The Upper Dublin Public Library and Upper Dublin Chinese American Association earlier this month hosted a celebration of the Year of the Horse.
The library was filled with the warmth and bustle of families celebrating the new year through cultural crafts, games, and food. The normally quiet building was filled with laughter from the excitement of children exploring different activities, turning the afternoon into a lively community festival. Hosted by the Upper Dublin Public Library as a community-wide event, the celebration brought together many families to welcome the new year through traditional crafts, performances, games, and shared treats.
The celebration began with a warm welcome by Cheri Fiory, library director, followed by speeches from community leaders, including Dr. Yang Wang, the co-president of the Upper Dublin Chinese American Association; Razin Karu, the executive director and PA Governor’s Advisory Commission on AAPI Affairs; Stephanie Sun, the chief operations officer of the Welcoming Center; Kenneth Yang, the CEO of the Penn Asian Senior Services; Kenya Lowe, a UDSD board member, and Karen Rapone, president of the Upper Dublin Education Foundation. Karu also brought Gov. Josh Shapiro’s Lunar New Year greetings to the event attendees.
Announced by President of UDCA Dr. Ling Liang, and presented by UDSD Superintendent Dr. Laurie Smith, Kristine Yang, the middle and high school orchestra teacher, was bestowed the INSPIRE Award, which was created to recognize UDSD educators who demonstrate qualities of Innovation, Nurturing, Spirit, Passion, Inclusion, Resilience, and Empowerment. UDCA is the sponsor of the award.
Activity stations were set up around the library so visitors could move around freely. At one table, children tried traditional paper-cutting, where they carefully shaped bright paper into different designs. Nearby, a calligraphy and ink painting table had guests practice writing Chinese characters with brushes. Many participants also requested blessings or their names in Chinese characters on red paper.
Another station centered around origami, where participants folded paper into creative designs and unique shapes with the help of student volunteers. There were also tables for many different games. Chinese chess, which is called XiangQi, drew the attention of many guests who were interested in playing a challenging game. A Chinese culture-themed Kahoot piqued the attention of lots of kids, as they were used to playing Kahoots in school. Zodiac-themed games and tangrams allowed children to have a good time while also learning about Chinese culture.
There were also many hands-on crafts, including Korean instruments and simple crafts, where participants could create music using Korean drums, velvet flower crafting, which represents traditional craftsmanship, and traditional Chinese painting demonstrations. Artworks related to the Lunar New Year theme were also displayed in the Art Gallery area. In the library’s Story Lab, many families gathered for a shadow puppet presentation. Instructor Mandy Chen guided children through how the puppets worked, explaining the effects of light and movement in simple terms. Two shows were performed: One that tells the origin of Chinese New Year, featuring the story of the monster Nian, and a show from a Chinese classic myth from Journey to the West, called “Three Battles with the White Bone Demon.”
Refreshments were provided in the second-floor STEAM Lab, where families relaxed while enjoying New Year snacks, tea, and Dim Sum. The UDCA members contributed to the tea and delicious snacks, and the Dim Sum was mainly sponsored by Mama Chang Restaurant and Kung Fu III Restaurant. Supervised by Phoebe Lim, student leaders from the UDHS Asian Students Association distributed food items to about 200 participants.
The 2026 Lunar New Year Celebration and Artworks exhibition were made possible through the cooperation of multiple community organizations. Hosted by UDPL, the event was coordinated by the Upper Dublin Chinese American Association in collaboration with Guanghua Chinese School, the UDHS Asian Students Association, the K-Motion Troupe Art Center, and the Upper Dublin School District Asian Students and Families Committee. Event co-sponsors were Mama Chang Restaurant, the Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi), The Friends of UDPL, the Upper Dublin Education Foundation (UDEF), and Kung Fu III Restaurant.
The Lunar New Year signifies a fresh beginning filled with life, growth, and renewed hope. The Year of the Horse symbolizes strength, energy, and perseverance—may it bring good health, vitality, and great success to everyone!
— Written and submitted by Alan Liu, Upper Dublin High School
