Thanks to those of you who braved the torrential rain and came out to hear Dr. Stadtner give a fascinating lecture on fakery and fraud!

Thanks to everyone who came out to hear Dr. Timothy Brook give his fascinating lecture on Ming maritime trade “The Ming Afloat: From Zheng He to the Selden Map!”

Here’s a few photos from the event:

Dr. Timothy Brook, Dr. Jan Walls, Dr. Paul Crowe puzzling out the characters on the Swatow-Ware bowl.

Dr. Timothy Brook

Maritime trade routes on the Selden Map

We were happy to see so many people turn up at the Mingei opening and celebration at the Nikkei Centre on Saturday, June 27th! Remember that the show continues through October 11, 2015!

We had a wonderful turnout for the Dr. Frances Wood lecture and musical performance at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Classical Garden on Thursday, May 28. Thank you to Dr. Wood for her talk on Silk Road instruments and our performers Hamin Honari, Hossein Behroozinia, Zhimin Yu and Jirong Huang!

Here’s some pics from our Flickr photo album:

A Musical Journey Along the Silk Road: Pipa Performance by Zhimin Yu

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
in Partnership with the Secret Lantern Society proudly presents:
The 21st Annual Winter Solstice Lantern Festival.

Sunday, December 21, 2014
from 6pm – 10pm at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

Tickets:
Online at https://wintersolstice-2014.eventbrite.ca
(must bring ticket printout)
$5 per person OR $10 for a family (2 adults + 2 children)

Garden Members will receive express entrance from 6:00-6:30pm and complimentary hot beverage.

This winter impress your holiday guests as the World’s Top City Garden celebrates Winter Solstice. To astonish and excite are the goals of the evening as we carry on this ancient Chinese tradition with handcrafted glowing lanterns, musical performances, spicy dragon tea and tasty treats. Bring back the light into the longest night of the year with your family and friends.

What is Winter Solstice?

For thousands of years, cultures around the world have celebrated the Winter Solstice – the time when winter reaches its depths, and when days begin to grow longer as nature heralds the spring. In China, the Winter Solstice celebration (dong zhi) is a time when family and friends gather together, exchange gifts, eat, drink and laugh long into the deep dark night. There is a Chinese proverb that signifies its importance:  冬大過年 (Winter Solstice is more important than Lunar New Year).

Dong zhi is linked to the Chinese belief in the balance of the opposing elements of yin and yang. The yin qualities of darkness and cold reach their fullest on Winter Solstice. However, with the fullness of yin comes a turning point – a rebirth – as darkness gives way to the yang qualities of light and warmth, when winter waxes and spring approaches.

Thank you to our sponsor:

Here are some photos from the opening of Interwoven Stories: Textiles, Costumes, Cultures. It was a wonderful turnout, with African dancing, Cantonese Opera and a guqin performance!

Cantonese Opera

African Dancing

Audience at Opening

Dai Minority Outfit, China

Chinese Doll

Dr. Anthony Phillips, CCC Museum Manager Toni Yue Zhang McAffee, Julie Grundvig