DRAGONS TO INVADE CENTRAL PARK – TODAY WED. 7/18/2018@10:30am
7/18/18 Media Contact:DAASSOCIATESPR.COM- David L. Archer- cell (914)299-0837, daassociates@aol.com www.hkdbf-ny.org
TO: ASSIGNMENT DESK
NYC MEDIA ALERT- PHOTO OPPTY-TRADITIONAL DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY
TODAY -WEDNESDAY, July 18th at 10:30 AM (rain or shine),
AT: NYC CENTRAL PARK-BETHESDA FOUNTAIN ADJACENT TO THE BOATHOUSE.(2 minutes south by walk to the Boathouse; just a short stroll from Fifth Avenue and 72nd Street)
FBUDDHIST MONKS, AND SHAOLIN MARTIAL ARTISTS TO PERFORM, BLESS AND UNVEIL DRAGON BOATS FOR THE 2018 HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK. THE YEAR OF THE DOG
Media, Invited Guests, Elected Officials, VIP’s, Sponsors and Traditional Chinese Shaolin Martial Artists will look on as Shi Fu Jie Tong and Shi Fu Ming Yu from World Chan Buddhist Association perform the Traditional Awakening Blessing of the Dragon Boats, the “Kick off” of the festivities leading up to the 2018 Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York. Bringing prosperity and good fortune to the area and those involved. Dignitaries and invited guests will have the opportunity to Dot the Eye of the Dragon. Two Dragon Boats will be on display, one boat will be put in the lake for a quick spin for Invited guests.
The boats were recently made in Hong Kong for the 28th Annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York-2016, a Free International, multi-cultural celebration and sporting event that will be held Sat, August 11th and Sun, Aug. 12th, 2018 from 9am to 5pm (rain or shine) at Meadow Lake, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, NY. The Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival in New York began at Battery Park in 1991.

“THE DRAGON BOAT AWAKENING CEREMONY includes brief performances from the Shaolin Masters of the Shaolin Temple Overseas headquarters.
THE 28th ANNUAL HONG KONG DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL IN NY TAKES PLACE ON MEADOWS LAKE, FLUSHING MEADOWS CORONA PARK SAT AUG. 11th & SUN AUG 12th from 9am-5pm rain or shine. CELEBRATING THE YEAR OF THE DOG
A FREE 2 DAY INTERNATIONAL, MULTICULTURAL SPORTING AND CULTURAL EVENT WITH 200+ TEAMS (comprising approx 2,500 competitors) FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING FOR CASH & PRIZES.

SEE www.hkdbf-ny.org for directions and further information. Admission to the HKDBF-NY is Free, Events take place Rain or Shine.

Please take the MTA or car pool. Directions to the Festival by bus/subway – Again this year we’ve worked with the MTA to insure easy and safe transportation to the Festival site. Festival goers can use their MetroCard to take the #7 Train to the CitiField stop and transfer from there to special MTA shuttle buses that will take them directly to the Festival site. Parking on-site is limited, you can Park at CitiField and take the special MTA shuttle with your MetroCard or use correct change.Directions to the Festival by car – take the Long Island Expressway to Van Wyck Expressway to exit 11 south, then stay on service road to the Park. Parking is severely limited.
Downloadable photos are available at www.hkdbf-ny.org . (web designed and maintained by Fusia Communications)

This year’s Sponsors include; the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, NY, HSBC Bank USA.,N.A., Con Edison, New York Community Bank, Toyota, Nielsen,Shanghai Commercial Bank, Flushing Bank, NewYork-Presbyterian Queens, UPS, Cathay Bank, AARP, Verizon, Macy’s, ITALKBB, Tsingtao, Vallo Transportation, Ltd., Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens Chamber of Commerce, Office of the Queensborough President, Melinda Katz, NYC &Co, Discover Queens.Media &Creative Partners: New York Daily News, Sing Tao Daily News, The Queens Courier, GoodNews Broadcast.com, MultiCultural Radio Broadcasting, Inc.(AM1480, Sino Television, Sinocast, M-Weekly Magazine), Fusia Communications, Inc., Inak Design, Additional support provided by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, The Times Ledger Newspaper Group and Yelp.

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Good News is proud to cover the ribbon cutting ceremony, followed by a reception at VIP lounge.  The Oasis, to celebrate this important moment with us.

Venue: John F. Kennedy International Airport

Terminal 4

Door 2, Row 2

China Airlines (CAL) is the largest airline in Taiwan and the flag carrier of the Republic of China. Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development. China Aviation Development Foundation is in turn owned by the government of the Republic of China.

