Chinese New Year Celebration & Monkey Around With Us

by Helen i-lin Hwang

The legendary Monkey King is a popular fable glorified in both children's tales and Chinese opera. In Chinese culture, the monkey possesses admirable attributes like bravery, humor, magic and cleverness -- unlike in the Western perception, where the poor mammal is a fool.

Today begins the Year of the Monkey. Besides the expected luck and fortune coming your way if you were born in the primate year, Sang Kee Peking Duck House and South East Chinese Restaurant are offering free meals for the privileged ones with the right birthright if accompanied by a not-so-privileged paying person. The major festival takes place on Sunday, when the Troc opens its doors to hold an indoor Chinese New Year celebration for the first time. In addition to cultural dances, Beijing opera, tai chi and sword dances, there will be free tastings from four local restaurants following a few interesting food exhibitions. These include Dumpling 1-2-3, a class on proper etiquette for eating Peking duck, Nan Zhou noodle house's hand-drawn noodle demonstration and an opportunity to try soy cheesesteaks. Local athletic organization, the Philadelphia Suns, will do the lion dance to open and close the daylong festival.

"This is the first time we're doing something like this for the community," says Betty Mon, co-chair of the Asian Business Alliance, the group organizing the Troc celebration. "It keeps getting bigger and bigger." There will also be crafts, food, dance and a special screening of Zhang Yimou's Happy Times at International House on Friday.

Chinese New Year Celebration, Fri., Jan. 23, festival 6:30 p.m., film screening 8 p.m, $4 (festival only), $6 (film only) or $8 (both), International House, 3701 Chestnut St., 215-387-5125, www.ihousephilly.org. Monkey Around With Us, Sun., Jan. 25, opening lion dance and firecracker display with Phillie Phanatic 11:45 a.m., indoor festival noon-5 p.m., closing lion dance 4:45 p.m., free, The Trocadero, 1003 Arch St., 215-869-5786, www.abaonline.org.

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