Year of the Dragon: Lunar New Year to be celebrated in Red Bluff
PUBLISHED: December 12, 2023 at 2:30 a.m. | UPDATED: December 12, 2023 at 2:33 a.m.
RED BLUFF – The city of Red Bluff has a rich Chinese history honored by descendants, residents and visitors. The year 2024 is the year of the dragon.
The Lunar New Year Festival will celebrate the creation of the Historic Chinatown Alley. A series of free events have been taking place all year. This is the final event and last time hosting the Lunar New Year, also known as the Chinese New Year, according to the Chamber of Commerce website.
People are encouraged to join the Helen and Joe Chew Foundation as the one-year series of events to Create a Historic Chinatown Alley comes to an end.
Red Bluff has a rich Chinese history. Many events have taken place around the historic Chinatown Alley. (Mandy Feder-Sawyer/Red Bluff Daily News)
For more than 100 years in Red Bluff, people have celebrated the Chinese-American history in the region. According to the foundation, “Witnessing the Chinese Dragon for the very first time is an extremely enjoyable and culturally a very prideful experience for all ages. The Chinese Dragon is not similar to Lion Dance but is one of the oldest and rarest traditions for Red Bluff’s Historic Chinatown, last seen for July Fourth in 1908.”
Until 1875, Red Bluff was the last steamboat stop on the Sacramento River. Many Chinese immigrants continued their travels throughout California and beyond, while others called Red Bluff home. Because they were so close to the river and railroad, Chinese immigrants could ship and receive goods easily. Chinatown blossomed through the 1970s until the construction of the I-5 freeway changed the dynamic, causing many to relocate, the Chamber of Commerce stated.
The first Chinese family to arrive in Red Bluff in 1865 was the great Wong Foey. The second family to arrive in Red Bluff was the Chew family in 1865; their descendants are Diane and Jessica Chew.
Of the migrant settlers, the Chew family has held the longest residence since 1888.
It was in 1888 when Chinese merchant Bo Do Hong, Dr. Chew, made Red Bluff his home. Chew visited Red Bluff many times, dating back to 1865. In times of segregation and racism, Red Bluff was considered liberal. The City of Red Bluff allowed the Chinese people to own and sell land, which was uncommon in those times.
On Feb. 4, 2024, a celebration will feature an ancient Chinese Dragon parade. The event gets underway at noon. There will be a blessing for the City of Red Bluff with great power, good luck, and strength. The descendants from the Chew, Foey, Chin and Chan families will say farewell at the conclusion of the one-year series of events.
The Helen and Joe Chew Foundation will hold an optional walking tour to conclude the festivities. The event will begin on Hickory and Rio streets at Historic Chinatown Alley.
The event is free-of-charge and all are welcome to attend.
For more information, visit www.redbluffchew.org/creatingahistoricchinatownalley.