2011 "An Evening of Chinese Culture"

Hosted by Sino-American Friendship Association (SAFA), its subsidiary the Sino-American Culture & Arts Foundation (SACAF) and local communities, the 3rd Annual "An Evening of Chinese Culture," in conjunction with the NBA's February 9th New Jersey Nets vs. New Orleans Hornets basketball game at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, was a huge success. The event was greatly admired for its phenomenal Chinese cultural performances and was further commended for its effort to help strengthen the relationship between China and the United States.

Joined by representatives from both China and the U.S., the guests who attended the VIP reception were greeted by: the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut, NYC Mayor Bloomberg, as well as Senators from the Greater New York Area, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of People's Republic of China, and the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in New York.

The event opened with a Lion's Eye-Dotting ceremony, honoring and welcoming all the guests in attendance. An award presentation followed. Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets, and Brett Yormark, CEO of Nets Basketball, received the "Sino-American Friendship Extraordinary Contribution Award", presented by SAFA.

The fans on the site were in awe of the performances throughout the evening's game. In addition to the traditional Chinese dances, the Nets dancers also had the crowd on their feet as they did their own rendition of a Chinese cultural dance. The post-game performance treated spectators with the beautiful sounds of Chinese traditional and contemporary music, jujitsu, ribbon dances, and acrobatics by Taiyuan Song ﹠ Dance and Acrobatics Troupe. The evening concluded with ecstatic applauses！

Major sponsors of the event included: China National Tourist Office New York, Dr. James Cui Skin Disease & Cosmetic Surgery Medical Center, China Eastern, No-Jet-Lag, Chinese American Business Development Center, Vonage, Peak, World Journal, Laozhongyi, Sino-American Culture & Arts Foundation, Sina, etc. The game was widely reported by over 50 media outlets both in the U.S. and China.