On the 31st of the January that part of the world that adheres to the Lunar Calendar will say goodbye to the Year of the Snake and usher in the Year of the Horse. In the run up to that most important of dates, pan-Asian households around the world are flocking to their version of the Lunar Bazaar to pick up their money trees, Mandarin oranges and tangerines*, and
Nian gao.**
*-In Mandarin Chinese, the word for orange sounds remarkably similar to gold and tangerine sounds very close to luck. Present them with leaves if at all possible, because leaves represent longevity. Don’t present them in groups of four, however, because the number four is associated with death.
** -- Literally translated, Nian gao, means ‘Year Cake’. Gao also sounds similar to “high” or “tall” and the cake is thus supposed to be symbolic of the new heights you’ll ascend to in the coming year.
Oakland’s Chinatown is no different. Sure, San Francisco gets all of the glory because of its location – and its status as the first Chinatown – but it’s become rather staid and a tourist trap. Oakland is still very much the Chinese and Chinese-Americans. Lawyers, doctors, insurance, banking: the native Chinese speaker can them all. For the
gweilo or round-eye, you can find some
wicked awesome deals on foodstuffs at the various stalls, markets, and restaurants. Just remember: When you’re whisked upstairs at Legendary Palace, even though downstairs is virtually empty, downstairs is reserved for triads.
This year’s bazaar seemed smaller than previous ones, but there was a petting zoo for the kids! That’s Charlie the Alpaca and one massive rabbit.
No Lunar Bazaar would be complete without entertainment! The cultural stage at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza offers the usual assortment of Shaolin
kung-fu demonstrations,
guzheng performances, and other not-so-common activities like
Taiko drumming from Japan.
In Japan, Taiko drumming was the exclusive domain of men. Since the ‘80’s though, the restrictions have loosened, but is still a male dominated art form. Conversely, in the States, Taiko is performed predominantly be women.* Note the lack of sheet music; each and every song must be memorized from beginning to end.
*- The woman at the top of that picture is 89-years young and has been performing for nearly thirty years.
The highlight, of course, is the lion dance. Traditionally grounded in the
wushu school of martial arts, lion dancing has evolved into its own school with their various subtleties and an amazing World Championship! No, really. They’re extremely talented dancers and acrobats.
During the New Year festivities, however, lion dance troupes will visit the businesses and homes of the Chinese community for the annual
cai qing quest. Translated as “picking the green,” the lion will perform to ward off evil spirits and demons accompanied by firecrackers and loud cymbal clashes because they’re afraid of loud noises. The lion also wears a mirror on his brow because the spirits are afraid of their own reflection, and will run away if they glimpse themselves.
The climax of the dance is the actual ‘picking’ of the ‘green.’ The greens in this case are usually heads of lettuce with a Red Envelope attached. Business and home owners will often hang these above the entrance to their establishment where the lion will seize them in his massive jaws, lie back onto the ground, and proceed to eat them. While the lion lies on the ground, chewing the leaves, the musicians will play a rolling crescendo and the lion will spring back to life spitting the leaves out. This symbolic blessing is intended to mean that there will be an abundance of everything in the coming year. Of course, if a family member or business owner sticks their head into the lion’s mouth, the year will be extra prosperous. The lion will keep the Red Envelope* as a reward for his courage and effort.
*- The Red Envelope is a monetary gift. Money is a traditional gift during the New Year’s festivities and the color red traditionally symbolizes good luck and joy. It’s also supposed to (of course) ward off evil spirits. The value of the envelope is never set and varies depending on the level of difficulty the business or home owner sets for the lion. Some people have been known to hang them some twenty feet off the ground. Think NBA-standard rim height plus eight more feet.
Since I forgot to charge my camera, please enjoy these videos from previous events.
Oakland's Teng Fei Lion Dance Team.
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San Francisco's Leung's White Crane Lion Dance Team.
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And a random, but really, really good, team out of Hong Kong @ last year's World Championship.
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And if you're having a bowl of noodles keep them as long as possible to enjoy a long life.