Celebrating Chinese New Year 2022 at the Huntington Gardens

Ahh, Huntington Gardens. Home to some of the most beautiful man-made landscapes I’ve ever seen. This used to be the only place I could visit alone with my dad and not start bickering with him. He was a proud agricultural engineer in Vietnam, so nothing could put him in a better mood than being amidst one of California’s finest gardens. This year, I’m returning to the Huntington Gardens with my mom and husband for their annual Chinese New Year festival. It’s sad that my dad isn’t here with us, but I’m sure that this doesn’t hold a candle to the gardens in heaven… so he’s not missing out! :)

We visited between the hours of 2-5pm, so the afternoon sun was a bit harsher than usual. Though it was also a bit too early in the year for this place to come alive with flowers, we found these gorgeous succulent blooms everywhere. What great timing, right?! They look like firecrackers for the Lunar New Year celebration!

I was so excited to watch the lion dancers this year. The older that I get, the more I cherish aspects of my culture that I completely took for granted (and was maybe even embarrassed about) when I was younger. Now, I’m realizing how special it is to have a community I belong to and a culture to call my own. If anyone was wondering, I’m part Vietnamese and part Cantonese. Much of the Viet-Canto cultures share similar traditions and celebrations, such as the folklores surrounding the Lunar New Year festival.

Legend has it, the mischievous lions once wreaked havoc on a village in China. The people were so terrified that they didn’t know what to do, so they asked a monk for help. The monk was able to happily tame the lions, so he became known as the Laughing Monk. Because of his relationship with the lions, they went from wreaking havoc to becoming protectors of the village. Now, we honor the folklore story of the Laughing Monk and the lions with the lion dance during New Years. It’s also a symbol of chasing away evil and inviting in good fortune. What a fun little story, right? ^_^

I can’t wait to share these folklores and traditions with my future children. I want them to experience the same excitement of seeing the community come together in celebration of life and goodness. I want them to look around the crowd and see many people who look and sound just like them. What a wondering feeling to know that you have a community who shares in your joy and history.

On the way to the Chinese garden, we came across these bright red quince flowers. I couldn’t believe my eyes! They almost didn’t look real.

Strangely enough, in all my years of visiting the Huntington Gardens, I don’t remember ever checking out the Chinese garden. It was such a beautiful and dreamy sight… my camera couldn’t capture just how magical it really was. I felt like I was walking inside a Chinese calendar!

While I was busy taking photos of everything, I turned to see my mom staring intensely into the pond for koi fish. So cute, lol. Unfortunately, she couldn’t find any :(

Something about the twinkling waters and the golden hour lighting made me feel like I was in a Chinese movie! By this hour, the light had begun to soften and the world seemed to be filtered through a misty lens. It was beyond dreamy.

If you ever want to visit the Huntington Gardens, be sure to wear sneakers. The walking is no joke! This estate is huge (120 acres to be exact).

My hubbins and mom really liked these trees, despite their *distinct* smell and even more distinct name. Does anyone dare to write the name of these trees in the comments? 😂

On the way out of Huntington, I came across this persimmon bonsai that literally stopped me in my tracks. LOOK AT HOW TINY AND PERFECT THEY ARE!!! Yes, they are 100% real. The fruits are proportional to the tiny tree. It’s fascinating. How did they manage to create this?!!?

Finally, we ended our trip with a meaningful dinner at our favorite dim sum restaurant, Lunasia. From left to right: Pork Soup Dumplings, Stir Fried String Beans, Pan-Fried Turnip Cakes, Baked Pineapple Custard Pastries, Crunchy Shrimp Rolls, Braised Chicken Feet.

Have you guys ever visited the Huntington Gardens? If so, please share a special memory that you had there! I feel like it’s one of those places that elicits so much nostalgia for everyone who’s visited. If you haven’t visited yet, would you be curious to go? Let me know!