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Houston, Texas, February 9, 2008 ˇX
The Chinese Community Center hosted the Sixth Annual Lunar New Year Festival at
its facility located at 9800 Town Park, near Beltway 8 and Harwin Street, to
celebrate the beginning of the Lunar New Year, which was February 7.
More than 15,000 adults and
children descended upon the Chinese Community Center to welcome in the Lunar New
Year and sample the Asian culture. The festival showcased traditional Asian
food, music, theater, dances and art, from more than 60 booths and vendors.
Local and foreign dignitaries
graced the festival with proclamations of traditional Asian wishes for
prosperity, longevity and good luck. The VIPˇ¦s included
Congressman Al Green
representing the 9th District, Congressman Nick Lampson of
District 22, Ms. Tina Tran from, Senator Rodney Ellisˇ¦ office, State of Texas
Representatives Scott Hochberg and Hubert Vo, and former State Rep. Martha Wong.
From the City of Houston, Ms. Helen Chen, represented the Mayorˇ¦s office,
Terrence Oˇ¦Neil for the Comptrollerˇ¦s office, John Guess for the Office of City
Councilman Ronald Green, and Councilwomen Sue Lovett all took part in the
festivities. The Honorable Daniel Wong, City Councilman, Sugar Land also
attended the festival, as well as Harris County District Clerk, Theresa Chang
and from Harris County Constableˇ¦s office, Jack Abercia.
Foreign dignitaries included Tsutomu
Osawa from the Japanese Consulate, and Deputy Council General Yu
Boren
of the Chinese Consulate.
The Chinese Community Center hosts the Lunar New
Year Festival to foster and promote the development of the social, cultural,
economic and civic lives of Asians and Asian Americans, to benefit their
community, and the City of Houston.
Lunar New Year celebrations are held in Asian
communities throughout the world.
Traditionally, the New Year is a family
holiday. Families come together to visit, share meals and present gifts of
"lucky" red envelopes to children. However, at the Chinese Community Center,
this tradition is also used to bring good luck to our great city.
Support by the City of Houston,
the festival marks a cultural celebration of the Cityˇ¦s thriving Asian
community. The festival showcased vendors from nearby Chinatown and across
Houston.
Clouds gave way to clear blue
skies and lush greenery that provided a backdrop for the vendors stationed
outside of the Center. The festival had something for everyone.
Some of the highlights featured on the main
stage in the new gymnasium, included performances
from the traditional dragon and
lion dances, to acrobatics and Chinese face changing, which amazed the crowd.
For the youth to the seniors, the festival featured a childrenˇ¦s choir and face
painting to a seniorˇ¦s choir and dance group. All ages in between marveled at
performances from CoCo Chang and Dances, Chinese Folk Dancers, Chinese Classical
Dancers, Hip Hop Street Dancers and Shaolin Wu-Shu, just to name a few.
There was Chinese music, and exhibits featuring
the work of local Asian artists. The Centerˇ¦s multi-purpose room featured crafts
and origami, and local restaurants offered different types of Asian cuisine.
Judging from the attendance and the overwhelming
responses from patrons, the
Sixth Annual Lunar New Year Festival was a raving success, which left
Houstonians wanting more.
See you next year! |
