Spring Festival at Chinatown 2023: Three days of traditional Lunar New Year festivities

Montreal, January 16, 2023 – The Marché de Nuit Asiatique is pleased to announce the first edition of the Spring Festival at Chinatown from January 20 to 22 in Sun Yat-sen Park. The festival is a unique event in Montreal, made possible by the financial support of the borough of Ville-Marie and produced by the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership. Montrealers, visitors and tourists are invited to discover Lunar New Year traditions and enjoy a diverse free program including traditional and cultural activities. Chinatown will feature special lighting, with a hundred traditional lanterns complementing Dragons Chasing the Moon, the suspended outdoor installation by artist Karen Tam.

The Lunar New Year – known in China as the spring festival – is an important family occasion when the new year is celebrated in a spirit of hope and fellowship. It is in that same spirit of reunion and celebration that the Spring Festival at Chinatown 2023 will present three days of festivities celebrating all Asian cultures. More than 30 associations and other groups are involved in the project, along with more than 150 artists and other participants from the city’s Asian communities.

In Sun Yat-sen Park, specially illuminated and decorated for the occasion, visitors are invited to take part in classic Lunar New Year celebrations. Visitors will be able to purchase a ribbon, write their most fervent wish for the new year on it, then hang it from a branch of the Wishing Tree. Next, they will discover whether 2023 will be a year of luck and fortune with a Kau Chim (Chinese fortune sticks) reading. Finally, anyone who wants to warm up, get together and relax will appreciate the benches, heaters and stand serving free hot tea.

There will also be a cultural program to discover with family and friends. On January 20 and 21, La station de l’avenir, a mobile digital creation site resulting from a collaboration between MAPP_MTL and the Gentilhomme and Robocut studios, will set up in the park, inviting visitors of all ages to participate in the creation of a giant luminous fresco. During the day, La station de l’avenir will collect drawings by members of the public. After sunset, these creations will be projected, illuminating the walls of the buildings overlooking Sun Yat-sen Park.

On January 21, a parade will proceed along De La Gauchetière Street between Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Jeanne-Mance Street, concluding with a performance in Sun Yat-sen Park. The Phoenix art school will lead the parade with a dragon dance and a group dance, followed by Montreal Fo Guang Shan and Montreal Chan Lion Dance Club performing a lion dance. Next there will be a fashion show featuring traditional Hanfu attire presented by the Tsingher association.

Finally, on January 22, the Chinese Association of Montreal and the Montreal Chinese Lion Dance Club will delight spectators of all ages with dragon and lion dances throughout Chinatown. In Sun Yat-sen Park, a show marking the new year will invite visitors to dance to beats provided by Anqi Sun, Andy Khun, Sophie Chen, Mando, Miumiu, Hua Li and the Montreal Confucius School Folk Music Ensemble. This event is presented in collaboration with the BAHAY Collective.

QUOTES

“For more than a century, the Chinese community has been an integral part of Montreal’s prosperity and image, and so we are thrilled to welcome this inaugural _Spring Festival at Chinatow_n. It will allow everyone to join the community in celebrating the dawn of the new year. This Year of the Water Rabbit symbolizes longevity, prosperity and peace, all elements that encapsulate the ties between the Chinese community and the broader Montreal community. I invite everyone to come celebrate that friendship by taking part in this major family celebration in Chinatown,” said Valérie Plante, mayor of Montreal and of the borough of Ville-Marie.

“I am very happy and proud to be able to present a project that brings together the communities of Chinatown to celebrate the most important occasion for our cultures. The initiative is the result of the desire to create a new tradition for years to come, for us and for our children, bringing together our community’s elders and young people, strengthening old ties and forging new ones. Chinatown will be a bright and lively place this winter,” said Yifang Eva Hu, founder and executive director of the Marché de Nuit Asiatique.

“We are delighted to support the Spring Festival at Chinatown 2023 as part of the Moments lumineux du cœur de l'île initiative. Thanks to this event, Montrealers and visitors will discover a rich ancient tradition and the charms of Chinatown. We would like to thank the borough of Ville-Marie for their support. We wish everyone a very happy Lunar New Year!” said Monique Simard, chair of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership’s board of directors.

CREDITS

Spring Festival at Chinatown 2023

An initiative of the Marché de Nuit Asiatique.
A production of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership.
This event is made possible by the financial support of the borough of Ville-Marie.

Proceeds from the activities will be donated to service à la famille chinoise du grand Montréal and the Montreal Chinese Hospital Foundation.

Dragons Chasing the Moon

An art installation by Karen Tam 
Light design: Bruno Rafie
Fabrication and assembly: Jack World and Raphaël Brien

A production of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership and the Marché de nuit asiatique.

This installation is presented with the support of the Government of Canada and the National Arts Centre.

ABOUT LES MOMENTS LUMINEUX DU CŒUR DE L’ÎLE

Les moments lumineux du cœur de l’île is downtown Montreal’s collaborative winter project. It is the result of a fruitful collaboration among the Alliance centre-ville partners: the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, SDC Montréal centre-ville, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal and the Ville de Montréal, in collaboration with Tourisme Montréal. The initiative is a continuation of a series of summer projects launched in 2020. The winter Moments comprise a variety of outdoor activities organized by the partners and other cultural and economic stakeholders active in the area bounded by Atwater, Sherbrooke and Papineau streets and the St. Lawrence River.  The Moments include a host of original winter activities to be enjoyed outdoors in the downtown core: interactive and luminous installations and experiences, festivals and events, exceptional opportunities to meet talented local artisans, beautifully illuminated public spaces and other delightful surprises. From November to March, the Moments invite Montrealers, visitors and tourists to enjoy the luminous winter wonders of the heart of the island that make Montreal a unique winter destination.

More information: lecoeurdelile.com

ABOUT THE QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES AND THE PARTNERSHIP

The Quartier des Spectacles is Montréal’s cultural heart, boasting North America’s most concentrated and diverse group of cultural venues as well as numerous festivals and events. The Quartier also hosts innovative urban installations involving cutting-edge lighting design and immersive environments. The Quartier des Spectacles has become an international showcase for digital public art.

The Quartier des Spectacles Partnership, founded in 2003, is a non-profit organization with more than 85 members active in the district. It is responsible for animating the Quartier des Spectacles by programming cultural activities, managing and animating public spaces, providing distinctive illumination and promoting the Quartier as a must-visit cultural destination. The Partnership benefits from the support of the Ville de Montréal. 

More information: quartierdesspectacles.com 

ABOUT MARCHÉ DE NUIT ASIATIQUE

Since 2017, Marché de Nuit Asiatique – Montreal’s Asian night market – has organized events that highlight the local Asian community. The organization’s mission is to support Chinatown merchants by giving them a high-profile platform and contributing to the neighbourhood’s revitalization. Marché de Nuit Asiatique is proud to be part of Chinatown’s economic success.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Mélanie Mingotaud
melanie@mingo2.ca
514 582-5272

Marché de Nuit Asiatique
Winston Chan
marchedenuitmtl@gmail.com
514 884-3684

SOURCE

Marché de Nuit Asiatique
Yifang Eva Hu
marchedenuitmtl@gmail.com

Quartier des Spectacles Partnership
Chloé Goldstein
chloe.goldstein@quartierdesspectacles.com
514 812‑2193