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Traditional Chinese New Year Celebrations – 2010 Year of the Tiger

February 1, 2010, Boulder, CO - Welcome the Year of the Tiger and celebrate Chinese New Year with the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association as they perform traditional Lion Dance and Kung Fu at venues across the Front Range from January 22 - February 21, 2010. The celebration of the New Year is the most important holiday in the Chinese tradition. This year marks the Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association’s 16th consecutive year performing for thousands of people throughout the state, helping members of the Chinese American community connect with their heritage and introducing countless others to one of the oldest and most diverse cultures in the world.

The Cultural Importance of the Lion Dance

Chinese New Year marks the transition from winter to spring and the start of the New Year based on the lunar calendar. The well known and highly visible Lion Dance is an ancient Chinese custom that welcomes in a new year with good luck,pharmacy no rx health and prosperity. Since its early origins, the Lion Dance has evolved into an integral component of Chinese culture and is believed to “scare” away evil spirits inviting good luck for the coming year.

The Organization Behind the Performance

Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu is a Colorado based, 501(C)(3) non-profit, martial arts organization which, since its origins, has included raising awareness of the Chinese heritage by performing the culturally significant Lion and Dragon dance, as well as offer training in authentic Shaolin Kung Fu as part of its overall mission. Over the past 15 years, the Association has performed for more than 500,000 people and now participates in over 50 events annually. One of the few martial schools in the area to offer training in authentic foundational (Gong Fa) technique, they pride themselves on integrating history, philosophy, theory and culture into their everyday curriculum. The 100% volunteer based organization is committed to improving both the skill and quality of their performances, reinventing their routines every year. The organization was the first in Colorado to introduce sophisticated apparatus on which they perform, some over a story tall. The skill with which the students perform on these structures is the direct result of the foundation they build in their Kung Fu training. Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu was also the first team to perform as many as 11 Lions concurrently.

In addition to Chinese New Year presentations, the Association has performed at such notable events as the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, APIA Vote (a Democratic National Convention Gala), Boulder Asian Festival, Colorado Convention Center, Colorado State Legislators’ Night, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, opening of the Pepsi Center, and others making performances accessible to everyone.

To further its mission, Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu has become the only known martial arts organization in the region to have established a fully functional center for the promulgation of Chinese culture. The Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts offers regularly scheduled classes in traditional Shaolin Kung Fu, Chinese Dragon and Lion performance training, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong, as well as traditional Chinese medical treatments, and an on-going series of special events, workshops and lectures.

Where you can Experience It

There are over 20 events scheduled many of which are free and open to the public. The most popular demonstrations – those that will display the most daring performances – will be the Chinese Student and Scholar Association’s Celebration at CU Boulder and the Far East Center Celebration in Denver, both on February 14th. The Lions will also visit many Boulder area Chinese restaurants on the evening of Friday, February 12 as well as several in Denver on February 13. This series of impromptu performances – called “Bai Nian” - welcomes the New Year wishing the restaurant owners and guests health and prosperity. The main event for Denver will be held at the Far East Center – Federal and Alameda - where the group will present a spectacular performance featuring multiple Lions, the “Happy Buddha” and highly skill-demanding apparatus on which the Lions will “play”. Immediately after, they will perform traditional Kung Fu accompanied by Chinese music (for a complete schedule see below).

If you are interested in learning traditional Shaolin Kung Fu or Lion Dance, visitors are welcome to observe a class on Wednesday or Friday evenings or Sunday mornings at the Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts in Boulder. For more information, visit www.shaolinhungmei.org.

Contact Information:

Shaolin Hung Mei Kung Fu Association & the Academy of Chinese Martial and Cultural Arts
1750 38th Street
Shifu H. Solow
Shifu@shaolinhungmei.org
Boulder, CO 80301
Phone (303) 507-3800
www.shaolinhungmei.org
www.academychinesearts.org