The airline, with headquarters in and flight operations from Taoyuan International Airport, flies to destinations in Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. China Airlines has a strong presence in the Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Northeast Asia. The airline started scheduled chartered flights between Taiwan and mainland China on July 2008. Most flights serving this market are concentrated at Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. China Airlines has operated the Hong Kong route since 1967, which is the airline’s most profitable market, generating 13.3% of its NT$121.9 billion (US$3.7 billion) revenue in 2006 with over 140 flights flown a week between Taipei, Kaohsiung and Hong Kong.

China Airlines’ wholly owned subsidiary, Mandarin Airlines, manages regional flights to secondary cities with smaller capacity requirements. China Airlines’ cargo division China Airlines Cargo operates CAL’s dedicated freighter fleet, and manages the cargo-hold capacity in CAL’s passenger aircraft.

Before the Chinese Civil War, there were three airlines operating in the Republic of China. One was Civil Air Transport, founded by General Claire L. Chennault and Whiting Willauer in 1946. The other two were joint ventures by the ROC government with Pan American World Airways and Lufthansa. As a result of the Chinese Civil War, the Communist Party of China took control of mainland China, and only Civil Air Transport moved along with the Kuomintang (KMT)-controlled ROC government to Taiwan.

With a fleet of two PBY Amphibians, China Airlines was established on December 16, 1959, with its shares completely held by the Republic of China government[citation needed]. It was founded by a retired air force officer[citation needed] and initially concentrated on charter flights. During the 1960s, China Airlines was able to establish its first scheduled routes. In October 1962, a flight from Taipei to Hualien became the airline’s first domestic service. Growth continued and on December 1, 1966, Saigon, South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) became the airline’s first international destination.  Trans-Pacific flights to San Francisco were initiated on February 2, 1970.[citation needed]

The China Airlines Taipei Branch Office and the former China Airlines headquarters in Songshan District, Taipei

The next 20 years saw sporadic but far-reaching growth for the company. Routes were opened to Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, Dhahran and Johannesburg, among others (China Airline’s first European destination was Amsterdam). Jets were acquired, and China Airlines employed such planes as the Boeing 747 in its fleet. Later, the airline inaugurated its own round-the-world flight: (Taipei-Anchorage-New York-Amsterdam-Dubai-Taipei).[citation needed] 1993 saw China Airlines listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange.

Change of logo and livery

As the flag carrier for the Republic of China, China Airlines has been affected by disputes over the political status of Taiwan, and under pressure from the People’s Republic of China was barred from flying into a number of countries maintaining diplomatic relations with the PRC. As a result, in the mid-1990s, China Airlines subsidiary Mandarin Airlines took over some of its Sydney and Vancouver international routes. Partly as a way to avoid the international controversy, in 1995 China Airlines unveiled its “plum blossom” logo, replacing the national flag, which had previously appeared on the tail fins (empennage), and the aircraft livery from the red-white-blue national colors on the fuselage of its aircraft.[citation needed] Plum blossom (Prunus mume) is the National Flower of the Republic of China.

Throughout the 1990s, the airline employed many ex-ROC Air Force pilots. Due to the company’s poor safety record in the 1990s, China Airlines began to change its pilot recruitment practices and the company began to actively recruit civilian-trained pilots with proven track records. In addition, the company began recruiting university graduates as trainees in its own pilot training program. The company also modified its maintenance and operational procedures. These decisions were instrumental in the company’s improved safety record, culminating in the company’s recognition by the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

In late 2004, President Chen Shui-bian proposed the renaming of all state-owned enterprises bearing the name “China” to “Taiwan.” This was opposed by the Pan-blue coalition, the opposition parties in the ROC legislature. The airline also voiced concern over its international operations, codeshare agreements and other commercial contracts. The issue was dropped after the 2004 Legislative Yuan election when the pro-Chen Pan-Green Coalition failed to win a majority. In 2007, however, the issue resurfaced with the renaming of several state-owned companies such as Chunghwa Post, whose name was changed to Taiwan Post (a name that was reverted again to Chunghwa Post when the KMT won both the presidential and legislative 2008 elections) and CPC Corporation.

Our strategic target is to continuously strengthen profitability and boost our competitiveness among international carriers.

―Philip Wei (魏幸雄 Wèi Xìngxióng), Former Chairman of China Airlines

SkyTeam

China Airlines signed an agreement to begin the process of joining the SkyTeam airline alliance on September 14, 2010 and officially became a full member on September 28, 2011. This was marked by an update to the logo of the airline and the typeface in which “China Airlines” is printed.

The float built by China Airlines won the International Trophy in the Rose Parade in California on January 2, 2011 for the 20th time in a row.

