New China Lights “Lite” and LA’s Historic Chinese New Year Festivals

 

(Roberta Deen, photos by Roberta Deen) The new China Lights festival in Las Vegas, and in Arkansas, and the growing popularity of historic Chinese New Year celebrations show how important this Asian holiday is becoming with mainstream America.  The Chinese New Year Festival and Golden Dragon Parade in Los Angeles, described below, is in its 199th year.

  The year of the dog lantern

The new events are impressive.  The lanterns in the Las Vegas show can hold their own against the Downtown and Strip neons and glitz anytime.  While both events can certainly be labeled commercial or even political, what Chinese event would not be purposely be connected with money?  See: //localfoodeater.com/celebrate-chinese-new-year-dog/

The Las Vegas China Lights celebration, open from January 29 to February 25, earned announcements in most local entertainment calendars.   Additional activities such as fire works, dance and cultural presentations and a few take-aways add to the lantern viewing on the most important night of the actual holiday on February 16 (also higher priced).

We visited the China Lights event two days before Chinese New Year when it was well attended but not crowded. The cool night air was perfect for a leisurely stroll to viewing the amazing silk and light exhibits against the ink-black night sky.

The comparison between the booming, military Japanese taiko (drum) parades and observing the cherry blossoms in the spring comes to mind. Reputedly, one of the first uses of taiko was as a battlefield instrument, used to intimidate and scare the enemy – and this ferocious noise was copied afterward by many cultures. On the other hand, the cherry blossom festival was calm, quiet and honored the gentle “snow” of pink petals falling. //www.taiko.com/taiko_resource/history.html

The traditional, loud banging and clanging in the Chinese Dragon parades are not warlike but was meant to ward off demons while the lantern displays are as serene as the cherry blossom celebrations.

 

 

Guests were in camera heaven photographing the lights and taking cell phone photos of their children standing against life-like zebra lanterns and the bigger- than-life-sized Chinese Dragon.

The serious photographers were focused on the floral and sea life lanterns surrounding the reflecting pool, the upside-down images disturbed only by Canada geese and mallard ducks.

Calming Chinese music played in the background. Chatter was in low tones. Even the children were quiet in the presence of the glowing, imaginative clusters of lanterns. It was a breath-taking break from the renowned hustle and crowds that most people envision when one says “Las Vegas”.

The strangest and only issue, I had was that the skimpy idea of food included not one Chinese-oriented item.  Friendly vendors sold well if expensive mini doughnuts, with samples at the entrance;  Kettle corn; corn dogs; funnel cakes, and  Americanized teriyaki yakisoba.  My guest remarked that there wasn’t even a Chinese restaurant nearby!

The crafts that were promised were very limited but several of them were being demonstrated by the artisans themselves.  Visitors can have photos taken in modern representations of the costumes of high-level officials, have their name painted in island-inspired letters, or view a gold wire dragon come to life in the artist’s hand.

China Lights, 628 W. Craig, North Las Vegas at the Craig Ranch Park (about 30 minutes from the Strip).

Parking is free and very accessible. Please go to //www.chinalightslv.com for detailed event information and a sample lantern slide show.

 

 

The oldest celebration of its kind in America continues in a more traditional way at the  119th Annual Golden Dragon Parade and Chinese New Year Festival February. 17 in downtown Los Angeles.  It takes place in the still lively if smaller thriving historic Chinatown area.

We have attended the parade and happily celebrated by eating dim sum in the area.  You can’t help but be caught up in the excitement.

The parade celebrating Lunar New Year in Chinatown features about two dozen floats and multiple marching bands. Chinese New Year Festival offers a culinary stage, cultural performances, family-friendly workshops, food trucks, face painting, magic and more. Parade 1-3 p.m., festival noon-8 p.m. Free, parade grandstand tickets $10-$20.  For more details, please visit, lagoldendragonparade.com