MOUNT HOPE, New York — On Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, the Mount Hope Chinese Association (MHCA) held a Chinese New Year celebration in Otisville, upstate New York, which saw about 2,000 people attend the weekend event.
Both the Mount Hope Youth Center (MHYC) and the Mount Hope Senior Center (MHSC) were packed with people. Attendees enjoyed traditional Chinese New Year festivities such as dragon and lion dances, cultural performances, and sampled traditional New Year delicacies. There were also opportunities to purchase New Year goods and handicrafts.
Mela Wu, head of the MHCA, said that despite challenges such as snowfall on Saturday morning and distant parking lots, many officials and citizens enthusiastically attended. Both attendees and vendors expressed their appreciation of the event.
Chinese New Year follows the traditional Chinese calendar, which operates on a dual lunar and solar system. In 2024, the New Year fell on Feb. 10, while the Lantern Festival — which marks the first full moon of the New Year, was Feb. 24. By the Chinese zodiac, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and it is the 4721st year overall since the founding of Chinese civilization by the legendary Yellow Emperor.
- Mount Hope, NY Celebrates Chinese New Year 2023
- Understanding the Chinese Calendar and Welcoming the Year of the Dragon
- Virginia Rings in the Chinese New Year With Vibrant Celebrations, Cultural Exchange
Brian Carey, mayor of Otisville, noted the “fabulous turnout.”
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
“Each time these things are just more amazing, more amazing,” Mount Hope town Councilman Christopher Furman said of the many performances and attractions. “The things that you learn, cultural, educational.”
Orange County Sherrif Paul Arteta applauded the event’s “beautiful representation of Chinese culture in our community.”
Eric Baal, Ambassador of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce and Vice President of World Trade Publishing House, commented, “It’s wonderful to see this beautiful Chinese culture. Everyone here is so friendly, it’s amazing.”
Orange County and the Middletown area in particular, of which Mount Hope and Otisville are a part, are home to a growing community of Chinese-Americans. The MHCA hopes to better integrate them with the community, while also sharing authentic Chinese heritage.
The neighboring Orange County town of Deerpark hosts Dragon Springs, the headquarters of Shen Yun Performing Arts. Founded in 2006 by adherents of Falun Gong, the traditional Chinese faith that is severely persecuted in its native country by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), Shen Yun is recognized as the leader in classical Chinese dance, despite being unable to perform in mainland China.
“Very good music, very good entertainment,” a visitor from the Catskills said of the performances, which included a variety of classical Chinese dances performed by male and female dancers of various age groups.
Cynthia Daniel drove an hour from Brewster in Putnam County to attend the event with her family and friends.
She commended the Chinese New Year event for bringing the whole community together. “Between the food and the festivities, with the kids seeing the costumes, and the performances. … I loved it.”
“It gives you a sense, telling the story of Shen Yun and the beautiful community,” she said, adding that she looked forward to 2025’s Chinese New Year.
