What do the words “Happy New Year” mean to you? Not every culture rings in calendar change with “Auld Lang Syne,” champagne and resolutions.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Confucius Institute at Portland State, the Portland Chinese Times and the Portland Art and Cultural Center will present the 2012 Chinese New Year Culture Fair at the Oregon Convention Center.
What do the words “Happy New Year” mean to you? Not every culture rings in calendar change with “Auld Lang Syne,” champagne and resolutions.
On Saturday, Feb. 11, the Confucius Institute at Portland State, the Portland Chinese Times and the Portland Art and Cultural Center will present the 2012 Chinese New Year Culture Fair at the Oregon Convention Center.
The fair has been presented annually since 2007, co-hosted by the Confucius Institute and the Portland Chinese Times. The celebrations have previously been held the same day as the Chinese New Year—which falls on Monday, Jan. 23, this year—but the limited availability of the convention center made the timing difficult.
Despite the organizational hiccup, Confucius Institute Director Meiru Liu has high hopes for the fair.
“This event is put on for the whole family to come and learn about all aspects of Chinese culture, art and traditions while we celebrate the Year of the Dragon,” she said. “We’ll have all sorts of entertainment.”
Following a structure similar to the Portland Saturday Market, the fair will include booths showcasing all manner of Chinese interests. In previous years, such booths have included traditional cuisine, acupuncture clinics and language schools. This year, over 60 confirmed vendors will advertise, sell their wares and answer questions about Chinese culture.
The booth set up for PSU’s Confucius Institute will feature interactive games that promote cultural education. For example, you can have your name translated into Chinese characters, or win a tote bag or calendar in a wheel of fortune, according to Liu.
“[The Confucius Institute] will be also be promoting our weekly events like seminars and conferences,” Liu said. “We will have fliers and answer any questions people have about who we are and what we do.”
It wouldn’t be a fair without a little entertainment. The event will feature bands, children’s choirs singing American and Chinese songs, martial-arts presentations and the traditional Lion Dance. The Lion Dance, believed to bring good luck and fortune when performed at the New Year, involves two artists in a lion’s costume telling symbolic stories to the beat of gongs, cymbals and drums.
Artistic attractions aside, the fair has also been known to invite state officials to participate in the celebrations.
“There have been senators, community leaders and owners of local businesses brought on stage in the past,” Liu said.
The overarching theme of this lively event is the importance of Chinese tradition. Whether you are familiar with the customs, art and culture recognized at the fair, or simply have an interest in learning, there will be something for everyone.
“It’s going to be really eye-opening and cool. It’s very impressive to see all elements of Chinese culture brought together in a large city like Portland,” Liu said. “Everyone has something to gain from it.”
