Chinese New Year Spring Festival Program 2000

Chinese New Year Walks
Saturday, January 22, 29; February 12, 19, by reservation only

     While the Chinese Culture Center offers regular docent- led tours of Chinatown, there is no better time to visit than around the Lunar New Year, when the festive atmosphere reflects the mood surrounding the most important holiday in Asia. As the new millenium dawns, we also enter into the Year of the Dragon, the most auspicious sign of the Chinese Zodiac, and everyone will be celebrating until the Lantern Festival (the 15th day of the first lunar month). Providing a revelational and intimate view of how the Chinese celebrate the new year, the walk will lead you through the bustling streets of Chinatown, while our docent details the myriad of customs, religious observances, and folk beliefes associated with Chinese New Year. Shops show off special window displays and decorations, and many stores put up Spring Couplets, which are short poems written on red paper, auguring good business for the coming year. All your senses will be tintillated by the celebrations: your eyes, nose, and mouth will be tempted by delicacies prepared especially for the occasion; and your ears will be bombarded by firecrackers exploding to drive away evil spirits. To take a walk, you must reserve ahead of time by calling (415) 986-1822. Fees are $20 per adult and $8 for children under 12.

In Celebration of the Year of the Dragon
San Francisco's Old Chinatown:
Photographs by Arnold Genthe
January 29 - April 23, 2000, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

      In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, the CCC is pleased to present an exhibition of late 19th Century photographs by accomplished photographer Arnold Genthe. You will find that little has changed over the last 100 years in the way Chinese celebrate the Lunar New Year. The exhibition is showing in the main gallery. Free admission.

In Search of Roots - An Exhibition of Family Genealogy
January 29 - March 26, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

      In Search of Roots is an annual genealogy research program in which the participants (young Chinese Americans, ages 16 to 25) research their individual family histories back to at least the first generation who left China through oral interviews, examination of family records, and archival and document research. For two weeks in July, the participants visited their ancestral villages in Guangdong Province, China. The exhibition features family genealogy trees, immigration records, documents and old photographs compiled by the interns of the program. Free admission.

Spring Festival
February 19 & 20. 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

      The Festival promises to be great fun for the entire family. You will be greeted by the Fearsome, the Whimsical, and Baby Dragons, in hopes that their presence will bring an auspicious and beneficent year to all visitors. Moving on to the auditorium, you shall find Bay Area artists presenting folk dances, martial arts, traditional music, and magic performances. Kids can decorate the Baby Dragon and engage in other traditional crafts. And because New Year is a rare time for gluttony, the CCC will provide inexpensive New Year pastries, regional dishes, and other mouth-watering delights. Admission is free , so you have no excuse to miss out on this millennial event!

About the Dragon

A mystical and divine creature, the dragon represents the spirit of change, imbued with the power of transformation and renewal. It is the most venerated of the Chinese zodiac signs, symbolizing idealism and limitless energy. The magnanimous Dragon brings good fortune and happiness, thereby making this year a good time for getting married, bearing children, or embarking on new endeavors.

Children born in the Year of the Dragon are believed to have the greatest potential. Famous people born under the influence of the Dragon include: Bruce Lee, John Lennon, Joan of Arc, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Temple, and Salvador Dali.