NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: February 14, 2018
Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA)
315 NW Davis Street, Portland, OR 97209
For more information contact:
Paul Ip, 503.997.4750, President of ACHIEF. paulwkip@gmail.com
Gail Maw 503.888.7282, Representative of Portland Bing Kong Tong. gailmaw@gmail.com
Hongcheng Zhao 503.709.3119, Chair of Oregon Chinese Coalition. hzhao@pdxchinese.org
Only on February 18, 2018 (1:00-5:00 p.m.) For the first time in Chinatown History, visitors can tour the private “Sacred Auditorium” and interiors of some of the most historic buildings of Chinese Tong and Chinese Association owned facilities in Old Town/Chinatown while also experiencing cultural activities, performances and a parade.
History is in the making, this has never happened before. In the past it was impossible for ALL the Chinese Organizations to work together. This year, the Year of the Dog, ALL the Chinese Organizations are joining together willingly to Celebrate the Lunar New Year Festival. They are inviting visitors to view and tour their Sacred Auditoriums, meeting and music recital spaces from 1-3pm。This is the first time ever this has happened in Portland, Oregon, could be the first time in our nation and possibly it is also the FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD.
A tong is a type of organization found among Chinese immigrants living in the United States and Canada. In Chinese, the word tong means "hall" or "gathering place." These organizations are described as secret societies or sworn brotherhoods. Many Chinese who faced harsh discrimination upon immigration soon organized these voluntary associations for support and protection. Today tongs are, for the most part, associations that provide essential services for Chinatown communities such as private meeting space, musical rehearsal, immigrant counseling, Chinese schools, and English classes for adults.
The biggest development in the Portland Chinese community in the last two years is the increasing interactions among the groups, each of which typically represent a faction of the community. They started to reach a consensus on the challenges and issues faced by the community as a whole. In particular, they all agree that they should work together on
helping revitalize Portland’s Old Town Chinatown and preserve its rich culture and heritage. As a symbolic step for the joint effort from the Chinese community, they have decided to hold a Chinatown Chinese New Year Celebration, anticipating that it will take on life and become an annual event in Chinatown.
The Celebration will be held on February 18, 2018, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, at the NW Davis Festival Street, between NW 3rd and 4th Avenues. A stage will be erected on the street to provide cultural performances from various groups in the community. The audience will be entertained with folk dance, Wushu, lion dance and music with Chinese instruments. (If inclement weather, performances may be moved inside adjacent Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (C.C.B.A.) Building).
Families are welcome to participate in hands-on traditional activities to be held on the 3rd floor of the CCBA building, located to the north side of the stage including; calligraphy, paper cutting, sculpting hand-made figurines, Mahjong, and of course, receiving red packets.
For the first time ever, all the traditional Chinese association buildings in Chinatown will open to the public for guided tours. These historically independent associations are now collaborating together and with newly established Chinese associations including the Oregon Chinese Coalition and the All Chinese Heritage Integrity Empowerment Fund (ACHIEF) as well as the Lan Su Chinese Garden, and the Portland Chinatown History Foundation.
The community is sincerely invited and welcome to attend this FREE celebration of the "All Chinese Celebrate the Lunar New Year Festival" on 2/18/18 in Chinatown, in front of the CCBA Building, 315 NW Davis Street aka the FESTIVAL STREET in the afternoon from 1 to 5 pm. AND experience the following guided Tour to all Chinese Associations in Chinatown) 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
- 中華會館 CCBA, including its Museum, 315 NW Davis St. From 1 to 4 p.m.
- 秉公堂 Bing Kong Tong, 24 NW 4th Ave. From 1 to 3 p.m.
- 協勝堂 Hip Sing Assn., 211 NW 3rd Ave. From 1 to 3 p.m.
- 合勝堂 Hop Sing Assn., 317 NW 4th Ave. From 1 to 3 p.m.
- 至考篤親公所 Gee How Oak Tin Assn., 26 NW 4th Ave. From 1 to 3 p.m.
- 朔源堂 Soo Yuen Assn. 317 NW 4th Ave. From 1 to 3 p.m.
活動內容包括(Scheduled Cultural Activities)：
文藝表演 (Stage Cultural Performance) 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
傳統文化活動體驗 (Hands-on Cultural/Traditional Activities) 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
– 寫門貼，剪紙，捏泥人，做新春吊飾，轉手帕，抖空竹，舞獅，民樂展示，麻將，and more (3rd floor in CCBA)
– 盛邀社區藝術家現場與大家分享華人文化，現場作畫，書法。(3rd floor in CCBA)
--傳統僑社建築上的快閃活動 (Flash Mob on Bing Kong Balcony) 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
--滿天飄揚的民樂，循聲望去，與百年曆史的堂口好一個絕配（Bing Kong Balcony）
-- 舞龍舞獅表演 (Lion Dance and Dragon Parade) 4:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
-- 李氏公所醒獅隊 (NW Davis Festival Street and Circling Chinatown)
The Lan Su Chinese Garden is open at 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and is also offering Chinese performances, Wishing Tree, family craft activity, folk art and calligraphy demonstrations, Lion Dances and martial arts performances free with admission price or membership.
This is the largest Chinese New Year celebration in Oregon. Come down to Chinatown and make a day of it! For more information visit pdxchinese.org/lunarnewyear.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Kitson Yu
Chair of the Oregon Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association (CCBA) Community Liaison Committee.
President of Portland Bing Kong Tong.
503-901-1357
KitsonYu@aol.com
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