The Year of the Tiger Dawns on the Strand
By Lauren Poster
The Franklin G. Burroughs and Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum held an open celebration Saturday for the Lunar Chinese New Year. Free to the public, the event consisted of demonstrations and activities meant to educate the public about Chinese culture. The celebration occurred somewhat early, as the actual date of the Chinese New Year is February 14th in this, the year of the tiger.
Arriving on the lawn of the Art Museum, I saw a tight gathering of people enjoying a martial arts demonstration. The colorfully dressed students of the Mint Hill Kung Fu school based in Charlotte, N.C. parried and posed, leaping like the wraiths of ancient warriors, stabbing at invisible foes with honest to gosh swords. Breathless children gathered, pretending not to be afraid. Many had their faces painted like the lion in ancient Chinese tradition, said to have scared away a treacherous monster descending upon villages on the first day of each New Year. Even pets came prepared: a small Jack Russell Terrier yapped from the sidelines, brilliantly arrayed in a pink mandarin jacket.
This event has particular importance to members of the small Chinese community in Myrtle Beach. And beyond that, others come simply to be educated. Kery Benson and her husband Mike bring their adopted daughter Riley, 7, every year. Riley comes from China, and was adopted when she was only 7 months old. “We think it’s really important to preserve that part of her culture,” says Kery, referring to the beautiful black-haired child hiding behind her pantlegs. Kery notes that at home they hold a small New Year celebration, including a Chinese feast and traditional decorations around the house.
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There are many elements to the New Year celebration, some of which are incorporated into nearly all special occasions in China. Inside the museum, samples were posted of Joss paper, hell money, and other glyphs of Chinese culture. The Joss paper and hell notes have similar functions; they are bestowed upon the spirit of a deceased relative or that relative’s family, and they are a way of honoring one’s ancestors. The deceased are believed to spend a certain amount of time in a kind of “underground court” most relatable to Christian purgatory. In this place, a soul carries on a life much like that in the earthly realm, and is in close contact with (even influential upon) the living world. In large celebrations, it is acceptable to burn Joss paper (or the more modern hell notes, which are often stamped with “VISA” logos and the like) to purchase comforts for the deceased, or shorten their stay in the interim place. Recently, hell notes have been made in very specific denominations, representing particular earthly goods (not all of which are wholesome!). In China, controls have been placed over what forms Joss paper may take, and how it may be burned to prevent pollution and fires.
Other attractions at the event included mah jong demos, noodle tastings, and craft making for children. Weather permitting, the museum offers kite painting and flying (sadly missing on this day due to gathering storm clouds), as well as Chinese paper cutting and more.
Casey Church, museum services coordinator, watched the “dragon dance” with pleasure, breathing in a luscious gust from the ocean that accompanied a sudden sunburst. “What a great day,” she said. Unlike some of the other cultural celebrations the museum hosts, this one is more performance-oriented. Casey mused that this day has a very satisfying sense of completeness. Beginning with the “dragon dance” and ending with a “lion dance” in which the lion mighty returns to slumber, “this has a ‘welcome!’ and, at the end, a ‘thank you for coming.’”
Jie Zhou, a Chinese American employed by Coastal Carolina University, volunteered his time to come and demonstrate calligraphy for onlookers. He laughed, admitting “I don’t say this is my talent.” Like most Chinese children, Jie learned the art in elementary school, and continued experimenting with it as a hobby into adulthood. Most of the people who visited him today are “families trying to experience a different culture.”
At the close of the day, the fearsome lion (composed of just two performers) is put to rest, his job completed. The dragon, a larger affair with more than 10 people forming the undulating, snakelike body, paraded the grounds, thrilling children with its trapdoor mouth and shivering mane. The dragon, a symbol of good luck and prosperity in Chinese culture, moved to the beat of a large drum, receding into the dunes and past the dreamy sea oats, moving symbolically into the ocean. Loath to get the elaborate decoration wet, performers turned around at the last minute, heading back. Small children, never slow to miss a trick, noticed his return and screamed, “He’s coming back!” Not ‘til next year, kids.
Feb. 6 is like a small new year opening to the big new year on the 14th of Feb. In Chinese, Feb. 6 is called ” jie jiao.”
Excellent article. More Mint Hill Kung Fu next year, please.
Nice article Lauren!!! Very well written!! Great fun!!