Feature:ChinesecraftsmenenchantU.S.visitorswithimmersiveculturalexperienceinPhiladelphia_GuangmingOnlineFeature:ChinesecraftsmenenchantU.S.visitorswithimmersiveculturalexperienceinPhiladelphiaAChineseartisanmakesaricesculptureforvisitorsatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)byXinhuawriterYangShilongPHILADELPHIA,theUnitedStates,Feb.12(Xinhua)--ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArt(PMA)hostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.ArtisansfromZhejiangProvinceofChinatookovertheGreatStairHallofthemuseumwithavarietyofdemonstrations,includingtea-whisking,sugarpainting,ricesculptures,poetrycouplets,andpuppetry.Guestsalsogotanopportunitytocreatetheirownwoodblockprints,learnaboutthe12animalsoftheChinesezodiac,andreceivedaluckyredenvelope.Itwasestimatedthatatleast1,000parentsandtheirkidshadjoinedthefive-hourcelebrationonSunday,accordingtoHiromiKinoshita,curatorofChineseArtatthePMA."IthinkhavingthecraftsmentocomeallthewayfromChinaandperformthingsthatyoudon'tusuallygettoseeisveryattractive.Andtheeventwasverypopular,"shesaid.Kinoshita,who'sbeenworkingwiththePMAfor12years,believedtheeventcouldhelpfacilitatebetterunderstandingbetweentheAmericanandChinesepeoples,especiallyatatimewheninformationthatpeoplegetusuallycomesfromtheinternetorthenews,whichcouldleadtoarestrictedview."Ithinkpeopleandartsareveryimportanttotransmitideas,andIcan'tthinkofanybetterwaythanhavingcraftsmenorartisanswhocanshowtheirartspersonally,"saidKinoshita."Ithinkhavingthistypeofpersonalconnectionisimportant,"shesaid.KinoshitaalsoexpressedherappreciationforthehelpandsupportfromtheChineseconsulategeneralinNewYorkformakingtheeventareality."Weshouldhavethismoreoften.Weneedtoknowothercultures.Iwouldcomebackeveryyearifyouhaveit,"saidCocoIdani,avisitorwhowasexcitedtogetthericesculptureofherZodiacsignoftigermadebyayoungChinesecraftsman."Chinesecultureisoldandextremelyrich,"saidIdani."Weshouldlearnfromsuchaculturethathassurvivedmanyyears.""Ialwaysthinkthatthroughtheartsandculture,wecanmakebridges.SoI'mveryhappytoparticipate,"saidPaul,whoworksininformationtechnologyandismarriedtoaChineseladyfromZhengzhou,China."Theeventiswonderful.WeliketoshareChineseculture.It'sgreatthattheartisansfromChinacomeheretoshowpuppetryandtheirhandicrafts,"saidPaul,holdinginarmstheirtwo-year-olddaughterZinawearingaChineseSpringFestivalZodiacheadkit.CathyandJoeJacobsenwereplanningtogotoChinatowninPhiladelphiatoseetheLunarNewYearparade,buttheygotlostandendedupinthePMAevent.Yettheyreallylovedtheeventasitwasinclusive,joyful,andwelcomingtoeverybody."It'sagoodoccasiontocelebrateourreunion,"saidJoe,addingthattheyhaveknowneachothersincethe1970sbutonlyreunitedafter40yearsin2016.PMA'seventwasthelastlegoftheChineseartisans'10-dayvisittotheUnitedStatestojointheLunarNewYearcelebrationsinNewYorkandneighboringareas.TheyhadearlierperformedattheMetropolitanMuseum,LincolnCenter,andChinaInstitute."It'sagreatsurpriseforusthatlocalpeopleweresoenthusiasticaboutChineseculture.Weoftenhadtoextendourscheduledperformancehourstoaccommodateamuchlarger-than-expectedcrowdofvisitors,"RuanJing,leaderofthedelegationanddirectorofZhejiangProvincialCulturalCenter,toldXinhua.AChineseartisandemonstratesporcelainmakingatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AwomanandachildmarvelattraditionalChinesedressatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AChineseartisandemonstrateswoodblockprintingatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)ArtisansfromZhejiangProvinceofChinaperformapuppetryshowatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AChinesecalligrapherwritescoupletsforvisitorsatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AChineseartisandemonstratestea-whiskingatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)VisitorslookatanembroideryartworkatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AChineseartisandemonstratessugarpaintingatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)AchildenjoyspuppetryatthePhiladelphiaMuseumofArtLunarNewYearFestivalinPhiladelphia,theUnitedStates,onFeb.11,2024.ThePhiladelphiaMuseumofArthostedaday-longimmersiveLunarNewYearFestivalfullofhands-onactivitiesexploringChinesecultureonSunday.(PhotobyWinstonZhou/Xinhua)Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.