Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year! In order to celebrate the Chinese New Year, Fo Guang Shan Hsi Lai Temple is beautifully decorated and has a series of celebration events.The main shrine is covered with hundreds of "Wishing-for-Peace-and-Safty Lanterns."
And on the courtyard there are lively lion and dragon dances. Moreover, performers from all around the world dressed up beautifully and colofully like the butterflies walzing in the spring. Walking on the hallway to the tea room, you might even bump into a cute big doggie or even a cute panda!
Yup! That's what I said, a cute doggie and a panda. One of the activities that our dedicatedg YAD volunteers helped out was to dress up as cute doggie (because this year is the Year of Dog) and panda to bring happiness and joy to everyone at the temple on the first and 15th days of the first lunar month.
Many visitors and children loved the big cute "stuffed animals," but not many know about the unbearable difficulty of wearing the animal suit. It's very hot, icky, stuffy and sweaty inside, the animal head is very heavy, and you don't even see where you are going. People tap on your shoulder, kids grab your leg , and parents hand you their kids to hold while they're looking for their cameras just to take a quick snap of a memory to bring home with them on New Years Day. It's not an easy job, but when you hear the cute laughter of the children, and the smiles of the adults, you'd feel it is all worth it.