Lunar New Year at Town Hall too

Those who wanted to enjoy the Lunar New Year celebrations but weren’t able to make it to the parades haven’t missed the boat - Flushing Town Hall has a Lunar New Year Festival that runs to the end of February.
The landmark municipal building, which is home to the Flushing Council on Culture and the Arts, is hosting numerous exhibits, performances and events.
Anchoring the schedule is an exhibit of hand-carved wooden doors and windows from China, including some 500-year-old works from the Ming Dynasty. The display in the main gallery will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
The selection is on loan from Crystal Window and Door Systems of Flushing, which is also a major sponsor of the festival.
The impressive selection of works of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing (Ching) period (1633-1911) were recovered from all over China by Crystal’s president Thomas Chen. Many of the pieces were part buildings which were abandoned or slated for demolition.
Carefully oriented and placed in the home according to the principles of Feng Shui to achieve harmony and balance, antique Chinese windows and doors were designed for ventilation, light filtration and privacy screening. They granted a seamless transition from outside to inside.
Saturday, February 9 will be a full day of activities, beginning with a Chinese Paper Cutting & Origami interactive workshop by Professor Hsing-Lih Chou, for a fee of $8 for adults and $6 for children. Members pay $2 less.
There will be a free sampler of dance performance from Korea, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia in the theater, at 2 p.m.
At 8 p.m. that evening, world renowned violinist C. Christopher Wang will perform as a part of his world tour. The concert, jointly presented by the Council and the Flushing Rotary Club, is sponsored by Crystal and Commerce Bank. Tickets are $20, $16 for members.
On two consecutive Saturdays, February 16 and 23, the Chai Found Music Ensemble from Taiwan will present a two-part, free performance titled “The Tea House” which includes traditional demonstrations and musical performances in the gallery.
The ensemble will also perform in concert in the theater on Saturday, February 23 at 8 p.m. featuring modern and traditional “sizhu” music, on instruments most representative of Chinese musical tradition.
For more information, visit www.flushingtownhall.org or call 718-463-7700. Tickets for events that aren’t free can be purchased from the box office, at Ext. 222.