Lunar New Year - Year of the Rabbit

Waterfront Park Seattle

January 22, 2023

Had a blast with my family and community enjoying another beautiful winter, sunny Sunday down on the waterfront celebrating the start of Lunar New Year. Mak Fai Kung Fu Dragon & Lion Dance Association 麥顯輝龍獅團 and Waterfront Park Seattle, along with community vendors, came together to produce the perfect kickoff celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.

The energy flowed and excitement filled the air as those who had gathered on the newly renovated Pier 62 awaited the beating drums to signal the start of the Lion Dance. Symbolizing strength and stability in Chinese culture, the Lion was thought to embody many of the same characteristics as the Dragon.

Though the Lion is not found in the Chinese Zodiac, as they are not native to China and were rarely seen before the establishment of the Silk Road, historical accounts date the earliest account of the dance back to the Han Dynasty in the 3rd century. Traditionally performed to the beat of drums and cymbals to chase away malicious spirits and welcome more prosperous times, and with the help of the Buddhist monk Dai Tou Fut, the Lion dance is commonly seen today during times of celebration and festivals.

If you haven’t heard of indie rock band Backspace straight out of Beijing then allow me to introduce you. The animated gif above is set to their song Six-eyed Dragonfly off their LP album 'Ants Corrupt Elephant'.

A melting pot for the worlds cultures, Seattle’s bustling environment provides the energy to keep the flow of new music and art from the world’s stage consistently moving. Arguably, one of the top 5 cities in the US for music lovers and live music, Seattle’s deep roots in music history have laid the foundation for a community supported music scene to persist and thrive today. It’s hard to walk anywhere in Seattle and not hear music. Either from performers for events and festivals, or more commonly from a car or fellow pedestrian. Seattleites love music, and love listening to it everywhere. Streaming services allow us today to listen to virtually anything anywhere, and have opened up the reach for artist across the world to reach music lovers miles away.

"Cultivating the beauty within the chaos and embedded with an all-embracing empathy of the actions of both the humans and creatures that roam our planet – the unassuming six-eyed dragonfly, the patient desert lizard, the droning ants, the frenzied rabbit – the band strikes a chord that’s playful, invigorating, and filled with both wonder, urgency, and sly dissonance." -WILLIAM GRIFFITH

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