RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — On Saturday, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts kicked off the Lunar New Year with China Fest — a day dedicated to celebrating Chinese art and culture through activities, film screenings, demonstrations and live performances.
According to Britannica, the Lunar New Year marks the beginning of a year marked by the cycles of the moon, also known as the lunisolar or lunar calendar. The lunar calendar begins with the first new moon of the year. The Lunar New Year is celebrated widely in China, as well as countries like Vietnam and South Korea.
Each new lunar year is also represented with one of 12 animals, each of which has unique characteristics. 2023 is the year of the rabbit, which can represent affection and peace.
On Saturday, Feb. 4, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts offered their own twist on the lunar celebration. The day was full of music, dance and even martial arts with performances from Yu Dance Arts, Richmond Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy, Choy Wun Dance Troupe, On the One Dance Company, Ethnobeat and Pacific Arts Troupe.
Guests also got the chance to create some art of their own as they made paper plate dragons and nature scrolls and tried their hand at calligraphy and paper cutting.
For more information on programming at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, visit them online.
