the year of the horse and melbourne's chinatown.

This past weekend was the Lunar New Year, celebrating the Year of the Wooden Horse. I may be of Chinese descent, but I don't have a whole lot of experience with super-traditional New Year festivities. Growing up, my family usually celebrated by wearing red (the culture's colour of celebration), eating at the most authentic Chinese restaurant we could find, and my brother and I graciously receiving red envelopes of gift money (or ang pao as we call it). Only in the past few years have I actually witnessed large community Lunar New Year celebrations, mostly due to my close proximity to various Chinatowns. Lucky for us, Melbourne's Chinatown is the longest continuous Chinese settlement in the Western World, and features some pretty significant celebrations.

Melbourne's Chinatown

We didn't do a whole lot on the actual first day of the Lunar New Year, as Ben was at work until late in the evening. I made us a nice dinner of noodles and oranges - foods that are considered "lucky" in the Chinese tradition - and we watched a Tobey Maguire movie, which is always a festive thing to do. On Saturday we talked with my family via FaceTime, then explored some of the celebrations going on right in our Docklands neighbourhood. There wasn't a whole lot to see during the day, just a small carnival with rides and a really creepy animatronic tree. There was, however, a fantastic 100-metre long dragon sculpture made of steel and silk, built a few blocks from our apartment as a New Year decoration. (In unrelated news, crime rates in Docklands have seen a sharp decline within the past week.)

animatronic fun.

docklands dragon.

On Sunday we headed to Chinatown in the heart of the CBD, where the real celebrations were happening. It was crowded, busy, noisy and full of life. There were booths set up everywhere, selling everything from children's crafts to lucky plants, massages and places for people to play Chinese board games. There was a beautiful outdoor temple/shrine area set up, where people were saying prayers, honouring ancestors and making wishes for the new year. Everywhere we turned, we saw traditional Lion dances - two people in a large Lion costume, dancing elaborately to thunderous drum beats, practicing the traditional custom of "cai qing," where the lion "eats" green vegetables that are hung in front of stores and restaurants; showers of firecrackers are set off, scaring away evil spirits and small children alike, and the lion and the drum troupe continue onto the next set of hanging vegetables. 

Seahawks gear: not your typical Lunar New Year costumes!

Probably the coolest thing we did was tour the Chinese Museum, which was open for free in honour of the holiday. The museum is located in a building that once housed props and costumes for the theatre venue around the corner, giving it a mysterious and historical vibe. The ground floor was full of costume and dragon displays, including the Millennium Dragon: the world's largest processional Chinese dragon - which snaked all the way to the basement, where there was an elaborate and hands-on display of the 19th century goldfield experience. 

it takes 8 people to carry just the head of the Millennium Dragon.

The first level of the museum featured ancient and modern art, such as a detailed wooden "screen" with scenes from a lantern festival, and a mixed media display of rice in large red bowls. 

The second level was the "Bridge of Memories," featuring stories of Chinese people from various Asian countries who have made Australia their home - usually to pursue higher education, escape ethnic persecution, or just because they felt more at home in Australia. Many of the stories were sad but hopeful, and touched me on a personal level, as my grandparents and parents come from similar immigration and cultural backgrounds.

part of my family history - and the reason my maiden name is Indonesian, not Chinese.

The top level of the museum was a display of various artefacts, chronicling the journey of the Chinese people in the country. There were items from football leagues and jazz bands, wedding accessories and articles of significance from places of worship. It was also interesting to read about historical events such as the Factories and Shops act of 1896 (where businesses were required to identify their labour as either "European" or "Chinese" in efforts to stop Chinese businesses from being too successful), and the White Australia Policy, which heavily favoured immigrants of European descent.

traditional wedding dress (!!), tea and...a seismograph?

The museum was a fascinating glimpse into the history of Chinese Australians, and a wonderful way to end our day in Chinatown. It's nice to be living in a country that is currently very accepting of diversity,  and also acknowledges past mistakes in an effort to improve. Ben and I are only intending to stay here for a few years, but if our plans change, it's good to know that we would potentially be giving our family roots in a land of opportunity, growth, and cultural celebration.

CK