
五月是花的季節,享有“花園州”美譽的美國新澤西州處處花團錦簇,春色迷人。在這美好的春光中,第四屆亞裔傳統文化藝術節在新澤西最大的紐瓦克博物館拉開了帷幕。
隨著近年來亞裔人口在美國新澤西州的迅速增長,有一些小城鎮的亞裔人口比例已經達到了本地人口的百分之十二,亞裔對美國經濟發展的貢獻是有目共睹的,亞裔的參政意識也水漲船高,新澤西州的西溫莎市和愛迪生市都分別有華裔和韓裔擔任市議員。
經過半年多的籌劃,第四屆新州亞裔傳統文化藝術節順利舉行,華裔、印度裔、韓裔、日裔及美國本地各族裔數千人參加了開幕展。紐瓦克博物館里里外外洋溢著節日的喜慶,到處可見不同膚色的人穿著色彩鮮艷的唐裝穿插于展廳內外。人們興致勃勃地在不同的工作室里學習并品嘗日本壽司和印度點心,也簇擁著觀摩中國畫的創作過程,此外,還有備受小朋友歡迎的筷子比賽和有獎尋寶游戲等等。
今年適逢中國浙江與美國新澤西州締結友好姐妹州關系25周年,紐瓦克博物館特別開拓了一個展廳為“尋夢浙江”——中國浙江古鎮風情攝影展。50幅精美的攝影作品真實地記錄了浙江獨特的古鎮風情,顯示了浙江悠久的歷史文化,攝影展用特殊的東方神韻將浙江的奇山秀水和人文生態展現給美國的觀眾,美國觀眾說:“中國的山水這么美麗啊!”影展的一幅幅攝影作品,都是中國青山秀水的真實寫照,它們在向這里的人們交流著中國文化的信息。

在文藝演出廳內,享譽美國的新苗舞蹈團演出了中國傳統的喜慶節日舞蹈“紅綢舞”以及優雅的孔雀舞和精湛的京劇武打片斷。美麗的印度姑娘們隨著節拍,舞動著古典與神秘,朝鮮姑娘們的扇子舞和長鼓舞更別具一格,不過這里最受歡迎的還是中國的武功表演。張原攜帶著他的中國功夫學院的學員們從紐約專程趕來演出。他是2001年國際武術比賽六枚金牌得主,同時也是美國武術比賽全能冠軍,這次他不但本人表演了精彩的太極功夫,他的各族裔弟子還表演了棍術、拳術、劍術、對打等節目,讓觀眾們看得驚心動魄、目不暇接。在成龍的擲地有聲的“男兒當自強”的歌聲中,武功健兒們個個精神抖擻,英氣勃發,現場頓時蕩氣回腸,激動之情彌漫在整個表演場所。
浙江省派出的雜技團到美國演出大型雜技“杭州故事”,在亞裔傳統文化藝術節開幕之時也前來鼎力相助,他們獻出了世界金獎雜技比賽的銀牌節目,高難度的雜技讓觀眾們嘆為觀止,熱烈的掌聲把演出推向了高潮。雜技團的壓軸戲是魔術“變臉”,一分鐘里數次變換臉譜,頓時讓觀眾們看得目瞪口呆,雜技表演一結束,臺下的一個個觀眾當即成為“鐵桿粉絲”,他們對魔術師們的技藝一個個佩服得五體投地。
Dreams of Zhejiang Found in New Jersey
By Qin Feng, our special reporter in USA
In May, 2006 when New Jersey resembled a huge garden overflowing with spring flowers, the fourth Asian Heritage Festival was officially opened with the Newark Museum taking the center stage.
Thousands of Asian people including people of Chinese, Indian, Korean, Japanese origins flooded into the Newark Museum to attend the opening ceremony. Snacks were distributed free of charge. Kids played games.
The year 2006 marked the 25th anniversary of the twin relations between Zhejiang and New Jersey. A special exhibition entitled Dreams of Zhejiang was held at the museum. The 50 photographs on display showed the charms of ancient towns across eastern China's coastal Zhejiang Province.

Zhang Yuan, a kongfu master and international gold medalist based in New York, showed up with a group of his disciples. Their performance wowed the audience.
An acrobatic troupe from Zhejiang had been staging a lengthy performance entitled angzhou Story?in USA. And the troupe showed up at the opening ceremony of the heritage festival. The stunt the Hangzhou-based troupe staged at the festival had once won a silver medal at an international acrobatic competition. The acrobats performed unbelievable moves and brought down the house. The last trick the troupe played was 襢ace mask changing? Within a minute, the player changed his masks several times in a devastatingly exciting way, filling the audience with stunning wonder.
(Translated by David)