Celebrate Lunar New Year in Orange, VA! This year’s program includes Lion and Dragon dances from Laughing Dragon Kung Fu, Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremonies, Incense Workshops, Coloring activities for the kids, and more. There will also be other creative activities at Paint It Orange and Spelled Ink!
What is Lunar New Year? Lunar New Year is the beginning of the new year based on the lunar calendar. The event is celebrated in many East Asian cultures including China, Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore.
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9:30am
T'ai Chi' Demonstration (Buddy Jett & friends in Taylor Park)10am
Lion and Dragon Dance (Laughing Dragon Kung Fu in Taylor Park)10:30am
Paper Dragon Making at Spelled Ink ($3/kit)11am - Noon
Kids Craft Club: Embroidery Pattern Coloring with Ms. Li Zeng at The Arts Center in Orange1pm
Paper Dragon Making at Spelled Ink ($3/kit)2 - 3pm
Chinese Tea Ceremony Demonstration with Ms. Yuhui Yu at The Holladay House*Incense Art Workshop with Mr. Ju at The Holladay House*
3:30 - 4:30pm
Chinese Tea Ceremony Demonstration with Ms. Yuhui Yu at The Holladay House*Incense Art Workshop with Mr. Ju at The Holladay House*
* Ticketed event, please register below
2023 Performance by Laughing Dragon Kung Fu
A T'ai Ch'i demonstration by local instructor Buddy Jett of Floating Cloud Tai Chi will start things off, followed by Lion and Dragon Dances performed by Laughing Dragon Kung Fu! These performances are free and open to all—no registration is required. Location details coming soon.
Following the performances, kids and their adults are invited back to The Arts Center in Orange to join Li Zeng, curator of our exhibition Awe at the Fingertips: Art of the Miao People, for a special edition of Kids Craft Club from 11am until noon. Youth will learn about the history of the traditional embroidery on display and will be able to color in their own embroidery-inspired designs!
This activity is FREE, open to all, and supplies will be provided. All children must be accompanied by an adult.
Chinese Tea Ceremony (工夫茶) or “Gongfu Tea”, literally means “to make tea with skill”. Join Tea Ceremony Master Ms. Yu at Holladay House for a special introduction to the world of traditional Chinese teas. There are two seatings for the tea ceremony and space is limited. Advance registration is required.
During the Incense Workshop led by Mr. Ju at Holladay House, participants will learn the art of incense appreciation. The art of Chinese incense culture can be traced back thousands of years to the Han dynasty (206 BC–220 AD). The Song dynasty (960–1279 AD) saw incense use in China at its height, when nobility enjoyed it as a popular cultural pastime, constructing rooms dedicated to incense ceremonies. The Imperial Court founded the “Incense and medicine repository” to oversee the import of agarwood and other spices and medicines. As incense grew in popularity, scholars and aristocracy used it while composing poetry, playing musical instruments, hosting a feast or during meditation. Incense culture continued to be popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties for social events and everyday leisure pursuits. It was said during the Song dynasty that one ounce of agarwood was equal to one ounce of gold; today, first-grade agarwood is one of the most expensive natural raw materials in the world.
There are two seatings for the Incense Workshop and space is limited. Advance registration is required.