UD Library Festivities: Celebrating the Year of the Dragon
Bella Xie
On the afternoon of Saturday, February 3, hundreds of people gathered at the Upper Dublin Public Library to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Upon entering the library, guests were greeted by festive decorations of dragon signs, red festival lanterns, and balloons and were presented with activities including traditional Chinese calligraphy, paper-cutting, origami, Chinese chess, and drawing. They also enjoyed a variety of authentic Asian snacks in the STEAM lab and music performed by the Upper Dublin Sophisticated Strings, led by Ms. Kristine Yang.
Overall shot of the activity tables in the STEM room
This year is the Year of the Dragon, a mythological creature that symbolizes bravery, nobility, and wisdom. The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in many Asian countries and is usually celebrated for two weeks. It is the time of year when family members come together and reunited and it holds great significance to Asian culture. Some of the traditional foods eaten during this time include dumplings, fish, and rice cakes. This year in Upper Dublin, members of the school district with Asian cultural backgrounds came together to share a piece of their cultures with the rest of the community and celebrate together.
Attendees interacting with the paper cutting station
People of all ages and backgrounds started arriving at the library at 2 p.m. to a warm welcome from volunteers. The guests were captivated by the elegant decorations and festive atmosphere. At the Atrium level, guests could marvel at beautiful and intricate designs of dragons, flowers, animals, and words at the paper-cutting table and practice their own paper- cutting abilities as well. At the next table, they could watch a calligrapher in action and witness the mesmerizing display of artistry, harmony, and beauty ingrained in Chinese characters. Guests were also able to try writing calligraphy themselves. Writing calligraphy on red paper is a New Year’s tradition that expresses blessings for the new year.
While the guests were exploring Asian culture through these activities, Denise and Joseph Hellenbrand from Make Us Visible PA, an organization advocating for the thoughtful and comprehensive integration of AAPI history and culture in Pennsylvania K-12 curriculum standards, were also present and displayed AAPI curriculum resources on site.
A group of children learning how to do origami
In the STEAM Lab, children could learn how to make paper dragons, swans, birds, flowers, and other cool objects at the origami table. This was one of the most popular activities and the table was surrounded by eager children throughout the afternoon. Guests were also encouraged to challenge each other and learn a new type of chess at tables providing classical chess and Chinese chess (Xiangqi). The last art table offered a hands-on project that included drawing a dragon’s head and cutting colorful construction paper to make dragon scales and a tail.
As these activities took place, former president of the Upper Dublin Chinese American Association, Shuhong Liu, handed out red envelopes to children. Each red envelope was filled with a chocolate coin and a hopeful message for the upcoming year. A snack table also provided authentic sweet treats that guests could enjoy while participating in the various activities. Throughout the event, the Upper Dublin Sophisticated Strings performed an array of beautiful pieces including Arirang, a peaceful Korean folk song, and Tibetan Dance, an upbeat and unique tune.
Final group photo of the volunteers who participated in the event
The event came to an end at 4 p.m. and guests were able to take home a piece of calligraphy, paper-cutting, artwork, and snacks. The library was filled with people who were interested in the Lunar New Year celebration, and the children were energetic and filled with joy, a true representation of the values of the Lunar New Year celebration. The Upper Dublin Chinese American Association was very proud to share a part of the Asian culture with the community around them and have the guests experience, appreciate, and enjoy many aspects of Asian culture. This event was led by Dr. Jianhua Zhao and Ms. Weiqin Luan. It was co- sponsored by the Upper Dublin Chinese American Association, Guanghua Chinese School, and the Upper Dublin Public Library. It could not have happened without help from many adult and teen volunteers and staff members from the library, especially Ms. Claudia Nalence and Ms. Beth Nixon.
UD Library Festivities: Celebrating the Year of the Dragon
Bella Xie
On the afternoon of Saturday, February 3, hundreds of people gathered at the Upper Dublin Public Library to celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year, the Year of the Dragon. Upon entering the library, guests were greeted by festive decorations of dragon signs, red festival lanterns, and balloons and were presented with activities including traditional Chinese calligraphy, paper-cutting, origami, Chinese chess, and drawing. They also enjoyed a variety of authentic Asian snacks in the STEAM lab and music performed by the Upper Dublin Sophisticated Strings, led by Ms. Kristine Yang.
Overall shot of the activity tables in the STEM room
This year is the Year of the Dragon, a mythological creature that symbolizes bravery, nobility, and wisdom. The Lunar New Year is the most important holiday in many Asian countries and is usually celebrated for two weeks. It is the time of year when family members come together and reunited and it holds great significance to Asian culture. Some of the traditional foods eaten during this time include dumplings, fish, and rice cakes. This year in Upper Dublin, members of the school district with Asian cultural backgrounds came together to share a piece of their cultures with the rest of the community and celebrate together.
Attendees interacting with the paper cutting station
People of all ages and backgrounds started arriving at the library at 2 p.m. to a warm welcome from volunteers. The guests were captivated by the elegant decorations and festive atmosphere. At the Atrium level, guests could marvel at beautiful and intricate designs of dragons, flowers, animals, and words at the paper-cutting table and practice their own paper- cutting abilities as well. At the next table, they could watch a calligrapher in action and witness the mesmerizing display of artistry, harmony, and beauty ingrained in Chinese characters. Guests were also able to try writing calligraphy themselves. Writing calligraphy on red paper is a New Year’s tradition that expresses blessings for the new year.
While the guests were exploring Asian culture through these activities, Denise and Joseph Hellenbrand from Make Us Visible PA, an organization advocating for the thoughtful and comprehensive integration of AAPI history and culture in Pennsylvania K-12 curriculum standards, were also present and displayed AAPI curriculum resources on site.
A group of children learning how to do origami
In the STEAM Lab, children could learn how to make paper dragons, swans, birds, flowers, and other cool objects at the origami table. This was one of the most popular activities and the table was surrounded by eager children throughout the afternoon. Guests were also encouraged to challenge each other and learn a new type of chess at tables providing classical chess and Chinese chess (Xiangqi). The last art table offered a hands-on project that included drawing a dragon’s head and cutting colorful construction paper to make dragon scales and a tail.
As these activities took place, former president of the Upper Dublin Chinese American Association, Shuhong Liu, handed out red envelopes to children. Each red envelope was filled with a chocolate coin and a hopeful message for the upcoming year. A snack table also provided authentic sweet treats that guests could enjoy while participating in the various activities. Throughout the event, the Upper Dublin Sophisticated Strings performed an array of beautiful pieces including Arirang, a peaceful Korean folk song, and Tibetan Dance, an upbeat and unique tune.