MOCA TALKS: Chinese Almanac - Year of the Ox with Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith
4 – 5PM
In their talk at MOCA in January 2020, Pocket Chinese Almanac authors Joanna C. Lee and Ken Smith relayed advice from their geomancer in Hong Kong for the Year of the Rat: (1) Do not try to convince others to change their minds, and (2) find a safe place and hide. That should have told us all something!
As we all look forward to a smoother, healthier, more harmonious Year of the Ox, join us for a glimpse of what the Chinese almanac has to say about 2021 and the preparations and protections we may need.
The traditional Chinese almanac, known as the Tong Sing in Cantonese or Huang Li in Mandarin, is a centuries-old repository of cultural information from household tips to general medical remedies. But it’s the almanac’s predictions of which days are auspicious or ominous for a wide range of activities that has made the annual publication a mainstay in Chinese homes.
Orders received by Tuesday, January 26 can be delivered before the talk. That said, we will continue to accept orders leading up to and also after the program.
Purchase your 2021 Chinese Almanac here!
The event is FREE but advance registration is required. It will also be recorded for on-demand viewing on MOCA’s Vimeo channel: vimeo.com/mocanyc by Friday, February 5.
About the Authors
Joanna C. Lee is a recovering pianist with a doctorate in musicology from Columbia University. An active translator and interpreter, she has served such luminaries as former US President Jimmy Carter, film directors Luc Besson and Peter Greenaway, and Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan.
Ken Smith writes about Asian arts and culture for the Financial Times and other publications. He is the author of Fate! Luck! Chance! … the Making of The Bonesetter’s Daughter Opera. He speaks Chinese fluently, in many different dialects.
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Photo by Lia Chang