The Lunar New Year is a time of joy, unity, and celebration, and this year was no exception. Despite recent mass shooting incidents in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay, the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center continued to celebrate the occasion with the Lunar New Year event at Irvine Spectrum Center on January 28.
The Irvine Spectrum Center was alive with excitement as thousands of visitors came out to enjoy the festivities. The South Coast Chinese Cultural Center put on a variety of cultural programs, including lion dances, wushu performances, traditional drumming, and folk dances. Visitors were also treated to beautiful Chinese instrumental music on several performance stages throughout the center.
Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, Vice Mayor Tammy Kim, and IUSD board member Katie McEwen joined in the celebration, adding to the festivities. Mayor Khan presented a special proclamation to Yulan Chung, the Executive Director of the South Coast Chinese Cultural Center, in recognition of the Center’s contributions to preserving cultural heritage and promoting diversity in the community.
As we celebrated the Lunar New Year, we also took a moment to remember the victims of gun violence and their families. It is crucial that we come together as a community to support one another and heal. The South Coast Chinese Cultural Center will continue to bring people together through cultural events such as the Lunar New Year celebration and OC Lantern Festival.
儘管受到兩件大規模槍擊事件的衝擊，南海岸中華文化中心本著以文化凝聚社區的宗旨，仍決定繼續農曆春節期間的一系列慶祝活動，包括爾灣中文學校的兔年新春、爾灣光譜中心慶祝農曆新年及Segerstrom Concert Hall的橙縣元宵燈會，都按照預訂計畫進行，並得到社區的熱烈迴響。
元月28日爾灣光譜中心與南海岸中華文化中心合作舉辦農曆新年慶祝活動，以賀歲紅包、大鼓、舞獅、傳統音樂、民族舞蹈、武術等節目為主，讓現場大小來賓共享陽光下的文化盛宴。
爾灣市長Farrah Khan、副市長Tammy Kim及爾灣學區教委Katie McEwen均到場祝賀，並頒贈賀狀，由南海岸中華文化中心執行長鍾幼蘭代表接受。市長致詞時說，市議會上週特別為加州兩件槍擊案的遇害者默哀，儘管槍擊案給農曆新年蒙上陰影，但是爾灣市仍會繼續與南海岸中華文化中心合作，提倡多元文化，並致力維護社區的安全。她並強調，像農曆新年這類的慶祝活動，不但傳達歡慶的喜悅，也是促進各族裔間互相了解的橋樑，她鼓勵市民們多參與，認識身邊的朋友，建立起強大的社區認同感。