Meridian International Center Joins with The Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to Host the 4th Annual Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

The Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission, Minister Lu Kang, and artist, Yang Huiping, demonstrate the process woodblock print making at the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.

On Thursday, January 23, 2014, Meridian International Center’s American-Chinese Cultural Initiative joined with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China to host the 4th Annual Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration at Meridian House.

The celebration, which was attended by more than 200 diplomatic, corporate and cultural leaders, including Minister Lu Kang, Deputy Chief of Mission of the People’s Republic of China, took the form of a dynamic cultural evening, featuring a special, one-night art exhibition, A Yangliuqing New Year: Paintings from Tianjin. This unique exhibition showcased 18 hand-painted woodblock prints from Hebei Province that illustrate auspicious symbols from Chinese folklore. Sharing China’s rich intangible culture, Tianjin artists demonstrated for guests how these works were made, as well as other traditional crafts, through live demonstrations.

Meridian’s President and CEO, Ambassador Stuart Holliday, provides opening remarks at the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration. (L to R) Governor Jim Blanchard, Chairman of the Board, Minister Lu Kang, Chinese DCM, and Dr. Curtis Sandberg, Senior Vice President for the Arts, look on.

Highlights of the evening included performances by world-class puppeteers from the Tianjin Children’s Art Troupe, who will also perform at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage on January 25th.  The performers showcased their skilled artistry and choreography with vignettes from classical Chinese operas and folk tales. Founded in 1985, Tianjin Children’s Art Troupe performs at theaters and schools throughout China and worldwide, including Japan, Germany, Austria, and Sweden. Their work has garnered international acclaim winning many awards for the myriad styles they incorporate into their performances.

Meridian’s Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration, along with other collaborative programs with the People’s Republic of China, serves as a cultural bridge that fosters deeper understanding between the United States and China. Through its activities, Meridian’s American-Chinese Cultural Initiative, a public-private partnership between U.S. and Chinese businesses, non-profit cultural organizations, and government entities, strengthens and improves relations between the two nations.