Feature: Toronto museum beckons Chinese New Year with heritage show

TORONTO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- One of the most prominent museums in the Canadian city of Toronto was transformed into a galore of Chinese artistry on Saturday, presenting a live snake display, an ethnic costume display and a diverse array of Chinese-themed performances on Saturday.

With the Chinese Lunary New Year just around the corner, the Royal Museum of Ontario (ROM) partnered with the Chinese community to usher in the Year of the Snake with their first annual Chinese Cultural Heritage Day.

The eventful day was not only meant to give families a day of fun through hands-on activities, but also for them to gain an appreciation of the Chinese culture through experiencing various aspects of their heritage.

ROM's CEO Janet Carding believes it's the best way for Canadians of all backgrounds to bridge the cultural gap in a fun and informal setting.

"There are all kinds of things happening so that people coming into Toronto to visit the museum for the day can understand about the Chinese contributions to Ontario," she said. "It's a way of history meeting the future, it's a way of different communities meeting each other, and it's a way of a whole group of people having a lot of fun."

Chinese Consul General Fang Li, along with a number of government officials, attended the opening ceremony to kick off the festivities. Hundreds of Canadians were treated to a number of special performances such as the traditional Chinese lion dance, a Tai Chi demonstration and musical performances.

The ROM has been holding its own Chinese New Year events every year, but this year, it renamed them the Chinese Cultural Heritage Day. Carding said it's a way to widen the scope and engage people in a deeper conversation about the Chinese culture.

"It's allowed us to take the next step to have a bigger and deeper relationship," she said. "So alongside the celebrations of the new year, which we've had in the past years, there is just a great deal more that's actually happening."

Some of the things on display included a Chinese Ethnic Costume exhibit that showcased dozens of vibrant traditional clothing. People also got to sample some Chinese tea and learn all about China's national treasure through a collection of photos at Xinhua News Agency's panda photo gallery.

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