Year of the Rabbit Ushered in With Art, Music and Dance

The Year of the Rabbit was welcomed with a special celebration at William Paterson University's Power Art Gallery Thursday afternoon.

Artist Liu Yong gave an ink painting demonstration. A Chinese lion dance and traditional Chinese music were performed as well.

The event was sponsored by the university's Center for Chinese Art. It was the second consecutive year the event took place.

"There are not too many Chinese-themed events happening in Wayne," said Zhiyuan Cong, the center's director. "We would enjoy bringing more traditional Chinese art and music to the area. We see events like this as a cultural exchange program. The more we can educate people about Chinese culture, the more we can grow closer to people in this area and understand each other and the more we understand each other, the more peaceful and happy everyone will be."

Residents agreed with Cong.

"Art in China has such a rich history and events like this help to give people a context for how it is made," resident Celeste Roney said. "They can be eye-opening experiences for a lot of people."