MOUNT HOPE, New York — Residents and local officials in the Middletown area turned out for the area’s inaugural Chinese Renaissance Fest on Sept. 28, enjoying traditional Chinese food, activities, and arts, including music and dance performances.
The event was organized by the Mount Hope Chinese Association, and held from 11 to 6 at the community’s Town Park, right outside the village of Otisville.
Many participants could be seen in traditional Chinese dress — known generally as hanfu (漢服) — from a variety of different historical eras ranging from the Zhou period over 2,500 years ago to the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644).
Performers of all ages put on a repertoire of classical Chinese dances, as well as folk dances and styles from China’s ethnic minority groups.
There were also games, such as archery, tug-of-war, and cuju, an ancient form of soccer invented about 1,000 years ago.
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Dajiyuan, the Chinese-language edition of The Epoch Times, reported on the event.
“This is our first time hosting this event, and our goal is to share authentic traditional Chinese culture,” said Mela Wu, president of the Association.
She expressed hope that the Fest could introduce to Americans the classic Chinese virtues of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith (仁義禮智信), while promoting an overall “return to tradition and the cultivation of kindness.”
‘A wonderful opportunity’
Mount Hope Councilwoman Keri Lee Carey echoed the sentiment, praising the traditional Chinese emphasis on family as something in alignment with her personal values. “We have much to learn from the experiences of our ancestors,” she said.
Dorey Houle, councilwoman in the nearby town of Monroe, praised the dances put on at the event and commended it as a “wonderful opportunity for Chinese culture to be able to weave its way into the American culture that we have here.”
Houle, who is running for New York state senator representing the 42nd District covering most of Orange County, added that she was drawn to the principles of loyalty and righteousness as memorialized in traditional Chinese historiography.
Recent years have seen the growth of the local Chinese-American community, many of whom settled in the area after fleeing religious persecution in Communist China. Deerpark, a township adjoining Mount Hope, hosts Dragon Springs, the headquarters of globally acclaimed classical Chinese dance company Shen Yun Performing Arts.
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Mount Hope Town Supervisor Paul Rickard welcomed the event as “a continuation of the goodwill” he has seen from local Chinese-Americans, who he noted have organized similar community activities in the area.
Shen Yun was founded by adherents of Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa (法輪大法), a Chinese spiritual discipline rooted in Buddhist traditions. The faith group is subject to severe persecution by the communist regime in its homeland.
Cultural exchange and connections
In addition to entertainment and food, various cultural associations, including the local Falun Dafa Association and Gan Jing World, a social media and video sharing platform founded in 2022, were represented at the Chinese Renaissance Fest.
One Middletown resident who introduced himself as Bob donned Mongol capes and robes he said would be contemporaneous to the Song Dynasty (960–1976), and said he hoped to learn Mandarin.
“I appreciate how the Chinese value family, and I can feel the love within the Chinese community,” he said.
Local resident Lucille Young said she was “pleasantly surprised” by the performances and activities she experienced at the Fest in such a small town. She expressed appreciation for the values found in Chinese culture and faith.
Kayla Fernandez, who also attended the event, said she felt a “sense of peace,” while her companion, Denis Collado, commended the food and atmosphere.
“I love the food and the people here, as well as the dance and activities — it’s a beautiful combination.”
