It was the weekend closest to the second day of the second month of the Lunar Chinese New Year. Time to head up to Marysville for the Bok Kai Festival! This was the 135th such festival, held in honor of Bok Kai Temple (built 1880) and its water god Bok Eye. The Chinese, of course, have held festivities in Marysville since their arrival in the early years of the Gold Rush. What number visit was this of mine - the fifth or sixth? I've lost count. I went inside the Taoist temple and watched the worshipers. I saw military volunteers from nearby Beale AFB carry the 175-foot dragon Hong Wan Lung along the parade route. Bok Kai Festival is at its core a religious event, but no ACLU types get into a snit about the troop involvement. After a big lunch at China Moon Restaurant, it was time to follow the lions about as they blessed the businesses. I departed Marysville to the sound of firecrackers in the distance. This was only Day One of the Festival - I've never been to Day Two, known as Bomb Day. But there's always next year.
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Bok Kai Festival 2015
It was the weekend closest to the second day of the second month of the Lunar Chinese New Year. Time to head up to Marysville for the Bok Kai Festival! This was the 135th such festival, held in honor of Bok Kai Temple (built 1880) and its water god Bok Eye. The Chinese, of course, have held festivities in Marysville since their arrival in the early years of the Gold Rush. What number visit was this of mine - the fifth or sixth? I've lost count. I went inside the Taoist temple and watched the worshipers. I saw military volunteers from nearby Beale AFB carry the 175-foot dragon Hong Wan Lung along the parade route. Bok Kai Festival is at its core a religious event, but no ACLU types get into a snit about the troop involvement. After a big lunch at China Moon Restaurant, it was time to follow the lions about as they blessed the businesses. I departed Marysville to the sound of firecrackers in the distance. This was only Day One of the Festival - I've never been to Day Two, known as Bomb Day. But there's always next year.
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