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Folklife Resources

Sung Lung Wash and Ironing at 105 Court Street, Salem, 1915. Photo by Cronise, with permission from Oregon Historical Society, OrHi#55042.	Corvallis and Eastern Oregon track maintenance workers called "gandy dancer" patrol Oregon Pacific Railroad in their handcar. Photo used with permission from Oregon Historical Society,OrHi $#50082.
The Kam Wah Chung museum in John Day was a gathering place for eastern Oregon's Chinese community in the 1800's. The building was a doctor's office, grocery store, pharmacy, and community center.	The Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association is located in a national historic building in Portland's Chinatown. The organization was formed in the late 1800's to represent the various Chinese community groups and is still the center of the Cantonese American community.
A lion dance in Portland's Chinatown officially starts the New Year celebration on the first Saturday of the Lunar New Year. Two lions dance their way to each Chinese-owned business and club in Chinatown where they "eat" lettuce and oranges dangling from doorways. This ceremony is said to bring luck and good fortune in the New Year.	The Lake Tai Rock was a gift from Portland's sister city of Suzhou, China. It is a 16-foot, 17-ton limestone formation shaped naturally by the waters of Tai Lake and is inscribed with Chinese characters that read "rare stone calls forth the spirit."
A gateway welcomes visitors to Portland's Chinatown district. The characters on the top of each side translate as "Portland Chinatown" and "Four Seas, One Family." The gate is decorated with 78 dragons and 58 mythical characters and has a time capsule buried at the foot of one of its legs.	Tradition Chinese medicine is based on the idea that the body and mind must both be in balance to be healthy. Over thousands of years, traditional Chinese doctors have used acupuncture, herbal formulas, and exercise to restore, promote and maintain good health in their patients. Herbal shops such as this Chinatown business carry healing herbs and tinctures used in traditional Chinese medicine.
Asian markets throughout Oregon carry vegetables, fresh and dried meats, sauces, noodles, rice steamers, teas and other items. Many of these items are imported from countries throughout Asia. Others are grown and packaged here in Oregon.	Ancestor alters with offerings of flowers, rice, incense, and oranges are common at Chinese businesses and social clubs. To give someone a gift of oranges or tangerines means you wish them good luck. Oranges are a symbol of wealth and prosperity.
Leonard Yee is a member of the Yat Sing Music Club, the oldest traditional Chinese music group in Portland. Mr. Yee is a founding member of this group which meets for weekly practice sessions in Portland's Chinatown.

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