January 25, 2004:-

Than Hsiang Temple vowed devotees with a boisterous celebration of songs and dances to usher in the year of the monkey . Various Buddhist organizations from neighbouring states also participated in the Chinese New Year celebration which was held at the Multipurpose Hall, located in the 5 th floor of Than Hsiang Temple.

Devotees were first welcomed to a special lion dance performance by the Free School Buddhist Association. The two ‘lions' poised and pranced about, mimicking the moves of the famous monkey king, greeting all present with a twinkle of fire and light in their eyes. This festive mood marked the start of a joyous occasion .

The event began with a dharma talk by Venerable Wei Wu on the importance of mutual understanding among different religions. The venerable emphasized on the fact that one should not condemn a religion based on the actions of a few individuals, just as we should not blame all Muslims or Americans for the crazy actions or political decisions of a few people. This was followed by a chanting session and blessings from Ven. Wei Wu.

Datuk Dr. Teng Hock Nan took to the stage to officiate the ceremony . In his speech, the datuk stressed on the importance of mutual honesty among the different races and religions, and how we should all cultivate respect for each other.

The Than Hsiang Temple choir group gave two renditions of Chinese New Year songs, and was backed rather enthusiastically by the appreciative audience. This was then followed by a few solo performances from various talented singers, most notable was the solo performance by a small boy Xu Chong Sheng, who looked cute in a monk's robe. Various Buddhist organizations including the Sunday School of the Bukit Mertajam Buddhist Association, the Central Kedah Buddhist Association Kindergarten, Butterworth Buddhist Association, Kulim Buddhist Association and S. R. J. K(C) Kong Wah enthralled the audiences with their creative dances. An a claimed singer Dai Me Li, gave a beautiful rendition of a famous song sung by the late Teressa Teng, a Taiwanese singer.

The Chinese New Year Celebration in Than Hsiang Temple finally came to an end as all the performers took to the stage to sing a few Chinese New Year songs together. The audiences were equally receptive and sang along with much enthusiasm. Various food delicacies were then served by volunteers to the devotees and sangha members.