Happy Lunar New Year

Today is Chinese New Year in USA. The event is also called Lunar New Year and is not only celebrated in China. Because of China's complicated history with the rest of the world, including suffering under Western colonization, much of Asia (except Japan) has benefited from Chinese immigrants. (Westerners know more about Hong Kong and Macau than mainland China because those locations were Western ports and bases, taken forcibly from the Chinese.) 

In any case, Vietnam in particular has a rich tradition of Vietnamese of Chinese descent. In Vietnam, you wouldn't say, "Gong Xi Fa Cai." You would say, Chúc mừng năm mới! Guònián hǎo (过年好)! 

This year, may the red envelopes filled with money flow as strongly as the currents at the Three Gorges Dam, and may you and your family be healthy, happy, and wise. 

© Lononaut (2021)