華府文教中心主任郭大文(左4)、華府台灣學校唐伯禹校長 (右3) 與觀眾及演出者合影
台頑少年郎千禧世代 (MGY) 及華府FASCA 於1月29日與Rockville Town Square合作，熱鬧舉辦兔年新春活動。時逢寒冬春雨，卻不減現場民眾熱情，「臺灣攤位」吸睛的互動遊戲和勞作，吸引不少人潮前來排隊參加，讓Rockville city市區增添一股濃濃的臺灣年味。
文教中心主任郭大文也特地到現場助陣，他表示很高興可以在主流活動中再次看到三太子，並熱心地和志工們一起推廣FASCA 活動以及臺灣華語文學習中心，希望得到更多主流人士的支持。
今年的文化攤位共有包括「製作兔年精美燈籠」、「書寫彩色春聯」、「簡易春字剪紙」，以及「臺灣搏筊問事」等四項民俗相關活動，只要完成活動即可拿到紅包和獎品。
許多FASCA學員雖為僑胞二代，但揮起毛筆功力完全不遑多讓，現場教導美國民眾如何書寫繁體字。另外，活動中美國民眾也對臺灣「搏筊」充滿好奇心，「搏筊」是臺灣新年保平安祈福必進行的民間活動，學員們也認真地告訴現場民眾「聖筊」、「應筊」、「笑筊」的不同；大家在現場玩得不亦樂乎，爭相排隊玩著這些具有臺灣味的遊戲。
活動更邀請到遠從 New Jersey 前來，由崔老師領軍專業臺灣民俗藝術團體，現場表演宮廟太鼓以及三太子原住民的舞蹈，鑼鼓喧天以及傳統音樂炒熱現場的氣氛；三太子的電音舞曲激情四射，吸引許多美國民眾來了解臺灣傳統宮廟廟會文化。而 Senior FASCA中 Thomas Lin 精湛的扯鈴技藝，以酷炫的各類招式加上動感的音樂，把全場的氣氛推上高潮，全場活動在掌聲中圓滿順利結束。Rockville Town Square 管理公司也對臺灣團體展現的活動實力另眼相看，期待下次能繼續合作。
僑務電子報報導 (2023-02-04)
FASCA students writing Spring Couplets on-site
FASCA學員現場寫春聯
郭大文(左一)、唐伯禹 (左二) 向大家介紹臺灣華語文學習中心
The Third Prince (Nezha) performance caught the audience's eye.
三太子表演吸引觀眾的眼球
FASCA students explaining the Taiwanese folk practice of "Bwa Bwei" to the public
FASCA學員向觀眾介紹臺灣「搏筊」文化
MGY Joins Forces with FASCA Washington D.C. to Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, Building Connections with the American Community
The Millennial Generation of Youth (MGY) and FASCA DC collaborated with Rockville Town Square on January 29 to host a vibrant Lunar New Year celebration for the Year of the Rabbit. Despite the cold winter rain, the enthusiasm of the crowd remained undamped. The eye-catching interactive games and crafts at the "Taiwan Booth" attracted long queues, infusing downtown Rockville with a strong sense of Taiwanese New Year spirit.
Kuo Ta-wen, Director of the Culture Center of TECRO, attended the event to show his support. He expressed his delight at seeing the "Third Prince" (Nezha) appearing once again in a mainstream event and worked enthusiastically alongside volunteers to promote FASCA activities and the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning, hoping to garner more support from the mainstream community.
This year’s cultural booths featured four traditional folk activities: "Making Exquisite Rabbit Lanterns," "Writing Colorful Spring Couplets," "Simple Paper-Cutting of the Character 'Spring' (Chun)," and "Taiwanese Bwa Bwei (Moon Blocks) Divination." Participants who completed these activities received red envelopes and prizes.
Although many FASCA students are second-generation overseas Chinese, their brush calligraphy skills were impressive as they taught local Americans how to write traditional Chinese characters. Additionally, many American attendees were curious about "Bwa Bwei," a traditional Taiwanese folk practice used to pray for peace and blessings during the New Year. Students diligently explained the differences between "Sheng Bwei" (divine answer), "Ying Bwei" (agreement), and "Xiao Bwei" (laughing answer). Everyone enjoyed the experience, lining up eagerly to participate in these games with a unique Taiwanese flavor.
The event also invited a professional Taiwanese folk arts group led by Teacher Tsui, traveling all the way from New Jersey. They performed temple drumming and indigenous dances featuring the Third Prince. The thunderous drums and traditional music energized the atmosphere, while the Third Prince’s high-energy techno dance performance captivated many Americans, offering them a glimpse into Taiwan’s traditional temple festival culture. Thomas Lin, a Senior FASCA member, brought the event to a climax with a skillful diabolo (Chinese yo-yo) performance, combining cool tricks with dynamic music. The event concluded successfully amidst a round of applause. The management of Rockville Town Square was highly impressed by the cultural strength displayed by the Taiwanese groups and looks forward to future collaborations.
OCAC News (2023-02-04)
