History recalled as Canadians embrace Lunar New Year

The Chinese Lunar New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, is one of the biggest celebrations of the year for those of Asian heritage in Canada, where millions cheerfully usher in the holiday.

But Nancy Siew, Canada former citizenship judge, chair of the Tribute to Early Chinese Immigrants Canada Foundation, said that Canadians did not always embrace the Spring Festival, which this year falls on Jan 22.

"It's very important for us to understand what happened because Canada was not always the welcoming country that (it is) today," Siew told China Daily during a recent New Year concert hosted by the Li Delun Music Foundation in Toronto.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act of 1923, known today as the Chinese Exclusion Act. In the legislation, the Canadian government revoked the head tax, a large fee charged to Chinese people entering Canada, replacing it with the act that virtually halted immigration from China.

Now the Chinese-Canadian community is the second-largest ethnic group of Canadians of Asian descent. Canadians of ethnic Chinese origin make up 5.1 percent of Canada's population, or about 1.77 million people, according to the 2016 census.

"I want to take the opportunity of (this) concert to remind everyone to remember the history. I wish to have this piece of history written into Canadian history," Siew said.

Siew's appeal followed the East-Meets-West Concert of Favourite Classics, where Dashan (Mark Rowswell), who has been called "the most famous foreigner in China", recited the Song of Everlasting Sorrow, a narrative poem of the Tang Dynasty (618-907).

The poem written by the Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772-846) was inspired by the love affair between Xuanzong (712-756), the seventh emperor of the dynasty, and his consort Lady Yang.

The concert also kicked off massive celebrations in Toronto for the Year of the Rabbit.

Gala, hanfu show

The Dragon Ball gala is one of the largest Chinese New Year celebrations of its kind in North America. Hosted by the Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation, it will make its long-awaited return on Lunar New Year's Eve at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre this year as an event free of pandemic restrictions.

"The theme of the gala ... symbolizes the rebirth of the dragon, emerging from the pandemic, stronger, smarter, and more powerful when leaping forward into the Year of the Rabbit," said Stephen Siu, president of the foundation.

In another event, a hanfu show of Dream of the Red Chamber performed by overseas Chinese students, attracted a diverse audience. "I like Chinese culture because it's so amazing. The beautiful hanfu show let me know more knowledge of Chinese culture and history," Olena from Ukraine told China Daily.

The hanfu show was presented by the Echoes from China Traditional Arts Society, an organization of young people in Toronto who share an interest in traditional Chinese culture.

Ella Shi, director of the society, said: "We wish that more people could have the opportunity to get to know our traditional culture."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in a letter to mark the festival, said the occasion is "a chance to recognize the many contributions that Canadians of Chinese descent continue to make to our country".