The 26th annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy was a spectacular fusion of cultures and traditions, ringing in the Lunar New Year and honouring Robbie Burns Day on Sunday, January 26, at Vancouver Chinatown’s iconic Floata Seafood Restaurant. Here are some photos from our 26th annual Gung Haggis Fat Choy celebration. Photos courtesy of Lydia Nagai
Join us for an afternoon of intercultural fusion at Gung Haggis 2024 with food, music, and poetry!
Food Menu:
Tickets are available for individual purchase or a table of 8!
#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.
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
It was 1998 and as the Chinese Lunar New Year fell only two days away from Robbie Burns Day, which is always January 25, Todd decided to celebrate the Scottish Bard’s birthday along with the Lunar New Year. “Gung Haggis Fat Choy!” said Wong, “I can celebrate two cultures at the same time.” And thus was born the Vancouver cultural premiere that culinary and media personalities have come to celebrate this cultural mashup that features deep-fried haggis wontons, haggis dim sum, and haggis lettuce wrap with a glass of scotch each year. Gung Haggis Fat Choy started out as a small fundraiser of 16 people in 1998 in a crowded living room. Twenty years later it serves dinner at the biggest Chinese Restaurant in North America, and has spun off a CBC television performance special, and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games. in almost all the food that we normally serve at a GHFC Banquet Dinner.
This year our performers include:
Songs we’ll singalong to:
THIS YEAR IS IT! EVERY 60 YEARS ROBBIE BURNS DAY AND LUNAR NEW YEAR FALL ON THE SAME DAY! IT ONLY HAPPENS ONCE EVERY 60 YEARS!
JOIN US for this cosmic 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:
About Gung Haggis:
It was 1998 and as the Chinese Lunar New Year fell only two days away from Robbie Burns Day, which is always January 25, Todd decided to celebrate the Scottish Bard’s birthday along with the Lunar New Year. “Gung Haggis Fat Choy!” said Wong, “I can celebrate two cultures at the same time.” And thus was born the Vancouver cultural premiere that culinary and media personalities have come to celebrate this cultural mashup that features deep-fried haggis wontons, haggis dim sum, and haggis lettuce wrap with a glass of scotch each year.
Gung Haggis Fat Choy started out as a small fundraiser of 16 people in 1998 in a crowded living room. Twenty years later it serves dinner at the biggest Chinese Restaurant in North America, and has spun off a CBC television performance special, and the SFU Gung Haggis Fat Choy Canadian Games.
“Gung Haggis Fat Choy is the ultimate fusion feast.” – Georgia Straight
“Haggis wontons? Robbie Burns Night meets Chinese New Year.” – Globe & Mail
“Gung Haggis Fat Choy: This Canadian Celebration Combines Robert Burns Night and Chinese New Year.” – Smithsonian
“Haggis and Chow Mein Collide at Seattle’s Gung Haggis Fat Choy.” – Vice
“Hold the sheep’s stomach lining.” – MacLean’s Magazine
For more information, visit https://www.gunghaggis.com/.
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.
Gung HAGGIS Fat Choy Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dim Sum is now set for April 6th Tartan Day.
Chinese traditional dim sum & food, combined with Scottish haggis.
Bagpipes, Chinese music, + ceilidh singalong
Robert Burns poetry & song
Chinese Canadian poetry and film
+ plenty of surprises and guests.
Floata Restaurant 180 Keefer St.
Chinatown Vancouver.
More info soon.