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“Truth, love, compassion, and tolerance” are the essence of what the Chinese New Year means, says Lucy Liu.
On Saturday, February 21, the Pōkeno Community Hall will host Chinese New Year celebrations for the Year of the Horse.
Organiser Lucy Liu was inspired to hold this year’s Chinese New Year after seeing a Diwali celebration that she said gave her a newfound appreciation of Indian culture.
For her, it is a way to showcase the rich culture and contribute to the diverse community growing in Pōkeno.
“The purpose of the event is to bring people together through the celebration of Chinese New Year — sharing the essence of traditional Chinese values such as Ren, Yi, Li, Zhi, Xin (benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust), alongside shared human values of truth, love, compassion, respect, and harmony,” said Liu.
Throughout the event-organising process, Liu found that the Te Haukainga me ngā Mana Whenua o Pōkeno Charitable Trust, local businesses, and the Chinese and Indian communities were very supportive.
For Liu, the Chinese New Year is more than dragon dances; it is about bridging the gap between the multicultural society that New Zealand is and members from her own culture who may not have fully integrated.
“I’ve seen so many older Chinese who came to New Zealand, and they don’t really speak the language. They still use their own Chinese tools for communication, so they’re living here but have not embraced everything here or shared their knowledge with others.
“So this is where the idea came from, to build a little bridge between different cultures and different ethnicities,” said Liu.
Pōkeno Community Committee chairperson Allen Grainger said it is a great way for people to get to know a new culture, and he welcomed the opportunity that the celebration represented.
“For the Pōkeno community, any new cultural events are very welcome, because we have such a growing diversity of people, and it’s really good to go out there and give people the opportunity to try new foods, learn about new cultures, and for them to be integrated into the Pōkeno community.”
The night will feature two hours of live performances, including dragon and waist drum dances, classical Chinese dancers, and traditional music performed on Chinese instruments such as the guzheng, pipa, and flute.
Melody Wang, an accomplished musician, educator, and master of the Chinese zither, will also be performing at the event. There will also be Māori, Indian, Polynesian, and African drumming, as well as Filipino dance groups.
People attending can expect a variety of activities, including a traditional Chinese medical consultation; they can join a free meditation workshop and origami, and face painting and free name calligraphy will be available for children.
- Pōkeno Chinese New Year Celebration, Saturday, February 21, 3pm to 7pm, Pōkeno Community Hall.
