SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The City Heights neighborhood is immersed in the festivities of the Lunar New Year Festival Saturday.
Little Saigon San Diego, a local nonprofit promoting Vietnamese culture, organized this three-day celebration of the most important holiday in many Asian communities.
"The year of the dragon symbolizes bravery and wisdom and noble,” said Jennifer Tong of The Hong Konger Club, one of the event's organizers.
The theme of the celebration is centered around kindness, as organizers aim to pay homage to the dragon, she said.
In the Chinese zodiac, each year is associated with one of the 12 animals. Each animal is believed to have distinct characteristics and influence the personality traits of individuals born in that particular year.
The Lunar New Year celebration marks the beginning of a new cycle in this zodiac.
“We wish the Asian community to come out united, so we can continue to build our community within and also to give back to the local community," said Tong.
The festival offers a range of free activities for the entire community, including a dumpling wrapping contest and a pho-eating contest. Tong also talked about the symbolic significance of the dumplings, which were shaped like golden ingots to represent prosperity.
"The more you eat, the more rich you'll become,” she said.
The event is open to the community at no cost and will run through Sunday.
