Both West Windsor and Plainsboro will be celebating Chinese New Year in the next two weeks.
On Saturday, February 17, from 2 to 4 p.m. the West Windsor Library will be filled to the brim with activities including calligraphy by Bixin Zheng, Chinese brush painting by Hong Zhan Ye of West Windsor, Two and Four Armies Game with Yisong Yang, also of West Windsor, origami with Yue Ching Wu, and Chinese knotting by Mei J. Hong, Alec Hook, and Wen Chyi Shyu.
Many of the presenters are affiliated with the Princeton Chinese Language School including Abbie In, the cultural director, and Tracy Lee, the director, both West Windsor residents.
There will be performances in rooms 2 and 3 featuring the Zizhu Chinese Music Band, “Journey to the West” presented by Wang Da Chung Hand Puppet Group, Chinese Yo-Yo directed by Jason Tam and Jeffrey Yang, Folk Dance directed by Mei Ying Huang, Kung Fu directed by Jay Chen and Kristin Shiue, and Mountain Folk Dance directed by Lei Lei Wang.
David Ming Chen Lee presents dough sculpturing folk art. The hand puppet group continues with puppet demonstrations in the lobby after the performance. Fingerpainting and chopstick candy games will be presented by members of the Princeton Chinese Language School.
Refreshments from Imperial Dining are sponsored by Friends of West Windsor Library. The program, part of the Building Bridges to Our Cultural Heritage series, is organized by Jean Chou, reference librarian, and Faith Yim, youth services librarian.
Chinese New Year, West Windsor Library, 333 North Post Road, 609-799-0462. Free. Saturday, February 17, 2 to 4 p.m.##M:[more]##
Plainsboro’s celebration is at the municipal center on Saturday, February 24, from 1 to 6 p.m. Celebrate with traditional customs, art, dances, games, music, games, demonstrations, and performances. Participants include Princeton Chinese Language School and Plainsboro Huaxia Chinese School.
The library’s GoldFire Dragon, Jin Hou Long, appears during the outdoor opening presentation. A GO demo with Feng Yun will be at 1 p.m. The celebration takes place on the final day of the 15-day festival. Known as the Lantern Festival, lanterns symbolizing the full moon figure prominently in the festivities.
The festivities include an outdoor presentation by Plainsboro Huaxia Chinese School’s 20-member marching drum corps at 5 p.m. The Chinese Dragon will weave and gyrate through the plaza on delicate poles high above the crowd with the library’s Dragon Dance Team.
Performances in the court room include Happy Singers, Kung Fu, a folk dance, children dance, Chinese yo-yo, and a harmonica and piano duet. The Asian Food Market will present hands-on opportunities to explore Chinese cooking. Other interactive activities include Chinese calligraphy with Bixing Zheng and Jack Liang; paper cutting with Allison Kwok; Chinese knotting; and Chinese Dragon Boat Racing with Jeanie Haas.
Games include picking up M&Ms with chopsticks, red fish, go fish, stick the ears on the panda bear, and lantern festival riddles. Red envelopes, a favorite Chinese New Year’s tradition, will be distributed by Plainsboro Mayor Peter Cantu, legislator Linda Greenstein, and library trustee Iris Chang. Traditionally filled with gifts of money, they will be filled with gold coins filled with chocolate. Also available: mounds of oranges, another traditional fare.
Celebration, Plainsboro Public Library, Municipal Complex, 641 Plainsboro Road, 609-275-2897. wwwlmxac.org/plainsboro. Free. Saturday, February 17, 1 to 6 p.m.
