Monterey Park set to celebrate the Year of the Dragon, one year after tragedy

Downtown Monterey Park is hosting its annual Lunar New Year Festival next weekend, Jan. 27 and 28, and Fonda Quan hopes to attend.

A year after her world was shattered when her aunt My Nhan was killed in a mass shooting on Jan. 21, 2023, at a beloved dance hall, the festival represents a symbol of how far Monterey Park has come in a year.

“Being able to come back, and have that event again this year… shows how resilient we are as a community,” she said. “My family is especially proud of that. And I definitely think there is something (special) about the Year of the Dragon.”

Ten others would lose their lives a year ago at Star Ballroom Dance studio, when a gunman entered amid the nighttime beginnings of the city’s annual celebration, and opened fire.

Within a matter of seconds, the city’s perennial place of gathering on the eve of the New Year became immersed in tragedy – the din of sirens, the silence of shock, the sound of mourners echoing at makeshift memorials.

Crowds were flocking to Monterey Park not for the food. Not for the celebration of culture. But to mourn the dead.

This year, security is expected to be tighter, but expectations remain high and optimistic as the city brings back its celebration, also on the eve of the Lunar New Year, which this year begins on Feb. 10 — ushering in the 2024 “Year of the Dragon” in the Chinese zodiac. Other local cities also hold celebrations.

The street fair event, celebrating the Year of the Dragon, will feature community resources, a carnival fun zone, traditional arts, food and business vendors. Live New Year lion and dragon dancers will parade along Garvey Avenue, between Garfield and Alhambra Avenues — just a block away from the same area where the deserted Star Ballroom studio still stands.

Organizers say there will be a moment of silence around 11:10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, to solemnly remember those who were killed in the shooting. Other forms of commemorative activities are being discussed, including a “wish card” tent station for attendees to express their thoughts and memories of the dance studio or any victims.

But like Quan, local residents say they will come, and local businesses hope to serve them.

Year of the Wood Dragon

The holiday is one of the oldest Asian annual traditions, following an ancient lunar calendar from China.

Lunar or Chinese New Year celebration starts on the new moon on the first day of the new year, and ends on the full moon 15 days later. Also known as the Spring Festival, or chūnjié, the holiday is widely celebrated globally and in areas with large Chinese populations. It’s also widely recognized by Korean and Vietnamese cultures, among others, on the second new moon after the Dec. 21 winter solstice.

Lunar New Year traditions include attending big family feasts, eating dumplings and rice cakes, wearing red, and decorating the house with New Year’s greetings in Chinese calligraphy to bring good luck to the household. Other customs include setting off firecrackers to ward off the bad spirits — and the popular giving of red envelopes, which symbolize well wishes for the new year ahead.

2024 is the year of the Wood Dragon, the fifth animal in the 12-year cycle of Chinese zodiac signs, following the Year of the Rabbit. The mythological dragon, considered a strong, independent and powerful figure in Chinese folklore, symbolizes energy, vitality, and a clear understanding of self, while still relying on others for support. According to the Chinese Language Institute, dragons hold a unique place in the Chinese zodiac, and are born to lead.

Monterey Park’s Lunar New Year Festival organizers hope that the dragon’s resilient spirit is echoed all throughout the holiday.

The event is co-hosted by the city, the Monterey Park Downtown Business Improvement District Advisory Committee, and the World Journal L.A. — the Chinese publication helping to produce the festival.

Caesar Gao, with the World Journal, said that in Chinese custom people are descendants of the dragon, which has “gradually evolved into a symbol representing auspiciousness, spirituality, dignity, elegance and prosperity.”

“In the Chinese zodiac, many Chinese families hope to have children born in the Year of the Dragon, as it is believed to be a year associated with high birth rates in many Asian countries, symbolizing good fortune and prosperity,” Gao said.

Gao said that the downtown Monterey Park street festival, going on over 10 years, has been held with a goal to boost the city’s local economy, while celebrating traditional Asian-Pacific culture.

Organizers hope to organize a “high-quality live event” with diverse vendors planned this year from Disneyland to Asian folk artists, in light of economic downturns and high inflation going into 2024.

“The objective is to create a mutually beneficial environment for local merchants, exhibitors, and participants, and the publication aims to leverage this lively and celebratory event to promote harmony and shared prosperity among various communities and cultures,” Gao said.”

The Lunar New Year, Gao added, is significant, too, because it symbolizes the end of the old and the welcoming of the new.  The Monterey Park festival, Gao noted, has become a tradition for many in Southern California and beyond, because it is a symbol of “a collective desire to embrace future challenges with joy and a positive mindset, and a firm intention to work towards a better life.”

In effect, its very meaning is particularly salient in a city trying to heal.

Diana Garcia, Monterey Park’s assistant city manager, said that both Sunday’s community vigil and Lunar New Year festival weekend is a time “to really demonstrate resilience.”

“The festival is (for) people to get out and have fun with their families,” Garcia said. “Healing is mourning, but we know that our community likes to come together collectively and celebrate as well, so that’s the hope for the festival.”

Resilient community

Monterey Park resident Jonathan Chu said that his mom used to dance at Star Ballroom, and still goes to other social dance settings in the area.

He plans to attend next week’s festival for the new year, hoping for a change in the chaos.

The Year of the Dragon is supposed to be about “enhancing, clear intentions and magnified energy.”

“I just want to get healthier and focus on work goals. I feel like this would be a good year for that stuff.”

Chester Chong, from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said that “people don’t forget a tragedy” like the one that rocked Monterey Park one year ago on the eve of Lunar New Year.

“It’s very unfortunate. We keep them in our memory, but we also have to keep going with life,” Chong said. “A year later, I think people feel unsafe… a lot has changed and people are definitely more wary. Hopefully with the new year, someone can help the community feel safe again.”

And despite what happened, many Asian-populated cities across the Southland found ways to still celebrate the important holiday last year. The 2023 Alhambra Lunar New Year festival also honored Brandon Tsay, the 26-year-old who stopped the gunman from entering a similar business in Alhambra that fateful night.

Chong echoed that the 2024 Year of the Dragon is “an important year, because the world is not peaceful. The (Chamber) hopes the dragon will bring change to the world, for a more peaceful place… instead of fighting and killing, we should learn from each other and help each other. We are one world, one family.”

Monterey Park will host its 2024 Lunar New Year Festival on Saturday, Jan. 27 and Sunday, Jan. 28 beginning at 10 a.m., on Garvey Avenue between Garfield and Alhambra avenues.

For more information, visit montereypark.ca.gov/669/Lunar-New-Year-Festival.

Staff writers Christina Merino and Teresa Liu contributed to this report. 

Source: Orange County Register