A Vancouver botanic garden is hosting a festive Lunar New Year celebration this month

The Year of the Rabbit is just around the corner, and a new celebration is launching in Vancouver this month to help locals prepare for the Spring Festival.

UBC Botanical Garden is hosting its first Lunar New Year Market on January 14 and 15, with an artisan market, live entertainment, and more to enjoy.

And it wouldn’t be a Lunar New Year event without the energetic lion dances!

 

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“We have a large collection of plants from all over Asia in our David C. Lam Asian Garden and it seemed like a natural fit for us to welcome the public to commemorate Lunar New Year,” said Ariel Yu, Administrative Assistant, UBC Botanical Garden. “We also noticed there were not a lot of other events happening in our area to celebrate the Lunar New Year and saw it as an opportunity to serve our local community with a fun celebration to welcome the Year of the Rabbit.

Visitors of the Lunar New Year Market will meet local makers, artists, and crafters showcasing a variety of goods.

Organizers say that some vendors may accept only cash or card, so shoppers should be prepared for both payment methods. There is no bank machine located on-site at UBC Botanical Garden.

Lunar New Year (Peiling Lee/Shutterstock)

The festivities also include kung fu performances from UBC Kung Fu Club, the oldest AMS martial arts club at the university.

UBC Kung Fu Club started in 1996 with roots in traditional Hung Gar teachings. Today the association has grown to offer Sanshou, a Chinese style of kickboxing; Wushu, a dynamic performance and acrobatics-based style; and Lion Dance, a form of traditional dance derived from Chinese martial arts.

UBC Kung Fu Club/Facebook

There will also be dance performances by the YunTang Dance Club and UBC Hanfu Culture Society. The latter was founded by a group of UBC students and recognized by the Government of BC as a non-profit organization in 2011.

UBC Hanfu Culture Society has become of the best-known youth groups among the Chinese community on Canada’s West Coast. Members use Hanfu — a traditional Han Costume — to share the beauty of the Han culture with the public.

Hanfu Culture Society/Instagram

“We hope that guests who traditionally celebrate Lunar New Year as well as those that have never celebrated it before join us for a fun weekend celebrating the rollover to a new lunar year,” added Yu.

Canada’s oldest university botanic garden will also sell fresh flowers and potted plants during the event. This is a great opportunity to pick up an auspicious plant before the Year of the Rabbit begins on Sunday, January 22.

All tickets for the Lunar New Year Market also include admission to the David C. Lam Asian Garden, featuring an abundance of wild-collected plants from all over Asia. UBC Botanical Garden adds that the garden admission is weather dependent.

Lunar New Year Market

When: January 14 and 15, 2023
Time: 11 am to 4 pm
Where: UBC Botanical Garden Reception Centre – 6804 SW Marine Drive, Vancouver
Tickets: $5 plus tax and fees, purchase online