What to expect at this old school Phoenix Chinese restaurant's 2023 Lunar New Year party

Restaurants around the Valley are preparing to ring in the year of the rabbit with celebrations and lucky foods. Longstanding Phoenix Chinese food institution Great Wall Cuisine has served an annual feast since it opened in the early 1990s to offer traditional dim sum service at a time when it was uncommon in metro Phoenix.

On Jan. 22, the restaurant will host a large-scale event to celebrate the first day of Lunar New Year. The celebration will consist of a feast of lucky foods, plenty of decorations and a lion dance with multiple lion costumes.

"We can't do it like China, but we try our best," said Sue Deng, a manager at Great Wall Cuisine who is responsible for planning the event.

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When is Lunar New Year 2023?

Lunar New Year is a celebration that lasts for 15 days to celebrate the start of a new lunar cycle. This year, it begins on Jan. 22. Traditionally, people in China have a large feast for New Year's Eve as well as on the second day of the New Year.

Deng said any family members who have moved away are expected to come back and celebrate with the family, much like Americans do for Thanksgiving.

Many of those working at Great Wall Cuisine, like Deng, are originally from China and it has become a tradition for them to pick a day when the restaurant is less busy and engage in their own Lunar New Year feast, which includes the gifting of red envelopes of lucky money.

Great Wall Cuisine has been celebrating Lunar New Year with feasts and lion dances since the '90s, Deng said. She started working at the restaurant in 2000, shortly after moving to Arizona.

Deng has always loved Lunar New Year, especially as a child growing up in Canton.

"When you wake up in the morning, the parents would always have new clothes for the kids and would give us lucky money for the New Year," she said. "It was such a happy time."

What to expect at the Lunar New Year celebration at Great Wall Cuisine

For many, the most anticipated part of the celebration is the lion dance, which will take place this year at Great Wall Cuisine starting at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 22.

The lion symbolizes good fortune in Chinese culture and is believed to drive away evil. The lion dance is performed during Lunar New Year as well as other important celebrations like weddings or business openings. Dancers wearing elaborately decorated lion costumes will begin their dance outside the restaurant before moving inside to exchange lucky money with customers and employees.

"The customers are always very excited," Deng said.

A second lion dance will be held at Great Wall Cuisine the following weekend hosted by Phoenix Chinese Week.

What are lucky foods for Chinese New Year?

In addition to the lion dance, certain foods are considered to bring good luck, health and money if they are eaten during Lunar New Year.

Great Wall Cuisine serves some of these lucky foods year-round, but certain items rise in popularity during Lunar New Year, like fan-favorite turnip cakes, which are sold in foil containers during Lunar New Year for $12 to $15.

Other lucky foods include dry scallops and oysters, which Deng and the rest of the employees at Great Wall Cuisine have already begun preparing just for Lunar New Year. The restaurant will also serve several dim sum dishes made with lotus root along with soup and paste-filled buns.

As important as the food and pageantry is the chance to bring the community together.

Deng said she's proud they can continue one of her most beloved traditions here in Phoenix. "We do it to pass around the happiness during Lunar New Year."

How to attend the Lunar New Year celebration at Great Wall Cuisine

When: Jan. 22 at 11:30 a.m.

Details: Great Wall Cuisine, 3446 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 602-973-1112, search 'Great Wall Cuisine' on Facebook.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Celebrate Lunar New Year 2023 at Great Wall Cuisine restaurant Phoenix