China Airlines changed their Taipei-New York stopover from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to Kansai Airport, ending Anchorage’s only non-seasonal international passenger flight after 28 years, on April 28, 2011.

Japanese Government awarded a Certificate of Appreciation to China Airlines for its post-quake efforts.

China Airlines announced the intention of bringing the fleet from 68 now to 100+ within at most 10 years. With the orders of the Airbus A350s (14 orders and 6 options), China Airlines recently announced the intention of leasing more Airbus A330s or narrow-body aircraft in order to meet the increasing demands of regional routes and cross-strait routes. China Airlines also announced that the decision of the long-haul fleet plan will be announced by the end of 2012 the latest.

China Airlines’ original livery prior to 1995 was a livery with the Republic of China Flag printed on the tail. It changed its livery since the Chinese mainland government prohibits any aircraft flying with the Republic of China Flag printed on the plane to land in the mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau and pressured other countries to do so too. Under political pressure, China Airlines changed its livery to the livery now.

China Airlines has had many uniforms since its 1959. China Airlines’ present uniform was changed in 2007 to celebrate its 47th anniversary.

China Airlines has used different slogans throughout its operational history. In 2006, a second slogan was introduced to complement the new uniforms and to celebrate the 47th anniversary. China Airlines’ slogans have been as follows:

“We treasure every encounter” (1987?C1995)

“We blossom everyday” (1995?C2006)

“Journey with a caring smile” (2006?Cpresent)

Further information: China Airlines destinations

Most of China Airlines’ flights originate out of Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, its main hub near Taipei, Taiwan. At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, China Airlines’ flight operations are in Terminal 1 and 2. China Airlines’ regional flights are mainly concentrated in Terminal 1. Its long-haul flights, especially American, European, and Australian, are mainly concentrated in Terminal 2. Additionally, China Airlines and its domestic subsidiary Mandarin Airlines operate numerous flights out of Kaohsiung International Airport and Taipei Songshan Airport. China Airlines’ focus cities outside Taiwan are mainly Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, Hong Kong’s Hong Kong International Airport, and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport.

Through the mid 2000s, China Airlines’ route network was affected by the political status of Taiwan, which has historically limited access for Taiwanese airlines to Europe and certain Asian countries. Because Taiwanese carriers did not have direct access to China, China Airlines used Hong Kong as its interline destination. China Airlines started to operate regular charter flights to China in 2008. The airline began regularly scheduled, direct cross-strait operations in December 2008, following the restoration of direct travel links.

China Airlines now serves 98 destinations in 29 countries and territories (including cargo) on four continents, with a well-developed Asian network.

Codeshare agreements

China Airlines has codeshare agreements with the following airlines: (* denotes as Skyteam members and or affiliates)

Alitalia *

China Eastern Airlines *

China Southern Airlines *

Czech Airlines *

Delta Air Lines *

Garuda Indonesia (future SkyTeam member)

Japan Airlines (Oneworld)

KLM *

Korean Air *

Shanghai Airlines *

Thai Airways International (Star Alliance)

Vietnam Airlines *

Virgin America *

Xiamen Airlines (future SkyTeam affiliate member)

In addition, China Airlines has a codeshare agreement with Deutsche Bahn.

Interline agreements

China Airlines has interline agreements with the following airlines:

Virgin America

WestJet

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Photos courtesy of China Airlines and Rick Ho, Sing Tao Newspapers

Taipei, Taiwan – China Airlines (CAL) proudly announces that starting April 28, 2011, flights from Taipei to New York will stop over in Osaka, Japan instead of Anchorage, Alaska. CAL will operate three round-trip flights per week on Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft. The route change provides more choices and comfort to passengers traveling between Taiwan, Japan and the United States, as well as additional frequency on Taiwan-Japan routes with three additional flights between Taiwan and Japan.

At present, CAL already operates seven flights a week between Taipei and Osaka, and this schedule change will bring the total to ten flights a week. Osaka is Japan’s second-largest metropolis, being just slightly smaller than Tokyo. Osaka’s Kansai International Airport is equipped with modernized facilities, providing a wide variety of shopping, entertainment and rest choices.

To celebrate the new service, CAL is offering a NT$2,000 discount on Taipei-Osaka round-trip tickets, reducing the fare to NT$11,700 for those who purchase tickets through CAL’s website before May 31, 2011. CAL has also launched a new three-day, two-night “Fun in Spring Promotion” Dynasty Package tour for NT$13,000 and up per person, which includes economy airfare, two nights’ accommodation in Osaka and a one-way transportation coupon to get from Kansai airport to downtown Osaka. Those who purchase the package before June 25 will also each receive one sakura-flavored tea drink in their hotel rooms.

