By the light of the rare supermoon, nearly 900 dignitaries and guests gathered Saturday, May 5 to celebrate two anniversaries of the Texas Teo Chew Temple Association which oversees one of the central points for worship and education in Southwest Houston’s Chinese community.

The gala celebrated the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Texas Teo Chew Association, and its 15th biennial inauguration. Richard Ong, the newly inaugurated president of the Texas Teo Chew Association, gave a welcome speech, and remarks of gratitude were given from Tom Quach, director of the local temple on 10599 Turtlewood Drive.

More than a dozen dancers dressed as red, gold, black and white dragons opened the gala at the Ocean Palace Restaurant on Bellaire Boulevard, followed by other entertainment and the presentation of gifts to the Texas Teo Chew Temple.

The program also featured a martial arts performance, as well as singers from California and Vietnam. A “Five Happiness” drum performance and “Two Black Lions” dance performance rounded out the entertainment offering. The event also featured raffle drawings for cash prizes and iPads.

The Texas Teo Chew Temple at 10599 Turtlewood Drive provides a sanctuary of reflection and worship, as well as weekend classes for children, Chinese language classes for adults, and English as a second language (ESL) classes.

Randy Lam, secretary general for the Texas Teo Chew Association, said the temple is one of the most popular and well-known in the Chinese community, particularly among those who emigrated to the United States from Vietnam in the 1970s. It also hosts an active center for more than 300 local senior citizens, he said.

The temple underwent a $1 million renovation last year, said Vican Tan Sun, a director on the board of the International Management District and one of several individual donors who supported the gala event.

Some of the other VIP sponsors for the gala included the Viet Hoa Super Market, the My Hoa Super Market, Southwestern Bank, Kim Chau Jewelry, Nxcess Motors, Lee’s Sandwiches, and JTK Construction. Others include Jade River International, TBL Energy, KP Flooring, Forest Park Westheir, and Zon Energy.

 

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