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Chinese community starts Lunar New Year celebration
Chinese Association of Saipan president Jerry Tan, fourth left, joins Paseo de Marianas Inc. member Misako Kamata, second left, Marianas Visitors Authority community projects manager Martin Duenas, third right, Furusato owner Hideaki Sawada, second right, in Tuesday night’s ribbon-cutting and lighting ceremony of Chinese lanterns in time for the Lunar New Year celebration. (Jon Perez)
The Chinese Association of Saipan kicked off its festivities for the coming Lunar New Year by lighting up the Paseo de Marianas with red-colored lanterns.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Tuesday night attended by CAS officials led by president Jerry Tan, former head Rose Chan and their members, PDM Promoters Inc. officers Misako Kamata and Hideaki Sawada, and Marianas Visitors Authority community projects manager Martin Duenas.
Chan said the ribbon-cutting ceremony faced the east based on the old Chinese thought feng shui, a belief that harmonizes everyone with the environment and related to the flow of energy.
“It is traditionally to us Chinese to face the east for good fortune. The sun rises in the east and the wind direction also starts eastward. That’s why we are trying to attract good fortune and money for the businesses here at PDM,” said Chan, who is also the CAS director for education.
The Canton Restaurant owner added that lighting up the PDM with Chinese lanterns would attract more local and foreign tourists as they prepare for the celebration of the Year of the Fire Monkey in the Chinese Lunar calendar.
“We will try to make this a yearly event but of course we need the community’s support. The PDM looks good and the view is nice for our community and the tourists,” said Chan.
Chan said that they also lined up a lot of activities for the coming Lunar New Year that the community could take join in the celebration.
The traditional lion dance will start on Feb. 8 at 8am at the TSL Plaza in Garapan and the dancers will visit more than 30 business establishments and they would end their performance at the Saipan World Resort at 9pm.
Acrobats from China and a bian lian performance, the Chinese dramatic art of face-changing, are also scheduled on Feb. 13 at PDM.
They will also be serving Chinese New Year food and will hold a demonstration of dumpling and noodle-making.
