Cultural fair celebrates the Year of the Rooster

In China, 16-year-old Xing Wei’s beautiful calligraphy garnered multiple awards.

On Saturday, Wei, a Lewis and Clark High School student, put brush and ink to paper to give Spokane-area residents a taste of Chinese culture.

People lined up 10-deep to have the teenager painstakingly write their names in Chinese, which he did as a gift.

The cultural fair, held at Spokane Community College, celebrated the Year of the Rooster. Members of the Spokane Chinese Association and area students prepared foods, played games and offered a glimpse into a society rich with traditions.

“I’m very glad that there are this many people who want to know (about) China. Through this exhibit, they can learn Chinese culture,” said Wei’s father, Xiantang Wei.

The family moved to Spokane from northeastern China six months ago so Xiantang Wei could attend business classes at Gonzaga University.

Ann Jones of West Valley brought her three children, Sydney, 6, Lauren, 8, and Spencer, 4, who patiently waited in line to have Xing Wei spell their names in Chinese. Spencer was adopted from Vietnam, so Jones believes it’s particularly important to teach her family about other cultures.

“Some of this is to expose him to Asian culture,” Jones said. “It’s hard to find things like this in Spokane.”

Festival-goers tasted egg rolls and other Chinese favorites, while children played games and learned paper folding. Movies and performances were scheduled throughout the day.

Art forms included delicate tissue-paper cuttings of roosters and peacocks. Rich in detail, each peacock feather had intricate flowers and leaves.

The cuttings were made by Weihua Liu, who mastered the art with the help of her grandmother while growing up in China.

Liu, who moved to Spokane from Beijing six years ago, was pleased at the festival’s hearty attendance.

“There are so many people living here and they are interested in China. It’s a good time to introduce and share,” Liu said.

Lindsay Treiber, a Whitworth College student, said she thought the authentic arts added a nice touch to the event. “It’s very different than the art we have but it’s still really good art.”

Fenggang Ma passed out information about a new Chinese language program offered on Saturdays at Gonzaga University.

As one of the program’s organizers, he thinks the community response has been enthusiastic.

“We have a really good program going. We have about 40 kids,” he said.

Classes are divided into four levels, with children coming from varying ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Some parents enrolled their Chinese-American children to help them retain a sense of their heritage.

Ma wants his children to remain fluent in Chinese, but finds it difficult to engage them at home.

“When I speak Chinese to them, they speak back to me in English,” he said.

His son, Kevin Ma, a sixth-grader at Farwell Elementary School, likes the classes because he’s learning with other kids his age.

“It’s pretty fun, actually. I get to meet more kids who are Chinese like me.”

The classes let families pass on an important piece of culture, his father said.

“There are so many parents that want their children to keep up on or use that language part.”