CAL is also offering free transfers to any point in the eastern United States for those purchasing tickets before June 16, 2011, so that passengers arriving at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport at one o’clock pm local time will be able to transfer to major cities in the eastern United States. CAL is also offering special promotional fares for Business Class and Economy Class tickets. Passengers flying to New York on Dynasty Package tours may enjoy a free admission ticket to New York’s famous Empire State Building, while those returning to Taiwan from New York may purchase discounted hotel accommodations in Osaka, with additional cash discounts and mileage benefits for Dynasty Flyer members.

Business Class passengers may enjoy exquisite Japanese meals prepared under the supervision of a master Japanese chef on the Osaka-New York leg of the flight, including Rakuten fine dishes and other elegant and exquisite meals. Economy Class passengers will also enjoy specially prepared Western and Japanese meals, making for a very different flying experience.

In spite of the slowdown in the travel market prompted by the strong earthquake, CAL has continued maintaining normal transport links between Taiwan and Japan. The United Nations, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the World Health Organization have all announced that radiation emission levels in Japan remain well within safe ranges, and that flights to Japan do not endanger the health of flight crews and passengers, making it unnecessary to place any restrictions on Japan-bound flights. Britain, Canada, Denmark and France have already lifted previous restrictions on travel to Tokyo, while the United States also announced on April 14 that its previous Travel Warning for Japan had been lowered to a Travel Alert. The Japan Association of Travel Agents (JATA) has also encouraged the public to resume normal tourism and consumption in Japan as the best way to help Japan recover from its earthquake disaster.

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Music by Michio Miyagi.

We fly on the exceptional China Airlines through  their new route to Osaka, Japan, and for most they go on to Taiwan.  This trip was for  media and brought to us by China Airlines and The  Foundation for Kansai Region promotion.  We travel along with the leading Asian media in America; Asian Fusion Magazine, The Sing Tao and The World Newspaper and had a fascinating time.  Everyone was special and it was a  trip to remember for a life time.    This post is the first of many to be shared with our audience and we hope that you will share your comments and experiences with us in audio, video or text. 

We feature video about The Japanese Doll Festival (雛祭り, Hina-matsuri^?), or Girls’ Day, is held on March 3.Platforms covered with a red carpet are used to display a set of ornamental dolls (雛人形, hina-ningyō^?) representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period.Origin and customs

The custom of displaying dolls began during the Heian period. Formerly, people believed the dolls possessed the power to contain bad spirits. Hinamatsuri traces its origins to an ancient Japanese custom called hina-nagashi (雛流し^?, lit. “doll floating”), in which straw hina dolls are set afloat on a boat and sent down a river to the sea, supposedly taking troubles or bad spirits with them. The Shimogamo Shrine (part of the Kamo Shrine complex in Kyoto) celebrates the Nagashibina by floating these dolls between the Takano and Kamo Rivers to pray for the safety of children. People have stopped doing this now because of fishermen catching the dolls in their nets. They now send them out to sea, and when the spectators are gone they take the boats out of the water and bring them back to the temple and burn them.

The customary drink for the festival is shirozake, a sake made from fermented rice. A colored hina-arare, bite-sized crackers flavored with sugar or soy sauce depending on the region, and hishimochi, a diamond-shaped colored rice cake, are served. Chirashizushi (sushi rice flavored with sugar, vinegar, topped with raw fish and a variety of ingredients) is often eaten. A salt-based soup called ushiojiru containing clams still in the shell is also served. Clam shells in food are deemed the symbol of a united and peaceful couple, because a pair of clam shells fits perfectly, and no pair but the original pair can do so.

Families generally start to display the dolls in February and take them down immediately after the festival. Superstition says that leaving the dolls past March 4 will result in a late marriage for the daughter.

 Placement

Hinamatsuri store display in Los Angeles, California featuring all 7 tiers.

The Kantō region and Kansai region have different placement orders of the dolls from left to right, but the order of dolls per level are the same.

The term for the platform in Japanese is hina dan (雛壇^?). The layer of covering is called dankake (段掛^?) or simply hi-mōsen (緋毛氈^?), a red carpet with rainbow stripes at the bottom.

First platform, the top

An Emperor doll with an Empress doll, in front of a gold screen. The optional lampstands are also partially visible.

The top tier holds two dolls, known as imperial dolls (内裏雛 (だいりびな), dairi-bina^?). These are the Emperor (御内裏様, Odairi-sama^?) holding a ritual baton (笏, shaku^?) and Empress (御雛様, Ohime-sama^?) holding a fan. The words dairi means “imperial palace“, and hime means “girl” or “princess”.

