Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen has his hand chomped while feeding a head of cabbage to one of the lions from Au’s Shaolin Arts Society Friday morning.

Held for the first time since 2020, the annual celebration of Chinese New Year was scheduled for the county building’s front lawn, but was moved to a covered parking area due to steady rains.

Ben Au (right) said he has been bringing his family-led group of martial artists and lion dancers to help Maui ring in the new year since 1985.

He said he started when Hannibal Tavares was mayor of Maui County.

SECOND PHOTO: Zen Au, 7, performs a kung fu demonstration with a broad sword during Friday morning’s Chinese New Year celebration at the county building in Wailuku. Zen is the grandson of chief instructor Ben Au and continues the tradition of his mom, Ane Au, who performed similar demonstrations on Maui when she was a little girl. She demonstrated maneuvers with a two-headed spear Friday.

THIRD PHOTO: A lion dances for red envelopes as a heavy rain falls outside the covered parking area Friday morning in Wailuku.

The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos