About 300 hundred people celebrated Chinese culture Saturday night in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom.
People of all ages and backgrounds joined members of the Chinese American Student Association in welcoming and celebrating the Year of the Rabbit.
The show consisted of performances showcasing Chinese culture.
The 15-day celebration of the Chinese New Year was condensed into 10 acts, beginning with a lion dance and a kung fu demonstration and ending with a performance by the organization’s traditional and modern dance troupe.
An orange tree was used for wish-making — a part of Chinese tradition.
The group included an explanation of the tree as well as other information about the Chinese New Year in between acts.
Members of the Gainesville Chinese School performed a yo-yo demonstration. Another new act, Baozheng Li, played music on four different traditional Chinese instruments.
Angel Cheong, the internal vice president of the organization, has helped put on this show for at least five years, but most of the acts vary each year.
“Since it’s not really a holiday in the United States, this is my way to celebrate,” Cheong said. “For the Chinese-American student, this is like a home away from home. So they can celebrate, too, because it is such a big celebration overseas.”
