Joyous Spring Festival Temple Fair in Montreal’s Chinatown

Montreal celebrated the 8th annual Joyous Spring Festival Temple Fair on Saturday in Chinatown.

This year’s theme was “Warmth and Affection, New Spring for the Elderly.”

Shigen Zhang, president of the Montreal Chinese Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the festival organising committee, explains the springtime festival is a traditional cultural event in China.

“Zhang wanted to represent this cultural event in Canada to do a cultural exchange, to let more people know and understand our culture, and so the Chinese who are abroad here can also feel at home,” said his interpreter.

The festival invited members of the community to welcome the Lunar New Year and share in the warmth of the temple fair, while passing on the virtues of Chinese cultural heritage and comforting the elderly.

The festival served a New Spring Banquet to six elderly residents from the Montreal Chinese Hospital.

“I like it here, it’s my first time, I like everything, the people are so nice,” said Helen Chen, a senior resident at the hospital.

“We try to engage in a numerous variety of community activities,” added Andrea Lai, a recreational activities coordinator at the Chinese Hospital. “It’s quite difficult due to their limitations, so we feel a really great privilege to be invited.”

Visitors witnessed a cultural exhibition as part of the Temple Fair Celebrations, including live calligraphy demonstrations, crafting of red paper and colourful cultural performances.