Students from Beijing celebrate the Chinese New Year in Kansas City, will dance at JCCC Sunday night

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Chinese New Year doesn’t officially begin until January 23rd. However, celebrations have already begun in Kansas City.

Mayor Sly James made a proclamation Saturday at the Nelson Atkins Art Museum, to honor the contributions of Chinese Americans. The proclamation designated a whole week in Kansas City to celebrating the Chinese New Year.

James also honored a group of more than 50 students who traveled from Beijing. The students were from Beijing Bayi Middle School and Shiyan School.

They are visiting the United States to share Chinese culture and to learn about America.

On Sunday evening, starting at 7 o’clock, a group of these students will dance at the Chinese New Year Gala at Johnson County Community College.

NBC Action News Anchor JiaoJiao Shen will emcee the event.

Several students described their typical Chinese New Year celebrations to NBC Action News.

Tenth grader Tina Wu said, “I usually celebrate it with my family, such as my mother and my dad and so on."

Ninth grader Mia Jim echoed, “We celebrate together and we plant a new hope to the new year and we get ready for the new year."