The dolls are usually placed in front of a gold folding screen byōbu (屏風^?) and placed beside green Japanese garden trees.

Optional are the two lampstands, called bonbori (雪洞^?), and the paper or silk lanterns that are known as hibukuro (火袋^?), which are usually decorated with cherry or ume blossom patterns.

Complete sets would include accessories placed between the two figures, known as sanbō kazari (三方飾^?), composing of two vases of artificial peach branch kuchibana (口花^?).

The traditional arrangement had the male on the right, while modern arrangements had him on the left (from the viewer’s perspective).

 Second platform

The second tier holds three court ladies san-nin kanjo (三人官女^?). Each holds sake equipment. From the viewer’s perspective, the standing lady on the right is the long-handled sake-bearer Nagae no chōshi (長柄の銚子^?), the standing lady on the left is the backup sake-bearer Kuwae no chōshi (加えの銚子^?), and the only lady in the middle is the seated sake bearer Sanpō (三方^?).

Accessories placed between the ladies are takatsuki (高坏^?), stands with round table-tops for seasonal sweets, excluding hishimochi.

 Third platform

The third tier holds five male musicians gonin bayashi (五人囃子^?). Each holds a musical instrument except the singer, who holds a fan.

Left to right, from viewer’s perspective, they are the:

1. Small drum Taiko (太鼓^?), seated,
2. Large drum Ōtsuzumi (大鼓^?), standing,
3. Hand drum Kotsuzumi (小鼓^?), standing,
4. Flute Fue (笛^?), or Yokobue (横笛^?), seated,
5. Singer Utaikata (謡い方^?), holding a folding fan sensu (扇子^?), standing.

 Fourth platform

Two ministers (daijin) may be displayed on the fourth tier: the Minister of the Right (右大臣, Udaijin^?) and the Minister of the Left (左大臣, Sadaijin^?). The Minister of the Right is depicted as a young person, while the Minister of the Left is much older. Also, because the dolls are placed in positions relative to each other, the Minister of the Right will be on the viewer’s left and the Minister of the Left will be on the viewer’s right. Both are sometimes equipped with bows and arrows.

Between the two figures are covered bowl tables kakebanzen (掛盤膳^?), also referred to as o-zen (お膳^?), as well as diamond-shaped stands hishidai (菱台^?) bearing diamond-shaped ricecakes hishimochi (菱餅^?). Hishidai with feline-shaped legs are known as nekoashigata hishidai (猫足形菱台^?).

Just below the ministers: on the rightmost, a mandarin orange tree Ukon no tachibana (右近の橘^?), and on the leftmost, a cherry blossom tree Sakon no sakura (左近の桜^?).

Fifth platform

The fifth tier, between the plants, holds three helpers or samurai as the protectors of the Emperor and Empress. From left to right (viewer’s perspective):

1. Maudlin drinker nakijōgo (泣き上戸^?),
2. Cantankerous drinker okorijōgo (怒り上戸^?), and
3. Merry drinker waraijōgo (笑い上戸^?)

 Other platforms

On the sixth and seventh tiers, a variety of miniature furniture, tools, carriages, etc., are displayed.

 Sixth platform

These are items used within the palatial residence.

• tansu (箪笥^?) : chest of (usually five) drawers, sometimes with swinging outer covering doors.
• nagamochi (長持^?) : long chest for kimono storage.
• hasamibako (挟箱^?) : smaller clothing storage box, placed on top of nagamochi.
• kyōdai (鏡台^?) : literally mirror stand, a smaller chest of drawer with a mirror on top.
• haribako (針箱^?) : sewing kit box.
• two hibachi (火鉢^?) : braziers.
• daisu (台子^?) : a set of ocha dōgu (お茶道具^?) or cha no yu dōgu (茶の湯道具^?), utensils for the tea ceremony.

 Seventh platform, the bottom

These are items used when away from the palatial residence.

• jubako (重箱^?), a set of nested lacquered food boxes with either a cord tied vertically around the boxes or a stiff handle that locks them together.
• gokago (御駕籠 or 御駕篭^?), a palanquin.
• goshoguruma (御所車^?), an ox-drawn carriage favored by Heian nobility. This last is sometimes known as gisha or gyuusha (牛車^?)).
• Less common, hanaguruma (花車^?), an ox drawing a cart of flowers.

Elsewhere

The Hinamatsuri is also celebrated in Florence (Italy), with the patronage of the Embassy of Japan, the Japanese Institute and the historical Gabinetto Vieusseux.

Song of Hinamatsuri

The song is sung as a celebration of the festival. Its lyrics are as follows:

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