To usher in the Year of the Dragon, the Museum of Fine Arts hosted a traditional celebration of the Lunar New Year Feb. 15.
Widely celebrated across Asia, the Lunar New Year is the most important festivity for the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. From 5 p.m.-10 p.m. at the MFA, patrons were able to enjoy free activities and performances, like Chinese brush painting and Vietnamese music and dance.
The event kicked off with a performance from the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy at the Shapiro Family Courtyard. The Academy did the folk dragon dance, an animal representing honor and courage in the Chinese Zodiac.
According to the main instructor of the academy (name?), this year was the first year the majestic colorful dragon was brought from the Massachusetts State House to the MFA. After the dragon dance, children joined the performance as lions with the Buda, another major symbol in Chinese culture, to bless each audience member. It was a breathtaking performance.
The children and the instructors of the Academy also performed traditional Kung Fu, which was explained as standing for “hard work” in Chinese. Afterward, the museum-goers were free to explore and participate in multiple activities including a treasure hunt.
Guests could also have a traditional Lunar New Year dinner at New American Cafe or grab a quick bite of traditional foods at Taste.
A performance that stood out was a Korean mix of art and music. A painting style called “Sagunja” was carefully explained by art educator Christine Soojung Jee using four paintings from the artist Kyung Ok Lee, each representing one season of the year.
While Soojung Jee explained the composition of each painting and the techniques, Dr. Yoo Sun Na, who also directed the performance, flawlessly sang traditional Korean songs related to the paintings accompanied by the pianist Matt Savage and the Korean Cultural Society of Boston’s ensemble of various ages and nationalities.
The public had the opportunity to enjoy other talks, art classes and performances related to the Year of the Dragon and rewatch the amazing performance of the Wah Lum Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy at 7:30 p.m.
Guests from different cultures, ages and nationalities enjoyed the performances and smiled around the museum in the event hosted annually by the MFA to honor and celebrate the Lunar New Year.
The Lunar New Year Celebration at the MFA gave the opportunity not only to bring families together on a special day but also to cherish extraordinary artworks and be blessed by the Dragon.
Happy Lunar New Year!
