Kyle Kellams: Today is the first day of the Chinese Lunar New Year. Happy Year of the Horse. A new organization, Jade Bridge Culture Center, is observing the day Saturday, Feb. 21 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the Bentonville Public Library. Jade Bridge, the first Chinese cultural center in northwest Arkansas, will host lion dance and dragon dance events, calligraphy demonstrations, singing, as well as conduct a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate the organization's launch.
Kat Ran, president of the Jade Bridge Culture Center, came to the Anthony and Susan Hui News Studio yesterday to talk about the celebration and the organization's name.
Kat Ran: "Jade" is for representing China or Chinese culture, and "bridge" is what we would like to be — like a bridge, like our way of commuting. So it tries to connect two ends or two groups of people or a community or different kinds of things. So try to put those together and let people meet. So that's what we would like to be.
Kellams: As you and I are talking, it is Monday morning in northwest Arkansas, but you mentioned that as you were driving in, it's New Year's Eve where you grew up.
Ran: Oh, yes, in China, I have to say, the most festive time in China, because we usually celebrate the New Year at New Year's Eve. People getting together, the family reunion, and people have a big meal with 20 or 30 meals. In a big round table and the whole family shares together. And we — Chinese people — have the meal differently from the way we have in the Western culture. Like you have your own plate and your own meal. But for Chinese big family, we just share the whole table of different dishes.
Kellams: What will happen? I mean, you mentioned the ribbon cutting, but there are activities, events.
Ran: Yes, yes. We try to put together some traditional Chinese Spring Festival ways of celebrating the Chinese New Year. So we will have, like, calligraphy — that's a very Chinese thing — and paper cutting and some New Year prints. Like in China for the New Year, people would like to put something on the window and some decorations. So paper cutting and New Year prints are very common things. And we also have some traditional Chinese games you can experience that. And also you can get your Chinese name. For American people, you have your English name. So we will try to translate that, and then you can get your name in Chinese characters.
Kellams: Oh wow.
Ran: And then you can make some bookmarks with your Chinese name if you like.
Kellams: So in the United States, we often think of the New Year as a time — you know, we have resolutions, or "this is the year we're going to do this." Is that sort of a thing with the Chinese New Year? Do you look to the next year like, "I can do better" or do this?
Ran: Oh well, yes. But I think for Chinese New Year it's a little different — we make wishes, not resolutions.
Kellams: I like this better. I like this better already.
Ran: OK, we have the plan. We have to work hard and do some exercises right into the new year. But for Chinese people, we wish you a good year. We wish you, like, getting wealthy or have good health. It's a very — like everyone feels very happy and would like to wish the others the best year in front of you.
Kellams: Well, looking at the upcoming year with the cultural center, do you have plans for things beyond Saturday?
Ran: Yes. Well, for the organization, we are not just doing some community events. We also offer a lot of programs, educational programs. So we have Chinese language classes. We have group classes and we also offer private lessons. We do have some American kids — they just contacted us and they'd like to get some private lessons. So we have some kids having a Chinese language class. And we also offer immersive art class and immersive singing class to some kids here. So they use Chinese language to sing, and also they learn some art. We do projects related to Chinese culture. Like these days, they draw a lot of things because it's Year of the Horse. And also draw some — I talk about the Chinese New Year's Eve meal. So they join the feast, same things. So yeah, we just try to let them get some idea of the Chinese culture through different ways.
Kellams: I wish everyone a happy New Year. How would you — if you were back in your hometown — how would you wish a family member, a neighbor, a loved one, a happy New Year?
Ran: Well, actually, we love saying this: "Gong xi" — means "wish you get wealthy next year."
Kellams: Wish that for all of public radio. Yeah. Thank you so much for your time and have a great time on Saturday.
Ran: Thank you so much.
Kellams: And stay in touch, please.
Ran: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Yeah. Thank you so much.
Kellams: Kat Ran is the president of the Jade Bridge Culture Center. The organization's celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year will take place Saturday, Feb. 21 at the Bentonville Public Library from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. It's free and open to the public. We talked yesterday at the Carver Center for Public Radio.
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