CRI听力:ChinaFest, A Starting Point for Your China Frenzy

Although it is a rainy winter day in Richmond, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is still filled with people who have come to be a part of ChinaFest.

With film screenings and lectures, the ten-year old cultural program has grown into an important family-based activity in the community.

"Since I've taken over, the first year I think we had about 250 visitors when we started the family events."

This is Jessica Bauserman, one of the program coordinators with the museum.

"And it has grown to an annual expectation of about 2,500 to 3,200, and this year we're expecting 4,000 to 5,000 people."

To warm up, the lion dance is always the perfect choice.

Instead of only showing acrobatic skills, the performers try hard to entertain their young audience, imitating a timid lion, twinkling its eyes while shaking its body.

In addition to the performances, there are a lot of activities for the children to explore. Every family is given an art passport. They earn a sticker after finishing each activity.

"I love it. It's like a whole bunch of separate things in one."

11-year old Isabella Thomas comes with her mom and brother. Wearing a Chinese Qipao, the cute little girl is excited to bring home her own work, a small china bowl she decorated herself.

"I've done the Chinese knot-tying as you can see; Ming Dynasty China ware and the Lion Dance; make a Chinese New Year's Lantern, and that's what I've done so far."

Chinafest is a free one-day event. Families can learn about the Chinese zodiac, how to tie a Chinese knot, make paper-cutting, and even enjoy some classic brush painting animations.

In general, it is a vivid and multi-dimensional cultural experience rather than a rigid text book. And that's why the parents love to bring their kids to ChinaFest.

"She is learning some Chinese in school. I think it gives her an opportunity to have a little bit of exposure to some other cultures."

"We love everything about the Chinese culture but we don't really know much. So this is something that we've always been interested in. And learning how to do the calligraphy and the writing, I think things like that, I hope is their next part that they want to learn. "

And this is also the hope of Rose Chen, or Chen Nanping, who initiated the idea for ChinaFest.

Born in Taiwan and a former resident of Richmond for over twenty years, Chen would love to see more people getting to know and embracing the Chinese culture. In Chen's words, ChinaFest is meant to be a starting point.

"We're not in a position to educate, we just want to make a cultural presentation and we welcome you all to join us. This is only a start. When you were given the exposure to the culture, you find the interests and then start your own way to dig into that culture."

For CRI, I'm He Fei.