CHSNE and Chinatown Main Street Host Lunar New Year Celebrations

By David Li, bostonese.com

Boston, Feb. 17, 2014, — Chinese Historical Society of New England (CHSNE) hosted an open house in the afternoon of Feb. 9 at the China Trade Building in Chinatown. At the same time, Chinatown Main Street(CMS) also hosted Lunar New Year of the Horse cultural activities.
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Artists and Chinatown Main Street staff pose for a picture. The Chinese Letters mean “success comes with year of the Horse” (photo by David Li).




CMS’ family-friendly activities included Chinese calligraphy, modeling clay, arts and craft and story time. Artists from North American Artist Association (NAAA) made Chinese calligraphy samples for tourists. Jingming Huang, board president of NAAA, thanked CMS for organizing the cultural activities. A red lion from the Chinatown Lunar New Year Lion Dance Parade stopped by. Courtney Ho, executive director of CMS, presented a red package to the lion dances with smile on her face.
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Developed out of a partnership between the City of Boston and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Boston Main Streets initiative was created by Mayor Menino in 1995 as the first urban, multi-district Main Streets program in the nation, with the goal of establishing thriving commercial districts throughout the city.

CHSNE celebrated 20-year anniversary in Sept. 2012. It’s The first educational organization dedicated solely to documenting, preserving, and promoting the history and legacy of Chinese immigration in New England. Susan Chinsen, Managing Director of CHSNE, welcomed dozens visitors to CHSNE’s office, and told stories of the Lunar New Year to kids. There was also an exhibit on South Cove Manor Nursing Home.
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Susan Chinsen reads a book to the kids (photo by David Li).

Some visitors signed up for CHSNE’s membership. Prof. Wing-kai To of Bridgewater State University, board member of CHSNE, was also at the open house to greet visitors. Prof. To’s book Chinese in Boston: 1870-1965 was on display.

Porf. To mentioned that a photo exhibition of Boston Chinatown was successfully held at the Zhongshan Library in Guangzhou city, China in May 2013. Over 100 pictures of Boston Chinatown over the past century were exhibited in China for the first time. The following two black and white lion dance pictures were from CHSNE’s Facebook page.