From one day to the next, you never know what wonderful opportunity might arise at Crown Center for having a fresh experience. On February 3, 2004, the Evergreen Fellowship of the St. Louis Chinese Christian Church, hosted a party to celebrate the Chinese New Year, which began on January 22 and lasted for 15 days. Saying how fortunate we are to have such a diverse population at Crown Center, "with so many reasons to celebrate," Nikki Goldstein, Executive Director, welcomed everyone and wished our Chinese residents Happy New Year. She added: "You are such a wonderful group and you bring joy and happiness to us all year round." These words were translated by Audrey Ku Chow, emcee for the program, which then opened with a prayer said by Mrs. Phe-Be Chiow asking for God's blessing for the New Year.
Mrs. Chiow reminded the audience that the Chinese calculate their new year based on a lunar calendar. According to the Chinese calendar, it is the year 4701. This is the year of the monkey and all Chinese communities put up the word "blessings" on their doors, with a hope for blessings for all in the world. She explored the meaning of "blessings," noting that many people equate them with material pleasures and goods which can often leads them into greed and a desire for prestige and power. Mrs. Chiow spoke of Abraham and the commission he received from God to found a great nation to which He would grant his blessings. She expressed the fellowship's belief that the source of all blessings is God and that Abraham brought God's blessing to all. She said that we must all be channels of His blessings to others.
The program continued with fellowship members singing two hymns and then Mr. Guing Liang Cheng came forward to perform a demonstration of Tai Chi. Using a sword as part of the exercises, he explained that Tai Chi, or Kung Fu in ancient China, had been practiced as a training for inflicting harm on others. Now, however, it has become a way to bring benefits and balance to the mind and body through concentration in the art of body use.
Next, Mr. Xian Zheng Liu showed the audience how Chinese calligraphy is done with a brush and special paints. He wrote the words St. Louis is a good place. The program also included a video of entertainers in China singing, dancing, and doing acrobatics. Egg rolls, Chinese dumplings, mandarin oranges, cake, and tea were served as refreshments. Crown Center residents were pleased to have been invited to share these memorable moments of Chinese culture.
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