Chinese New Year

The new year marks an important holiday for Chinese and Vietnamese cultures. Chinese New Year began February 3rd this year and is a 15-day celebration.
To take part in the culture and its traditions, a Chinese and Vietnamese New Year Celebration was hosted for all students to watch, eat and celebrate the year of the rabbit.
Feb. 9 brought both fun and festivities for all to enjoy with the help of the International Student Program, Chaffey International Club and EOPS.



Upland’s Panda Express served its delacassies and gave students a taste of Asian culture. Along with that, tables were filled with fruits and fortune cookies for students to enjoy. The tables also had lucky money spread on them which represented wealth in the coming year. “The details are really pretty. It’s powerful, this culture,” physchology major Sicnen Hernandez said.
Some students enjoyed  playing the traditional Chinese game Mahjong while others were engrossed in the entertainment.
The commencement of performances began with two students, one from Vietnam and one from China, telling of their traditions done on Chinese New Year. Loc Ta, nursing major and Chinese native, told of his culture and traditions for the Chinese new year. “In China we have a family reunion with fireworks. Chinese new year is the most important festival in my country.”
A martial arts demonstration of Kung-Fu and Tai Chi was done with interpretive music in the background being played. Chi Goh and several animal forms were done as well, the movements telling a story. Two song performances were done as well. One was by Ling Hu, a Chinese native singer. The performances done left students engrossed.
Shaolin Temple had their fellow men perform one of the most popular traditions in Chinese culture, the lion dance. At the end of the performance a red envelope with money was put into the mouths of both lines for good luck.
“It was very nice. The culture is beautiful. It was my first time seeing something like this,” undecided major, Esther Salvatierra, said.
The celebration was a way to invite students to see the importance of the new year in Chinese and Vietnamese culture.
“This gives people an idea of all the cultures there are,” Ta said. “To us, this holiday is equivalent to Christmas or Thanksgiving.”