Last year, Todd and Catherine Clement (curator and author of the Paper Trail) were co-winners of the Larry Wong Prize from the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia (CCHSBC). This award honours individuals and organizations that impact the public history of Chinese Canadian history and heritage.  This year’s CCHSBC’s Annual Celebratory Dinner honoured our friend Winnie L. Cheung, educator, community-builder, and co-founder of The Pacific Canada Heritage Centre – Museum of Migration (PCHC – MoM) Society and former board member of ACWW.  

Todd Wong, Prairie Chiu, Effie Pow

Catherine Clement and Todd

Allan Cho and Steven Wong

Winnie L. Cheung

The History Scotland.com website lists 10 “facts you (probably) didn’t know about Burns Night, celebrated around the world on 25 January in memory of poet Robert Burns.”

#5.  Since 1999, the ‘Gung Haggis Fat Choy’ takes place in Vancouver, Canada. This multicultural event, blending Burns Night and Chinese New Year, features Scottish and Chinese poetry as well as a very rare delicacy – Haggis & Shrimp Wonton Dumplings. 

Gung Haggis Fat Choy often gets attention from Scotland.  Earlier this month, founder Todd Wong was asked by a BBC World News program for an interview for the travel program.  In past years, he has often been interviewed on BBC Radio Scotland. A few years ago, the Burns Birthplace Museum even posted an article about GHFC in Vancouver.

https://www.historyscotland.com/history/ten-global-burns-supper-facts/?fbclid=IwAR35tcnKn7OaPfpqyRfyQiO6xwqvHv570-sy6hsmeSdQEc549No3KxxSDeI

Allan Cho, Executive Director of the Asian Canadian Writers’ Workshop (ACWW), author Paul Yee, and Todd (me)

13 – 17 September 2022. Vancouver Playhouse

CITY OPERA announces the cast, directors, designers, dates, and tickets for the world premiere opera

Librettist: Madeleine Thien
Composer: Alice Ping Yee Ho
Hoisan translator: Paul Yee

The cast of CHINATOWN is Spencer Britten, Saihin • Vania Chan, Wen-li • Erica Iris Huang, Hoisan Singer

Derek Kwan Eugene • Matthew Li, Xon Pon, Emma Parkinson, Anna

artistic and design team for CHINATOWN is:

Mary Chun, Music Director, and Conductor
Debi Wong, Stage Director

Trudy Chalmers, Producer
David Kerr, Production Manager
Camellia Koo, Set Design
John Webber, Lighting Design
Charlotte Chang, Costume Design
James Nesbitt, Projection Design
Alessandro Juliani, Sound Design
Estella Lum, Graphic Design
Roger Parton, Music Editor, Principal Coach and Pianist
Susan Ma, Community Engagement Coordinator
Victoria Wilcott, General Manager

This year our performers include:

• City of Vancouver Poet Laureate Fiona Tinwei Lam – will read a poem “in response to Burns“
• Author Janie Chang will read a Lunar New Year scene from her new novel “Library of Legends” 
• Jill Barber singer/songwriter
• Michael Viens & Rosie Carver celtic duo, Blackthorn Blossoms duo.
• Allan McMordie bagpiper
• City Opera Vancouver performance from the brand new Chinatown opera that will premiere in September 2022 – Libretto by Madeleine Thien, music by Alice Ping Yee Ho
  
• Video visit to Chinatown Storytelling Centre 
• filmmaker Karen Cho from Montreal.

Songs we’ll singalong to:

• Michael & Rosie will perform a traditional Robbie Burns song.
• BRAND NEW!  Todd Wong’s performance of Address to a Haggis, set to a Johnny Cash tune.
• Auld Lang Syne (original lyrics by Robbie Burns – lyrics in Chinese (found somewhere on the internet)

THIS YEAR IS IT! For the first time in 60 YEARS ROBBIE BURNS DAY AND LUNAR NEW YEAR FALL ON THE SAME DAY!

IT ONLY HAPPENS ABOUT ONCE EVERY 60 YEARS!

JOIN US for this cosmic convergence countdown to start off your year!
And enjoy an evening of intercultural fusion at Gung Haggis 2020 with food, music, readings, and scotch!

This year’s schedule of events include:

A dinner menu, with the now world-renowned haggis wonton
More readings, more music, and more fun!
A sneak peak of the menu from previous Gung Haggis Fat Choy dinners

Tickets are available on Eventbrite – Sales end on January 23 – one day before event on Jan 24th.

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/gung-haggis-fat-choy-2020-the-60-year-eclipse-tickets-83657304249

We are trying something different this year. Dim sum lunch.

Our menu features a variety of traditional dishes, often with haggis fusion cuisine.  We strive for a nice balance of vegetarian and meat dishes that many people can enjoy. A Vegetarian soup and traditional Buddha’s Feast dish + seafood and meat dish. This year we celebrate the Year of the pig.

Two of our featured guests include: Scottish-Canadian Author John Maclachlan Gray, author of The White Angel – a mystery novel that is based on a true life unsolved murder of Scottish Nanny Janet Smith, and the accusation and acquittal of her friend, Chinese houseboy Wong Foon Sien.

Chinese born musician Zhongxi (Jonesey) Wu plays both bagpipes and traditional Chinese instruments.  He has performed at Gung Haggis Fat Choy events many years ago, for both our dinner and an event for First Night Vancouver. He has even played Mull of Kintyre on stage with Paul McCartney.

House band is Black Bear Rebels Ceilidh Ensemble. My dear musical friends that I play celtic,
Scottish and Cdn songs with 2X months usually. They have taught me much about Celtic songs,
musicianship, and drinking scotch whisky.

More introductions to come.