NUKOLII — Saturday was the first appearance of the Chinese lion since 2007, said Tom Lund of the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort. “We used to have the lion each year for Chinese New Year, but after Violet Hee passed, it
NUKOLII — Saturday was the first appearance of the Chinese lion since 2007, said Tom Lund of the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort.
“We used to have the lion each year for Chinese New Year, but after Violet Hee passed, it kind of went into decline,” Lund said. “Former mayor Maryanne Kusaka said she could bring it back, and she did.”
The Kauai Chinese Heritage Society combined with the centennial of the Kauai Historical Society to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Horse before a sold-out audience Saturday at the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort.
Kusaka is on the board of the Kauai Historical Society which is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a series of cultural events, culminating with a multi-cultural celebration May 10 on the lawn of the Historic County Building.
In January, the KHS launched its centennial celebration with a sold-out Okinawa festival at the Aston Aloha Beach Resort coordinated by the Hui Alu Okinawa club and featuring the talent of visiting members from Oahu.
“We’re the oldest club, and have been doing the lion dance since 1933,” said Alex Lau, a seventh grade student at Kawananakoa School on Oahu who has been practicing the art for two years. “There are 14 Chinese martial arts clubs on Oahu and one on the Big Island who can perform the lion dance.”
Albert Chun, one of the instructors for the Chinese Physical Culture Association, said the students need to know the history as part of belonging to the martial arts group which practices the Tiger Crane style of kung fu.
The 2014 Chinese Year of the Horse started on Jan. 31 and will end on Feb. 18, 2015.
The next event on the Kauai Historical Society’s centennial celebration calendar is the Joyful Voices of Tonga featuring choirs, musicians and dancers 2 to 4 p.m. March 15 at the Lihue United Church, located behind the King Auto Center.
Admission is free.
