Despite the rain and mud, the crowds still gathered in Hockessin over the weekend to sample a bit of Chinese culture at the annual Chinese Festival held at the Chinese American Community Center (CACC).
“I’m surprised by the turnout,” said Jennifer Tse, of Newark. Tse recently moved to Delaware from New Jersey, and took-in the festivities along with her husband, David Clarke, and 15-month-old son, Calvin, who enjoyed some of the authentic Chinese recipes while sported a recently cut Mohawk.
“We had to get it cut after seeing Grandma and Grandpa,” Tse jokingly explained.
This year’s theme, “The Evolution of Chinese Cooking,” was showcased with authentic delicacies made by community center members. You won’t see many of the foods offered on the menu of most restaurants, as patrons got to experience true Chinese food, ranging from the delicate flavors of the CACC Cooking Club’s pork fried dumplings, the sweetness of the Formosa sausage, and the heartiness of Lihong’s Zong Zi, which was made up of rice, pork and shitake wrapped in a bamboo leaf.
Many patrons huddled underneath the tarp-covered eating area as wet conditions turned the grassy parking area into a giant mud pit, trapping several vehicles, including one of the tow-trucks called to help.
Mason Taube’s mini-van was one of the unlucky vehicles, digging into the mud as the Hockessin-native attempted to leave.
“I was a bit overzealous in my attempt,” he explained as he glanced over at the mud-covered vehicle to his left.
Three tow-truck companies were called to help pull the cars out of the mud, all paid for by the CACC.
Back inside, the festival offered plenty of activities for children, like arts and crafts and face painting.
Yue-Ling Yang, of Baltimore, showed visitors how to make five different types of time-honored flower arrangements. The oldest of those demonstrated was called Rikka, and was created in the 15th century for temples and ceremonies. Many of the flowers and plants used were from Yue-Ling’s home garden.
The big crowd-pleaser, the Dragon Dance, involved nine women from the CACC Dragon & Lion Dance Club running in unison with a bright yellow and red dragon above the dancers’ heads. In the dance, the dragon chases the pearl of wisdom on its journey to find knowledge, which led it indoors due to the inclement weather.
The finale featured a performance by Xinlai Zhou, a member of the Bejing Opera. Dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit, Zinlai performed a part of "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms," a 14th century opera based on the events leading up to the end of the Han Dynasty.
Wonder if they had to deal with mud, too.
