Balboa Park’s House of China rang in the Year of the Fire Horse February 21 to 22 with its annual Chinese New Year Fair. The event included performances by local Chinese cultural groups, and vendors selling Chinese food and other popular Asian goods.
Although newly created paid parking in Balboa Park was a challenge for some visitors, the event was as packed as ever. House of China Executive Director David Seid said the fair drew some 8,000 attendees, roughly the same as past years.
Seid noted that overall, since paid parking began earlier this year, visitors and donations to the House of China have decreased while the cost of hosting large-scale events remains high.
After some fee readjustment by the city of San Diego, parking is still free for locals in some park lots, but Seid said maintaining operations will “always be a challenge.”
Molly Guo, who lives in UTC, said she and her friends dressed in traditional Chinese clothing to take part in the yearly tradition. She had trouble parking, claiming that the device to collect the fee didn’t work.
Ed Lin, visiting from Seattle with his family, said he brought his family to Balboa Park for “a good [cultural] event.” He felt the cost of paid parking was offset by the event itself being free.
While the event focused on the Chinese New Year, the holiday coincided with Lunar New Year holidays celebrated in other East Asian cultures.
New Year is one of the biggest annual events in Chinese culture. Chinese households around the world make major preparations for the 15-day celebration. Families gather together to cook, wear new clothes and give children red envelopes of money.
According to Chinese tradition, the Fire Horse symbolizes an energetic, independent, and warm-hearted nature, as well as vitality and success.
The fair started each day with a lion dance and the national anthem, followed by dancers, singers, musicians and martial artists.
The performances explored diverse art forms from across China and East Asia, including Taiwanese dance from Riverview International Academy and a Pipa (Chinese lute) performance on Saturday.
Singer Allison Mah, who attends Rancho Bernardo High School, performed multiple songs. She said the event helps her “connect with her culture more and to celebrate it.”
Later this year, Balboa Park’s Mingei Museum will host a presentation of the history of San Diego’s Chinese-American community. The April 6 event will be a collaboration between the House of China, the San Diego Chinese Historical Museum and the Chinese School of San Diego.
Seid believes celebrating Chinese New Year instills pride. “It’s a way that I can pass down culture and heritage to not only my own kids, but my grandson,” he said. “It shows how we have contributed since coming to the U.S. and how we will continue to play a big role.” SDSun
