By Laura Medina
The concept of Chinese New Year has outgrown it's localized neighborhood in a city idea. Now, various communities and whole cities have embraced Chinese cultural and obviously the cuisine and the marital arts.
Returning the respect, or the love, Los Angeles is doing two week major Chinese New Year blow-outs, celebrating the Year of the Horse.
They say those born in the Year of the Horse are charismatic, cheerful, skillful with money, perceptive and witty. Lucky them.
Santa Monica Place Mall got the head start on the celebration by actually it the New Year with an afternoon cultural performance of a traditional Chinese string band in the inner courtyard.
Sure the day time ceremony may be tamer when they save the best for last, but still culturally educational.
A trio of ladies modeled regional Chinese costumes. A pair of stilt walkers outfitted in Chinese Empress and Emperor costumes performed a traditional Chinese Royal Court Waltz for the European tourists and local shoppers.
Of course, Santa Monica Place Mall saved the best for last...the Chinese Dragon wishing everybody good luck.
A local Shaolin Kung Fu school were the Chinese Dragon troupe. They came charging, full blast, through the crowd into the courtyard, twisting, turning, and coiling.
This Year of the Horse didn't stop and ended with Santa Monica Place Mall. Five nights later, it continued onto Camerich where a pair of pekingese-like Chinese Dragon storm into the upscale furniture. They were excitable as they were easy to pet, adorable.
The Year of Horse celebration is still going strong, well into Valentine's Day at the Santa Monica Place Mall, an affordable but culturally enriching date.
No comments:
Post a Comment