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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-CA link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>For Immediate Release <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>January 26, 2016 <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden celebrates Chinese New Year, Year of the Fire Monkey: Feb 14, 2016 10am-4pm<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tickets by donation. Suggested donation: $5<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>For tickets: </span><a href="https://monkey-temple-fair.eventbrite.ca"><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>https://monkey-temple-fair.eventbrite.ca</span></a><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>To celebrate traditional Chinese New Year, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden presents The Year of the Monkey Temple Fair, a one-day festival on Sunday, February 14th, 2016. It is a community event based on the 4000-year-old Chinese tradition of the Spring Festival, the largest and the most important festival of the year in Chinese tradition.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='text-autospace:none'><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Garden will present dynamic and engaging Chinese and multicultural music and dance performances, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese New Year customs, games and activities for the whole family. The festival is the opportunity for the Chinese community to share its cultural traditions and invite the wider public to participate in it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>As for the sign of Monkey – it’s been said that people born under the sign of Monkey are highly adaptable and versatile. Enthusiastic about everything, they spend their time broadening their minds and are especially fascinated with art. They like refinement, originality and luxury. Inventive and intelligent, those born in these years can solve most problems quickly and skillfully, and are able to accomplish much in business.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt'> ------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>What to expect at this Temple Fair <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Tai Chi, BC Chinese Opera performances, Chinese papercutting demonstrations, lion dance and Kung Fu performances, traditional burning of incense and hanging wishes on a tree, Gong Fu Tea service, chopstick games, lucky coin tossing, Feng Shui fortune readings, and much more. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>There will be traditional food such as: <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Sugar-dipped fruit candy <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Dumplings (insert Chinese name)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Chinese burgers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Corn-in-a-cup<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Special spicy tea <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>AND Market in the Hall of Hundred Rivers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'> --------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>History:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Miaohui, or temple fair, is a traditional celebration of the lunar New Year. It originated from Taoism, a Chinese religion. Some believe that it benefited from the opposition between Buddhism and Taoism, two major religions of China which were in full swing during the Tang and Song Dynasties. Their contention mainly focused on building more temples and attracting more followers. Elaborate rituals and religious activities including the worship of gods, incense burning, folk performances and festivals were carried out regularly around the temples. One of the stand-out features of the event is Xingfo (Buddhist Parade) in which a figure of Buddha was put on a highly decorated float and paraded through the streets. On the anniversary of Sakyamuni's birthday, over 1,000 Buddha figures would be displayed. This later developed into a kind of carnival which involved lion dancing, stage operas, acrobatic shows, and other activities. </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:12.0pt'>The gradual secularization of religious activities not only helped popularize Taoism and Buddhism, it has also encouraged commercial dealings among the collective activities. However, it was the Ming and Qing Dynasties or even modern times before massive commercial trading became an important part of Miaohui, as it was once called Miaoshi (market in temple grounds). Miaohui gradually evolved into a place where people gathered for various kinds of folk performances and trading. In many parts of China, attending a Miaohui is an indispensable part of the New Year celebration. </span><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'>(Source: </span><a href="http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/"><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'>http://www.china.org.cn/english/travel/</span></a><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span lang=FR style='font-size:12.0pt'>Media Contact:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Neutraface 2 Text Demi","sans-serif";mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'><img border=0 width=72 height=116 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01D15855.CF523230"></span><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'><img border=0 width=379 height=115 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D15855.CF523230"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='mso-fareast-language:EN-CA'> 578 Carrall Street, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K2<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>