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San Diegans gather to celebrate Chinese New Year at Balboa Park

Hundreds of people showed up for the 88th year of the Chinese New Year Festival at the International Cottages at Balboa Park Saturday.

SAN DIEGO — Hundreds of people showed up for the 88th year of the Chinese New Year Festival at the International Cottages at Balboa Park Saturday. They enjoyed dance performances, music, and more. 

Lion dancers and other talented performers showcased their skills in front of a big crowd for the Lunar New Year. CBS 8 reporter Ariana Cohen had the honor of emceeing this year’s event outside the House of China

The audience enjoyed a Chinese fashion show, martial arts, and ribbon dancing. 

"I'm so nervous, but also really, really excited! 110%!" cheers 10-year-old singer and performer Eva Mather.

2022 was the year of the tiger, and 2023 was the year of the rabbit. 

"The rabbit is very peaceful. It looks very weak, but it's strong," said 10-year-old Katie Zhu, Princess of the House of China. 

The Chinese New Year officially starts Sunday, and with that comes many traditions. 

"We are celebrating the Chinese New Year, and in China, it is a lot of noise, a lot of red and good food, and everybody comes together. I think the originality comes from this tale where we are trying to get away from this monster named "Year," and every year, we would try to scare off the monster because it would eat people in the village. We would do that with fireworks, and the monster would run away and scare Year, the monster, and we would welcome the new year," said 16-year-old Queen of the House of China, Ruby Gal. 

Children have many hopes and goals for the new year.

"I wish to become better at math and science because my parents are scientists!" said Mather. 

"I wish to become a better person and better at time management," said Zhu. 

Chinese New Year celebrations run through February 5th, finishing with a lantern festival. The festivities continue Sunday at 11 a.m. at Balboa Park.

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