I would like to thank Ernie Loo – co-chairman, Lung Kong Physical Culture Club for granting me time for the following interview. This coming Friday, Ernie along with his membership will conduct the annual Chinese lion dance and blessings throughout the Pearl City Shopping Center. It’s a tradition that brings our Pearl City community together to welcome in the Chinese New Year – 2020 Year of the Rat.
The Pearl City Shopping Center and the Lung Kong Physical Cultural Club share a very special partnership and friendship that began with traditional Chinese Lion Dance and blessings at House of Dragon Restaurant over 40 years ago and expanded into lion dance blessings for participating merchants throughout the Pearl City Shopping Center for the past 20 years.
We have been a part of the Pearl City Shopping Center Chinese New Year celebrations for over 20 years. We first started with just the Chinese lion blessings for the House of Dragon Restaurant. When other merchants saw what we have been doing, they asked if we can spread our good luck lion dance with other merchants throughout the shopping center. This later evolved to include the entire shopping center. We just passed out flyers notifying the merchants to RSVP, so the lion will appear at their establishment.
Lung Kong Physical Cultural Club's close bond with the House of Dragon ownership ohana continues to ibuild and thrive in 2020.
We have known the House of Dragon owners for over 40 years, since we help start their Chinese restaurant. As a token of good luck, they requested the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club's services for their Chinese New Year promotion of Jai (Monk's food) which is specially cooked with over 20 different vegetarian ingredients. The House of Dragon management never changed. Their original owner passed away many years ago, but his wife still continues with their delicious cooking. They mainly specialize in take-out orders.
With a strong community connection, Lung Kong Physical Culture Club members share their time, talents, spirit and inspiration from a cultural tradition that extends joy and happiness to everyone they touch in the community. The Lung Kong Physical Culture Club also participates in the annual Pearl City Christmas Parade that is sponsored by the Pearl City Shopping Center merchants association.
Lung Kong Physical Culture Club have performed many community services, including the Pan Pacific Parade, Matsuri Parade, Aloha Week Parade, Liliha/Kapalama Christmas Parade, Pearl City Christmas Parade, etc. We bring lots of joy and excitement whenever you see the lions, hear the gongs and cymbals, and the burning of firecrackers to scare away the evil spirits.
For over 60 years, martial arts and lion dancing has been the heart and soul of the Lung Kong Physical Culture Club while also supporting financial needs through scholarships for high school and college students.
The Lung Kong Physical Culture Club was established in 1959 as a martial arts club with training in lion dancing. Many of the lion movements are part of the kung fu movements. The money collected is used to purchase more lion dance equipment. Some money are used as a scholarship funds for high school and college students when they achieve good grades. It's an incentive for them to learn Chinese martial arts, and keep a good academic grade.
Membership is open to anyone that wants to learn kung-fu and Chinese lion dancing. We have weekly Friday night classes at our clubhouse located on Liliha Street.
Through the years, the Lung Kong Physical Cultural Club led by Ernie Loo, have formed a special friendship with Sheri Rolf, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association Board of Director who coordinates the Chinese New Year annual event.
We would like to thank Sherri Rolf for promoting our annual Chinese New Year lion dance. She literally would ask each merchant along the route if they want to participate or not, when we are performing close by. She loves the noise and culture of the Chinese lion blessings.
Mahalo for blessing our Pearl City Shopping Center merchants as we welcome in the Chinese New Year!
KUNG HEE FAT CHOY
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Ernie Loo – co-chairman, Lung Kong Physical Culture Club (left) is
pictured with Sheri Rolf, Pearl City Shopping Center Merchants Association
Board of Director/Rolf Advertising (right) and Sheri's mother (middle).
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