Museum of Surrey celebrates Lunar New Year
The free event on Feb. 24 will mark the Year of the Dragon with cultural activities
The Museum of Surrey will be celebrating the Year of the Dragon on Feb. 24. (Submitted)
The Museum of Surrey will kick off the Year of the Dragon on Feb. 24 from 1:00 to 4:00 pm with a free event.
Traditional and modern dance performances from adults and children, calligraphy, and flower and lantern paper-cutting crafts are among the activities attendees can expect at the Lunar New Year celebration.
“I think it’s just a really neat event to attend because you can learn about someone’s culture,” says Drew LaJeunesse, the museum’s curator of programs. “It’s so vibrant. Our community partners, they do such a tremendous job of decorating the space.”
Chinese Village Club, a community non-profit based in South Surrey, has hosted the museum’s Lunar New Year celebrations since they started in 2019.
The types of performances at this year’s event include Tibetan and dragon dances, along with music on the Guzheng, pipa, and flute instruments. There will also be Lunar New Year storytelling in the museum’s theatre.
Ying Liu, president of Chinese Village Club, spoke to The Runner through translations from the organization’s academic director, Sophie Jin.
Liu says the event’s activities reflect a similar way Lunar New Year is celebrated in China, by having musical performances, putting crafts on windows, and posting calligraphy on doors. Attendees can also expect colourful displays of culture.
While the Chinese zodiac animal for 2023 was the rabbit, this year is the dragon, which is significant as it is traditionally seen as a good sign. Unlike the western world, where it can be viewed as a vicious animal, the dragon represents a positive and high spirit that helps people in Chinese culture, Liu says.
“It actually helps even with the weather because China is a very big [agricultural] country. We worship for wind, for rain, for everything [that] helps the crops, [and] for the field. So [the] dragon is such an animal to help control the weather so that we have a prosperous year and prosperous life,” Liu adds.
Despite a pause during the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum’s Lunar New Year events have continued to grow in performers, attendance, and excitement, LaJeunesse says.
The museum’s intention for hosting cultural events like this one is to reflect the diversity among people who live in Surrey.
“We just want people to have a fun time, maybe learn about either their own culture or a new culture, and then we’d love for them to return because there’s always lots of different events and exhibits coming,” LaJeunesse says.
Liu adds when people of all ages join the Lunar New Year events, they enjoy the music, crafts, and all other activities before leaving with a happy face.
For more information, visit the City of Surrey’s website.
