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The San Mateo County History Museum echoed with rhythmic drum beats, energetic music and bursts of applause as people from across the San Francisco Bay Area gathered in Redwood City on Saturday to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
“I love the richness of our county and the way that we celebrate our different cultures,” said Lisa Gauthier, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors District 4 representative.
This year, Redwood City celebrated its 14th annual Lunar New Year, welcoming 2025 as the Year of the Snake. Recognized as one of the most significant holidays in Chinese culture, the event brought the community together in festive spirit.
Initially set to take place in front of the San Mateo County History Museum at Courthouse Square on Broadway, the celebration was moved inside the museum due to rain.
Carolyn Leung, a Redwood City resident of five years and a fifth-generation Asian American, shared that events like these help people like her—who no longer have a family in Asia—stay connected to their roots.
“I am really happy that there are Lunar celebrations, especially because they haven’t been as universal throughout the country before,” Leung added.
Linda Chang holds up photo booth photos of her and her family at the Redwood City Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Volunteer Julie Chen watches as a visitor participates in a paper cutting craft, carefully cutting out the symbol for ‘spring’, at a booth at the Redwood City Lunar New Year cleebration on Feb. 1, 2025. Chen explains that paper cutting is a common craft and decoration in the homes of those who celebrate lunar new year. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Students show off some moves in a demonstration with the California Kung Fu and Tai Chi Institute as the audience cheers at Redwood City’s Lunar New Year celebration on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Volunteer Dennis Chu, right, teaches Jennie Khoe Alyeshmerni, left, how to make dumplings at the Lunar New Year celebration at the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Jennie Khoe Alyeshmerni holds out a dumpling she made at one of the booths at the Lunar New Year celebration in Redwood City on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney. 
Members of Taiko SOBA perform at the Redwood City Lunar New Year celebration in the San Mateo County History Museum on Feb. 1, 2025. Photo by Anna Hoch-Kenney.
The Chinese zodiac follows a 12-year cycle, with each year associated with one of twelve animal signs: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig. The order of these signs remains fixed, placing the Snake sixth in the cycle—making 2025 the Year of the Snake. According to the University of Sydney, the snake symbolizes good luck, rebirth and regality, and the pursuit of love and happiness.
The museum’s second floor featured a variety of performances inside Courtroom A, including a showcase by students from the California Kungfu & Tai Chi Institute. They performed Wushu, a Chinese martial art, demonstrating skillful movements with bare hands and with weapons such as swords and chains.
“In Chinese culture, an exhibition of Marshall skills is typical entertainment during the Lunar New Year,” said the group’s instructor, Karen Choy Singer. “And the kids love it so much; it gives them a lot of confidence and helps them build their strength and flexibility.”
They were followed by Taiko SOBA, who impressed the audience with their energetic Taiko drumming, a Japanese art form that involves playing wooden, barrel-shaped drums. The group, which has been performing at the Redwood City Lunar New Year since 2019, played four songs, never losing the smiles on their faces.
“Hopefully the people today saw the friendship and the energy that we share when we perform with each other,” said Christopher Wong, a member of Taiko SOBA.
Outside the courtroom, several kids dressed up in traditional Asian attire were learning how to make dumplings. Danica Chu, a volunteer at the station, explained that dumplings are a staple homemade dish in most Chinese households.
“So we’re passing down traditions of different families, teaching children how to make dumplings, and then they can share them with more generations,” Chu added.
The event also had arts and crafts tables where kids were learning to make “Chinese shuttlecocks,” and attendees could learn more about zodiac signs.
The museum featured a ‘Land of Opportunity: The Immigrant Experience’ exhibit, sharing stories of early migration to the Peninsula and the challenges immigrants have faced over the years.
The celebrations ended with the much-awaited Lion Dance performed by the group Rising Phoenix.
The courtroom was packed with attendees as they watched three lions dance to synchronized drums and cymbals, bringing the festival to a spirited end.
“Asian American culture has been a part of the Bay Area for a very long time and it’s very much part of the bedrock of the Bay and Redwood City as a whole,” said Brandon Council, a special events coordinator with Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services. “So it’s always really fun to give Redwood City folks of all different cultures a chance to come out and celebrate Asian cultures.”
