• Submitted by: admin
• Arts and Culture
• Asia
• International
• 02 / 10 / 2007

By: Lilibeth Bermúdez and Katia Cárdenas

The China Town in Havana adds itself this month to the Spring Party or Lunar New Year, the most important traditional celebration in continental China as well as in the communities all over the world. As part of the celebration at homes, commercial establishments and societies there will be activities that begin fifteen days before the party and will last for fifteen days more, after the coming of the year.

On this occasion, the decoration is very special, because there are ornaments made from cut out papers, Chinese lamps and spring diptych. These are placed at the doors in order to scare bad spirits away; they are a sort of talisman with two phrases of good luck written in red paper.

There are several legends surrounding the Spring Party or the Lunar New Year such as the one of the Jade Emperor, which gave way to the Chinese Horoscope of the twelve animals and that of the nian that means year in Chinese language. There is also the legend of the wild goose that gave way to the Lamp Party, the highpoint of the festivities at the Lunar New Year.

Casa de Artes y Tradiciones Chinas (The House of the Chinese Arts and Traditions) (Salud No. 313)

February 8th, 4:00 p.m.: Peña Sentimiento (Feeling circle).

February 10th, 4:00 p.m.: Peña Qingnian (Qingnian circle) lead by Armando González Perón.

February 13th, 3:00 p.m.: A concert by the group Hermanos Merlo.

February 14th, 3:00 p.m.: Exhibition ¿Tienen visa las golondrinas? (Do the swallows have visum?) by the artists Carlos Alberto Chui and Alfredo Chong, from the Hua Qu Workshop.

February 16th, 5:00 p.m.: Plectro-Habana 2007, a concert with Chinese instruments: Han Shi (er hu) and Yu Yuan Shu (pipe).

February 17th, 9:30 p.m.: Artistic show Demos amor (Lets give love) waiting for the arrival of the Year of the Pig, directed by Roberto Vargas Lee, in Prado.

February 20th, 3:00 p.m.: Peña del abuelo Huie (Grandfather Huie circle) directed by Adolfo Mateo.

February 23th, 3:00 p.m.: Tuanjie Encounter (Union), with the theme: What have you done for your society?

February 24th, 3:00 p.m.: Peña HuaQu (HuaQu circle), recognition to Rolando Chiang for his thirty years of artistic life, under the conduction of Pedro Achong.

Plaza de Las Columnas (Columns square)

February 24th, 3:00 p.m.: Workshop: Chinese-Cuban culinary art.

Source: Cubarte