Experiencing the Chinese New Year in Washington, DC is as much about eating as it is attending parades and cultural celebrations. Washington’s small Chinatown is home to several first rate Chinese restaurants, and the annual Chinese New Year parade is perfectly timed to allow parade goers to take advantage of them, either stopping for lunch before the festivities or dinner afterwards. Be sure to check for special holiday menus as the foods eaten for the Chinese New Year each has symbolic significance. Seafood is a must.
Chinese New Year Parade
The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association organizes the annual parade which marches down H St., NW between 5th and 9th Sts. The parade is set for February 1, 2009 from 2-5 pm. Dramatic lion and dragon dancers will be complemented by festive music.
Image China at the Ken Cen
The Kennedy Center presents Image China in the concert hall on February 1, 2009 at 3 pm. The Qingdao Orchestra in collaboration with IMG Artists and the Choral Arts Society of Washington performs symphonic dances from West Side Story, selections from Porgy and Bess, Pipa Concerto by Xiaogang Ye and a fiddle concerto by Chen Yi.
Chinese New Year Celebration at Lakeforest Mall, Gaithersburg, Maryland
Lakeforest Mall decks itself in splendid Chinese decor in celebration of the Chinese New Year. In addition to a handpainted banner of the Great Wall of China, the mall will feature Chinese decoration to complement the theme of its 10th annual Chinese New Year Celebration, “Chinese Fashion: History Woven into Apparel.”
On January 24th at noon, lion dancers will delight shoppers with their performance. Various live entertainment will be presented at the Center Court on the weekends of January 24-25 and January 31-February 1 from noon to 5 pm.
Learn to Prepare Chinese New Year Cuisine at Sur la Table, Arlington, Virginia
A hands on demonstration for adults teaches preparation of the carefully chosen foods that usher in wealth, health, and good fortune in the New Year. The expert chef Bonnie Moore shares cultural insight while involving participants in the preparation of menu items for the Chinese New Year: tempura vegetables with soy-ginger sauce, fresh rolls with shrimp and sweet chili sauce, Thai-style sweet chicken with cilantro and lime, curried shrimp with coconut, and Chinese almond cookies. This event takes place January 26 at 6:30 pm and costs $79.
Ching Ching Cha Tea House
Ching Ching Cha Tea House in Georgetown offers over 70 different traditional Chinese teas imported from China, Taiwan and Japan, complemented by snacks and savories. Tea drinking is an essential part of the Chinese culture- tea is after all the national drink- so after the cold weather festivities, enjoying a warm cup of tea in this relaxing tea house is a natural way to bring in the Chinese New Year.
Sources: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/704149/chinese_restaurants_in_washington_dc.html?cat=22; http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=23986;http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEvent&event=RJXBU#details; http://www.simon.com/mall/aym.aspx?ID=1254; http://00eb1b4.netsolhost.com/index.html
