This article appeared on the front page of the "Valley Voice Weekly", Volume XXIX No. 35, July 2, 2009.

Famed Imperial DynastyCould Be Reopening
By Miles Shuper
Hanford - The Imperial Dynasty, one of California's few five-star restaurants whose chef prepared escargot for world leaders and offered some of the best wines from a 70,000-bottle wine cellar, could be reopened in the next few months.
The Dynasty's escargot was known worldwide, attracting gourmets from not only the East Coast but other countries. The Hanford restaurant closed in 2006.
Although chef Richard Wing is retired, family members reportedly are working to put the Hanford restaurant back in business. Aerianna Wing has applied for a liquor license with the California Alcoholic Beverage Control Board. She was unavailable for comment. Her mother, Richard Wing's sister-in-law, would only say any discussion of the reopening would be premature.
Hanford building officials said there have been no fillings for building permits. The landmark restaurant, established more than 125 years ago in Hanford's historically rich Chinatown, has been a Mecca for gourmets from all over as well as one of the Valley's most noted dining establishments with a world class wine cellar.
The Dynasty has been a family operation. It was founded in 1883 when Richard Wing's grandfather opened up a noodle house in the city's Chinatown. Richard began working in the kitchen at age six, peeling vegetables and shelling shrimp. He joined the Army during World War II and in 1945, caught the attention of Gen. George C. Marshall who took him to China as his personal chef.
The assignment included being a food tester for Marshall who was allergic to shellfish and strawberries. Wing tasted foods in kitchens in Asia and Europe, learning from top chefs in those areas. During his time with Marshall, Wing also cooked for Presidents Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower.
Wing returned to Hanford in 1958, transforming his grandfather's one-time noodle house into a five-star restaurant.
He described his menu as more French cooking than Chinese, with a bit of German, Russian, Italian and Swiss flavors tossed in.
The fame spread and gourmets and others often made reservations weeks ahead. Walt Disney often flew into the Valley and it was reported that a group of wealthy New York businessmen came to Hanford once a month just for the famed escargot.President Ronald Reagan had the Wing family escargot served at his inauguration.
The above story is the property of The Valley Voice Newspaper and may not be reprinted without explicit permission in writing from the publisher.

Moon Festival
By Shawbong Fok
sfok@HanfordSentinel.com

The 29th-Annual Moon Festival in Hanford's China Alley kicked off with lion dancing and the pound of taiko drums beating on Saturday afternoon. Dozens of guests arrived at China Alley, once the epicenter of California's third largest Chinese community in the first-half of the 20th century, to celebrate the autumn harvest, otherwise known as the moon festival. Traditionally, families gave food, gifts and mooncakes to each other. But the festival brings this celebration to the public in the hopes that it could help spur donations to remodel several old buildings in the alley.

"We also want to give the community a chance to share the moon festival," said Camille Wing, a trustee of the Hanford Taoist Temple Preservation Society, which presented the festival.

Lion dancers from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo came to ward off evil spirits and sprinkle good luck throughout the alley as they bent, leaped and kicked their way into the lion dance.

"It's a blessing," said Alan Swe, captain of the lion dance team. "It's an ancient Chinese art form that uses martial arts."

Taiko drums were played by the Fresno Gumyo Taiko. In the old days, taiko drums were used to notify islanders in Japan when enemies were coming. Drummers would bang on hollow wooden logs to sound off enemy encroachment. Taiko drums have also historically been used for music during festivals, according to Sophia Nagao, a member of the Taiko group from Fresno. The pounding sounds reverberated throughout the alley to the attention of dozens of guests.




Engineering students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo performed the Lion Dance during the Moon Festival on Saturday afternoon. Gary Feinstein photos/The Sentinel



Many came to see the festival to learn about Chinese culture, now a small presence in Kings County.

"We come every year," said Patricia Lambert, 27, a college student from Avenal. "What you usually get is European culture. It's rare to see something outside Europe."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2423.

Hanford Taoist Temple Preservation Society Presents
The 29th Annual
MOON FESTIVAL
Saturday, October 4, 2008
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Free Admission

• Cal Poly's Chinese Lion Dancers
• Fresno Gumyo Taiko
• Food and Crafts Booths
• Tea and Cookies in the Garden
• Hanford Bonsai Society Display
• Tours of the Taoist Temple and Museum

China Alley, Hanford
(located 1/2 block north of East 7th Street between Green and White Streets)
Entertainment at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
For more information:
582-4508
Thank you to our sponsors:
MACKEY AND MACKEY
GWF POWER SYSTEMS
KINGS FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
GRISWOLD LASALLE COBB DOWD & GIN L.L.P. ATTORNEYS

AUTHOR TO VISIT HANFORD
You are invited to meet...
Nancy Tan,
Certified Yoga Instructor & psychotherapist
When:
Saturday, August 2, 2008
1:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Where:
Taoist Temple Gift Shop & Museum
No. 12 China Alley, Hanford
(1/2 blk north of East 7th Street between Green and White Streets)

• Books available for purchase


• Book signing by the author


• CD Yoga Nidra available for purchase

QUIET MIND, HEALTHY BODY: THE ART OF LOW-STRESS LIVING offers simple but effective remedies for stress relief and strategies for stress prevention. With a holistic approach, the book addresses stress in the physical, mental, emotional and relational realms. The author presents complex concepts in simple language and a compassionate voice. The reader will come away with a good understanding of the dynamics of stress, effective tools for stress relief, a blue print for stress prevention, and a positive and hopeful outlook.

