Hundreds of residents and community leaders gathered at the FCCM Cultural Centre inside King Square Shopping Centre on Saturday, Feb. 28, for the 2026 Markham Chinese Heritage Month Celebration, a free day-long program of performances and hands-on displays.
The event was hosted by Regional Councillor Alan Ho, the Federation of Chinese Canadians in Markham and the Federation of Chinese Canadians in York Region, with TD Bank Group as presenting sponsor. Local listings had it running from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Nearly 50 performances
Organizers said close to 50 cultural programs took the stage over the day. They included dragon and lion dances, excerpts of Peking opera, the quick mask changes of Sichuan opera, waist drum performances, classical and ethnic dance, tai chi and kung fu fan demonstrations, musical ensembles and poetry recitations.
Away from the stage, booths invited visitors to try things for themselves. There were displays on oracle bone script, one of the earliest known forms of Chinese writing, along with demonstrations of movable-type printing, stone rubbing and traditional papermaking, Chinese calligraphy and a lantern riddle game.
Speakers stress shared culture
Ho opened the program in English. He pointed to the more than 5,000-year span of Chinese civilization and said the month is a chance not only for the Chinese community to celebrate, but for residents of every background to learn about traditional culture and build understanding, according to a Markham Review account of the event.
Mayor Frank Scarpitti thanked the organizers, volunteers and performers and credited the event with promoting Chinese culture and bringing people together. Cheng Hongbo, deputy consul general at the Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Toronto, spoke about cultural exchange between China and Canada. Supt. Chirag Bhatt of York Regional Police's #5 District said the event helped strengthen community engagement.
Part of a busy Lunar New Year season
The celebration came near the end of a month of Lunar New Year events across Markham, from markets and mall stage shows to LunarFest at the Varley Art Gallery in Unionville.
