On Feb. 22, hundreds of people stood in Hing Hay Park in the heart of Seattle’s Chinatown-International District cheering on a vibrant and playful group of lion dancers.
They were there to celebrate Lunar New Year, a holiday shared by many Asian American communities. The holiday is a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate new beginnings as they mark the reset of the lunar calendar.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, quarantine mandates and a rise in Asian hate emptied the streets of the Chinatown-International District. Since then, the neighborhood has struggled with crime, high cost of living, and the loss of businesses.
Community leaders were happy to see the streets full for the celebration.
“It brings life to our community,” said Jeffery Liang, the interim executive director of the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area. “Our shops get full. Our restaurants have a lot of patrons. When you see that activity, what the impact is on the community here in the CID, it gives us pride – seeing people celebrating with us, eating with us.”
The Chinatown-International District is a cultural hub for Asian American and Pacific Islander communities throughout the central Puget Sound. The vitality of the neighborhood has a regional and cross-cultural impact.
“When Chinatown, CID, thrive, we all thrive!” Kim-Khánh Văn, a Renton city councilmember, said during the celebration’s opening ceremony.
During the event, the district was thriving. Its streets were filled with attendees and vendors, and businesses had lines out the door.
Michelle Jing Chan was one of more than a hundred vendors at the event. She illustrates colorful prints and picture books featuring Asian American history and imagery from Asian mythology.
This is Chan’s third year as a vendor. She said she is finding new significance in the event during this time of social and political turmoil.
“In these sort of political times and post-COVID anti-Asian racism, I feel like celebrations like these are a great reminder that celebration is an act of resistance and a reminder that we’re stronger as a community,” Chan said.
Dru Betita was vending for Kilig, a restaurant in the neighborhood that serves modern takes on Filipino comfort food.
Lunar New Year is not a Filipino holiday. Despite that, Kilig was there to support the community.
“Our chief, Mel, grew up coming here as a child,” Betita said. “Her dad used to bring her down here to hang out and eat. We feel like it’s a very vibrant and important part of the city, so when things happen down here – we’re part of the neighborhood and part of the community, so we just wanna contribute and be a positive force.”
2025 is the Year of the Snake. The snake is the Chinese zodiac that symbolizes transformation and renewal – and that is exactly what neighborhood community leaders and residents are hoping for in the new year.