The Taoist Temple Gift Shop & Museum will be open from Noon-6 p.m., Saturday, August 2nd.

Tours are available.

Questions??? Please call 582-4508

Portions of the book sales will be donated to the Taoist Temple Museum.

The 29th Annual Moon Festival will be held on October 4, 2008 in China Alley.

Popular PBS program host visits Hanford
By Eiji Yamashitaeyamashita@HanfordSentinel.com
"Wow, this is amazing!" You could almost hear that familiar enthusiastic twang resounding inside a Taoist temple the other day, as Huell Howser -- a beloved PBS program host -- took careful steps into the key China Alley artifact in the tucked-away corner of downtown Hanford with his cameraman.A faint smell of dust and incense marks the worship hall, where an elaborate altar evokes a glimpse into the early Chinese immigrants' spiritual life. Even the ceiling itself -- with all the lanterns, kerosene lamps, gas and electric lights -- is a vivid reminder of the 115-plus years that the building has endured.Everything in the dark brick-walled room represents a piece of local history.China Alley offered quite a perfect place for Howser who toured Hanford about two weeks ago for his "Road Trip" series to explore its cultural and historical heritage and its points of pride.Howser spent two full days in Hanford on May 20 and 21, filming the next episode of his "Road Trip with Huell Howser," a series in which he sets out on a California highway on a wayward journey of discovery.
That's one of a dozen programs he produces, including the popular "California's Gold" on PBS.The day after his trip to Hanford, he was back in his Palm Springs home recalling fondly the small Central Valley town that can often be overlooked by those traveling on main thoroughfares like Highway 99 and Interstate 5."Hanford is a perfect example of what you'll find if you just take the time to look," Howser said. "You've got a town a lot of people drive by but don't stop and visit unless they have a reason to pull off the road. But here you have a prestigious Fox Theatre, Carnegie Museum, China Alley and a world-class Japanese museum and friendly people."We're surrounded by all these treasures, but we're so busy that we forget that we've got a lot of wonderful places to visit. They are right under our noses," Howser said.Under that underlying theme, Howser will be introducing Hanford to the rest of California in a way that the city has never done on its own.An hourlong documentary of his road trip to Hanford hits the airwaves this Thursday on Valley Public Television at 8 p.m. The repeat will run in the Valley on June 14 at 6:30 p.m. The episode will also be aired in Southern California on Sunday, June 8, on KCET, a public television channel in Los Angeles, at 7 p.m.Viewers may be in for the best show he has ever shot for the series."He said, 'It's going to be my best show. You're going to love it,'" said Dave Jones, director of the Hanford Conference and Visitor Agency, the official tourism promotion agency for the city.Jones facilitated Howser's itinerary in Hanford, taking him on a fire truck tour of downtown, taking him to breakfast at Star Restaurant, coffee at Art Works, ice cream at Superior Dairy, a visit to the Fox Theatre, Carnegie Museum and Church of the Saviour on the first day."I'm excited," Jones said. "The best part of the whole thing was that people he interviewed during the visit were so open and friendly. They were so excited about Hanford -- people at Superior, ladies playing bridge at Art Works, the Humason family at the Fox, people at the Carnegie Museum."They were all candid," Jones said. "These people couldn't have been trained for 100 years to be that good."On the second day, Jones was joined by Camille Wing from the Taoist Temple Preservation Society in giving Howser a tour of Hanford's China Alley and the Ruth and Sherman Lee Institute for Japanese Art at the Clark Center."He was quite amazed that we have what we have ," Wing said. "I'm so pleased that he can present us to the world. We are fortunate that he came in and filmed as much as he did. It's going to be good for promoting our town."That's exactly the hope for Jones at the visitor agency.Jones said he was told by a marketing manager of Amtrak that the last place Huell Howser visited saw an increase in tourism by 27 percent the following year. For Hanford, that could mean several thousand more tourists a year. "It's an exciting time for our town," he said.Hanford -- with its historic heritage -- likes to play up its "hidden treasure" potential as a tourism destination. For quite some time, the city has engaged in efforts to preserve its historic look and cultural heritage and revitalize its downtown district in the name of maintaining what many would call small-town charms.Howser said it was a matter of time for Hanford to get his attention."For years now, I've gotten letters from residents or people from close communities who passed through Hanford," Howser said. "Some people at KVPT in Fresno have also been talking to me for about a year now about Hanford and its Japanese museum. All of these just came together."Still early in the process, Howser gave away a small glimpse into his thoughts in putting together this particular episode."The theme of our show is, there were a lot of pleasant and unexpected surprises when I visited Hanford," Howser said. "The real impact of the program may be felt outside of your viewing area, where people are introduced to Hanford for the first time. But this could serve your area as well, giving the community a renewed sense of pride."Howser's programs explore the nooks and crannies of California to pursue the kind of imageries and stories that mainstream media won't touch. With a cameraman in tow and a microphone in hand, Howser takes viewers into little-known places and obscure neighborhoods.But through his shows, Howser says he isn't just turning people on to specific towns like Hanford.The Nashville, Tenn., native says he is challenging Californians to go out and explore their own home."I want people to realize that if Huell Howser, who is not from California, can go around California, they can start nosing around their own communities, too," Howser said. "It doesn't take Huell Howser to make these discoveries. It's in everyone's power to make these discoveries themselves."The reporter can be reached at 583-2429.(June 4, 2008)