Asian Pacific American Heritage Month celebrated in Chicago Chinatown

CHICAGO, May 11 (Xinhua) -- A celebration of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in Chicago's Chinatown attracted thousands of visitors on Saturday.

Performances including the dragon dance, folk dances and Chinese songs were staged on a make-shift platform. At neighboring tables, children painted the Lord Rabbit figurine, a centuries-old toy in Beijing, and do paper folding, Chinese character jigsaw puzzles and movable type printing.

More than 70 local organizations and businesses sponsored and participated in the event, which consisted of three simultaneous parts, namely the Chinese Character Carnival, arts performance and health services, and was organized by the Midwest Asian Health Association, a non-profit health organization, to entertain local communities and promote Chinese culture.

"As an important member of Asian Americans, Chinese Americans uphold the traditional Chinese virtues of perseverance and diligence, and have made important contributions to the prosperity of the Asian American community in Chicago and the development of Sino-American relations," said Deputy Consul General of China in Chicago Huang Liming at the opening ceremony.

Huang urged the overseas Chinese community to continue uniting the Asian communities in making more contributions to the development and prosperity of the local community, and to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation between the Chinese and American people.

"Beautiful culture," said Ryan B, who, with his wheelchaired mother, came from Las Vegas and was sightseeing in Chicago when bumping into the event.

"They (Chinese families) have a strong sense of being together, all generations coming together," Akua Mason, who grew up in New York and went to a Chinese and Korean community high school, told Xinhua.

Mason loves Chinese dance and music, and is deeply impressed by the strong Chinese family bond.

The highlight of the event, the Chinese Character Carnival comprised a series of cultural activities including Chinese calligraphy, Chinese poetry recitations, Chinese character jigsaw puzzle competitions, and Chinese idioms and allusions.