softly into the modern daily rhythm of London life.
The Horse-face Skirt Fan Dance (Taken by the author)
Drums, lion dances, and rows of red-and-yellow flags also carry the warmth of time. The deep, steady beat of the drum acts as the heartbeat of the Chinese community, uniting emotions and awakening shared memories. Dragon and lion dances embody ancient blessings and good fortune, appearing in public space with warmth and festivity rather than confrontation. They simply are present, embedding a quiet Eastern cultural tone into the urban landscape of London.
Red and Yellow Flags (Taken on-site by the author)
A Parade That Holds Homesickness
For Chinese students in London, the meaning of this parade has never been merely entertainment.
During festival seasons, many of us cannot return home due to academic pressure, tight schedules, and long distances. Living abroad, we miss the warmth of family gatherings and the familiar atmosphere of traditional festivals, leaving an empty space deep inside. The New Year’s Day Parade, rich with Chinese cultural elements, gently fills that emptiness.
We stand along the barriers in small groups, surrounded by familiar voices, familiar costumes, and familiar rhythms, side by side with fellow travellers far from home. Without needing many words, shared gazes and collective cheers are enough to understand the quiet longing in each other’s hearts. Watching traditional patterns and listening to drumbeats we grew up with, memories of childhood festivals, hometown street scenes, and family warmth rush back instantly. Many stand silently, eyes softening with emotion. Far away in London’s streets, we unexpectedly encounter the festive warmth we miss so much, and find a place to lay our quiet homesickness.
This emotional resonance does not fade when the parade ends. We take photos and record videos, sharing moments and feelings across social platforms. The brief gathering on the street extends into ongoing connections across time and distance. Fleeting emotions gradually settle into lasting comfort throughout our years of study abroad; a single public moment binds scattered individuals into a connected, caring cultural community.
Gentle Presence: Quiet Dialogue in Cross-Cultural Space
Parliament Square and Downing Street have long been dominated by mainstream Western discourse, carrying the authority and established order of white urban space. The arrival of Chinese cultural elements brings no sharp confrontation or deliberate clash. Instead, through gentle public performance, it creates a subtle dialogue between different cultural temporalities.
Soft silk fabrics, festive and auspicious themes, and performers’ friendly gestures of waving and high-fiving onlookers all ease cultural distance and estrangement. Framed within celebration and aesthetic charm, Chinese tradition naturally integrates into the everyday public life of London. It does not seek to overturn existing spatial order, yet through steady, visible presence, it invites mainstream society to acknowledge the cultural existence and quiet voices of the overseas Chinese community.
Seen alongside UCL’s 200th anniversary, this cultural exchange carries deeper meaning. The university marks grand institutional time across two centuries; overseas students and local Chinese communities write a softer, vivid, living folk temporality through street performances. Two kinds of time, two kinds of narrative, coexist within London, enriching the city’s cultural texture with warmth and diversity.
Temporality Embodied: Cultural Symbols and Diasporic Belonging
Through this New Year’s Day parade and its Chinese cultural displays, we witness the gentlest meaning of temporality.
Traditional costumes and patterns preserve the long history of Chinese heritage; street performances capture the fleeting present moment of cross-cultural encounter; shared emotion and quiet nostalgia shape a lasting sense of belonging for overseas wanderers. Time is no longer something that simply passes by. It can be worn in clothing, seen in public performance, and held gently in the heart, becoming a steady source of cultural confidence.
Far from home in the UK, we draw close to our cultural roots and soothe our wandering hearts through a single parade, a set of symbols, and a moment of collective contemplation. These quiet traces of Chinese culture scattered across London’s streets will gradually merge into the city’s collective memory, forming a soft yet resilient Eastern tone within London’s diverse cultural landscape.
This article is a response to Temporalities, the theme of our 2026 print issue, which you can read here.
Anthropolitan 