Children learn to make dumplings during a dumpling festival to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year in Chicago, the United States, on Jan. 27, 2019. Some 650 people Sunday gathered in a compound in the western suburbs of Chicago to celebrate 2019 Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5. (Xinhua/David Zhang)
Some 650 people Sunday gathered in a compound in the western suburbs of Chicago to celebrate 2019 Chinese Lunar New Year, which falls on Feb. 5.
Chicago North Shore Chinese Center put five big pieces of dough of five different colors, made of flour mixed with carrot, red beet root, yellow beetroot, purple cabbage and fennel juices, respectively, on a long table that also displayed some finished Jiaozi, traditional Chinese dumplings. Eight-year-old Hannah Hargan was immediately attracted to the colorful display of the dough.
Each with a small flat piece of dough in hand, Principal Phillip Sun taught Hargan how to make a Jiaozi hand by hand. After putting a spoon of filling in the center of the flat dough, Sun bowed down to the same height of Hargen and showed her how to pinch the dough edge together with the thumb and index fingers. Watching Sun's demonstration and following his instructions, Hargen made a Jiaozi of her own in a minute and proudly added it to the display tray.
This is the third year in a row for the United Chinese Americans (UCA) Illinois Chapter to host the dumpling festival to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.
With traditional Chinese dumpling making as its theme, the festival has gone beyond to include some other Chinese cultural demonstrations and games, say Chinese calligraphy, clay sculpture, shuttlecock, paper folding and cutting, lantern making, tea ceremony, abacus and tangram.
Sitting at a table scattered with colorful papers, 6-year-old Maeve Longbing Contant and 4-year-old Mairead Chuhan Contant followed an instructor and folded two dogs, which they kept as their rewards. Anne Contant, the two sisters' mother, stood behind them and looked at them lovingly.
Anne Contant adopted her two daughters with albinism in China when they were 16 months old. Pending Chinese Lunar New Year, Anne has raised red lanterns at home and decorated the rooms with red.
Now living in the United States, Anne just tries to take every chance to let her daughters indulging themselves in Chinese culture and "know where they are from."
In a greeting address, Liu Jun, Acting Consul General of the People's Republic China in Chicago said the story about dumpling is related to China's Lunar New Year. "The shape of dumpling represents happiness and harmony." Liu wished everybody present a happy and prosperous new year.
Traditional Chinese musical instrument zither was played and Qipao show was staged at the scene as well.
