Karen A. Iwamoto
Staff Writer
HONOLULU -- The Chinese (lunar) New Year isn't until Feb. 19, but the celebration has already begun, here, in Chinatown.
Lion and dragon dancers -- one of the most familiar symbols of the Chinese New Year -- performed last weekend at the Chinese Cultural Plaza, but the festivities continue into this weekend with more dances, food, a parade and a street festival.
"Chinese New Year is the most important holiday in the Chinese community. The Chinese community will always go out big for Chinese New Year," said Harlan D.T. Lee, head instructor at Gee Yung Chinese Martial Arts, International Sar Ping Dragon & Lion Dance Sport Association. "In Hong Kong, they take off a whole month to celebrate. Here in Hawaii, the Chinese community is much smaller, but I think we go big."
Lion and Dragon Dances
Gee Yung is one of more than a dozen lion and dragon dance troupes performing in Chinatown this weekend, and while the spectacle and entertainment is what may draw the crowd, Lee said it also serves a spiritual purpose in Chinese culture.
"The Chinese are auspicious and superstitious people," he said. "The lion represents a creature that chases away bad omens and welcomes good energy. The lion cleanses the area and clears the way for good energy."
This is why many businesses in Chinatown have the lion dancers come to their businesses during the Chinese New Year. It serves as a blessing, said Karen Motosue, vice president of the Hawaii Cultural Center, which is based in Chinatown.
When the lions visit the business, she said, business owners "feed" the lions a monetary gift tucked into a lisee (red envelope) and wrapped in lettuce as part of the ceremony to ensure a prosperous year.
The drumming and fireworks that accompany the lion dancers are also part of the cleansing ceremony, with the drums representing the beating of the lion's heart, Lee said.
"Although (the lion dance) may look like just a costume, it actually takes a lot of training to do," Lee said. "It's a full-on cardio to do the movement with all the jumping, and you have to be able to follow the beat of the drum."
Similar to the lion dance is the dragon dance. Lee said that the two are often mistaken for each other, but they are actually different. The lion is made up of two dancers working in tandem in the lion costume, while the dragon could be made up of anywhere between 10 and 100 dancers who use poles to make the dragon move.
Symbolically, the difference between the lion and the dragon is a matter of the level of auspiciousness associated with each animal.
The Chinese revered many animals, Lee said, but they revered the dragon the most and considered its blessings the most potent.
"The best way to put it," he said, "is that the dragon is the emperor, and the lion is the foot soldier."
Food and Family
In addition to the lion and dragon dances, Chinese New Year is centered on family and food, Motosue said.
"Traditionally, this holiday was all about the family … family togetherness," she said.
For example, gao (a sticky rice cake also known as Chinese New Year rice cake) represents sticking together and fertility, she explained.
The gao is often wrapped in red paper or garnished with red because that color is considered to be auspicious.
Other common foods eaten during the Chinese New Year include jai (a vegetarian dish also known as monk's food), gin doi (Chinese doughnut) and jook (rice soup with beef, poultry or seafood).
Tangerines and oranges are also prevalent during this time because of their association with luck and prosperity.
Chinese New Year Events
•From 6-10 p.m., Friday (Feb. 13), Chinatown businesses will welcome lion dancers from various dance troupes, with approximately 100,000 fireworks for the Chinatown Open House sponsored by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
The businesses will "feed" the lions a monetary gift tucked into a lisee (red envelope) and wrapped in lettuce as part of the ceremony to bless the businesses and ensure them a prosperous year.
The Narcissus Queen and her court will also visit the businesses, and there will be food and entertainment at the Chinese Cultural Plaza.
•From 9:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Saturday (Feb. 14), several blocks of Chinatown will be closed to traffic for the Chinese New Year "Night in Chinatown" street festival and parade, sponsored by the Chinatown Merchants Association.
There will be home-cooked food, arts and crafts and live entertainment. The parade begins at 3:30 p.m. on Hotel Street and concludes on River Street. It will feature the Narcissus Queen and her court, kung fu martial artists and a 150-foot dragon dance.
Take a Tour of Chinatown
At 9:30 a.m., Wednesdays and Fridays, the Hawaii Cultural Center hosts walking tours of Chinatown. The walking tours last about two-and-a-half hours and cover various aspects of the district and the history of the immigrant community in Hawaii. It also includes food tasting.
Honolulu's Chinatown is one of the oldest in the nation and one of the most multicultural Chinatowns, said Karen Motosue, vice president of the Hawaii Cultural Center.
The Hawaii Cultural Center is at 1040
Smith St., between King and Hotel streets. Call 808-521-2749.
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