NEW YORK, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) — A folk arts and culture festival was held in New York City, the most populous city in the United States, on Sunday to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.
As the 6th edition of the annual event, the festival in Flushing, borough of Queens featured interactive programs such as Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting, paper folding, Chinese zodiac, traditional puzzles, sugar painting, Chinese traditional painting, dough art and more, as well as an hour-long cultural performance.
The cultural performance focused on tai chi, martial arts, Beijing opera, the traditional Chinese instrument jinghu, and a variety of folk songs.
Featuring around 40 booths, the festival served as an opportunity for visitors to immerse themselves in Chinese culture and attracted around 2,000 people to attend this year.
The figure was the same as before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Chen Mei, executive chairwoman of the New York Council of the China-US Association.
“I’m surprised by the enthusiasm of the participants,” although some programs have been canceled due to the pandemic, Chen told Xinhua.
The annual festival started in 2015 but had been canceled the previous two years due to the pandemic, Chen said.
The Chinese Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival, is the most important holiday for Chinese people around the world. The Spring Festival in 2023 falls on January 22, and the Chinese lunar year 2023 is the year of the rabbit according to the Chinese zodiac.
With a large population of Chinese Americans and solid business facilities, downtown Flushing is considered the second largest Chinatown in New York City.
(according to Xinhua News Agency)
