LNY celebration - physical or virtual... why not both?

​Today is the 15th day of the first month of the year of Water Tiger which also marks the end of the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Incidentally, it is also referred to as the Chinese Valentine’s Day, which means, this year, the Western and Eastern Valentine’s Day runs consecutively. Does that mean double the romance?

This year’s LNY celebration has been festive and exciting at Choice Communication. Despite the pandemic, we ran two celebrations – one physical and one virtual – both were immensely successful and meaningful, with charity components.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie, City of Richmond displayed his wishing card in front of the Tiger.

As one of the most established malls in Greater Vancouver, Lansdowne Centre draws traffic to the mall with more than a hundred stores providing essential service. We are extremely excited to have produced two brand new installations. At the Kiosk Court, we have stuffed a traditional, handmade Tiger with packaged food generously donated by the Lansdowne T&T Supermarket, complete with a wishing wall. Anyone making a suggested cash donation of $5 will have a chance to win an amazing prize and make a wish at the display. On top, Lansdowne Centre will match all cash donations up to $5,000. The person who guesses the weight or the closest weight of the packaged food will win $388 (in gift cards). It is a win-win-win situation as the packaged food and donation will go to needy families with the help of the Richmond Food Bank.

When the shoppers go to the Centre Court, they will be greeted by a peach orchard, guarded by two golden dragons, with traditional Chinese lantern decoration. The pebble path lined with peach trees became the hottest photo spot for dating couples and families alike.

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​Meanwhile, on the virtual front, we hosted the 2nd year of LNY interactive, virtual cooking. This kicks off the new Culture Tastic, a series of five themed episodes. Not only was it fun, it also raised funds for local charity Richmond Cares Richmond Gives.  More importantly, it is a medium to promote culture, understanding, and inclusivity through cooking. A small step towards a more inclusive community.

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The cooking demonstration by Chef Yuyina Zhang received extensive media coverage and we can’t wait for the rest of the series to unfold.

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