Virginia Museum of Fine Arts celebrates Chinese culture

Peggy Stansbery, Staff Writer

People of all ages experienced a lively lion dance, kung fu, enriching art activities and more inside the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ bright and open space.

The museum had its ChinaFest: Year of the Water Rabbit Family Day on Sunday, Feb. 4. 

ChinaFest has been taking place annually at the VMFA since 2009, according to Natalie Feister, VMFA’s youth and family events coordinator. ChinaFest is a part of VMFA’s Family Day series: These are free, family-based and public events at the museum that celebrate different countries, cultures or themes, Feister said. 

ChinaFest brought guests together to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year and learn about the holiday’s traditions and customs, Feister said. 

“At this year’s ChinaFest, we hoped guests learned more about the Chinese Lunar New Year, connected with the community and explored all that VMFA has to offer,” Feister said.  

ChinaFest included a variety of collaborative projects, performances and artist demonstrations to educate guests on Chinese culture, according to Feister. Some of these performances and demonstrations included Chinese traditional dances, a cappella and kung fu. 

“I hope people came to VMFA and learned something new, whether that be about the Chinese Lunar New Year, an artist’s process, an art technique or a performance type,” Fester said. “We hope that guests left feeling inspired and joyful.” 

VMFA also offers a virtual ChinaFest event page until Feb. 28, according to Feister. 

Yu Dance Arts performed at ChinaFest for their eighth year this past weekend with five dances, — including fan dance, traditional folk, dunhuang and one about this year’s zodiac — according to Yu Xiao, the dance troupe’s owner, teacher, choreographer and artistic director. 

Xiao said ChinaFest is about celebrating Chinese culture, family, learning, sharing and being inclusive.  

“The event brings people from all backgrounds and cultures together and showcases a part of the life of the Chinese Americans,” Xiao said. “It is a great opportunity for us, as immigrants, to contribute our own part to the diversity and prosperity of the larger Richmond community.” 

Richmond’s Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy showcased forms, stances, blocks, strikes and a youth version of the traditional Chinese lion dancing at ChinaFest, according to Ryan Marsh, Richmond’s Moy Yat Kung Fu Academy’s chief instructor and business administrator.

Marsh said ChinaFest exposes children to other cultures and helps them understand the art and symbology of the Chinese New Year. 

“In addition to showing the martial arts they had traditional dancing, singing and arts projects,” Marsh said. “The kids came in and took part of something that they had not seen before. There are other people all over the world who are celebrating this event — we want kids to be aware of what goes on.”

Marsh said the event can be a platform to inspire kids to move towards something new, whether that be martial arts, dance or cooking. 

“There are always new ways to inspire people,” Marsh said. “I think we should inspire people every single day but particularly when there is a global holiday where everyone is trying to have a good time and celebrate themselves and their family.”

ChinaFest attendee Barbara Peeks taught Asian history years ago and said she wishes she could have been able to bring her students to something like this on a field trip. 

“I hope that people saw that the Chinese have a very long and colorful history of embracing lots of different kinds of arts,” Peeks said. 

Attendee Christopher Loney said he decided to attend the event because he is interested in learning about different cultures. 

Loney said he hoped people gained cultural enrichment and appreciation for the Lunar New Year at the event. 

“We are really blessed in Richmond to be able to participate in something like this,” Loney said. “We are very fortunate to have this diversity and the ability to experience different cultures — and for free.”