Dr. Busaba Yip will discuss Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his connection to Maui at 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday.

LAHAINA – Join the crowd at the Wo Hing Museum at 858 Front St. in Lahaina on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 14-15, for a free celebration of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his connection to Maui with a traditional Chinese lion dance, music, food and demonstrations.

The grounds and museum will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. with activities starting at 1 p.m. Admission is free to the event, exhibition and museum.

Few know that the “Father of Modern China,” Dr. Sun Yat-sen (1866-1925), was raised and educated here in Hawaii. After returning to China as a young man, he made six trips to Hawaii, spending seven years gaining local support for the 1911 Chinese revolution that ultimately led to the overthrow of China’s Manchu Qing Dynasty.

Come see the lion dance on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Maui Chinese Martial Arts Academy’s Kuhea Asiu, Dan Nakamura and 15 performers will perform the traditional lion dance, followed by martial arts demonstrations, fan dances and tai chi.

Activities include presentations on the life of Dr. Sun Yat-sen and his connection to Maui by Dr. Busaba Yip at 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 1 and 4 p.m. on Saturday. Watch the 20-minute film “Finding Sun Yat-sen” in the Cook House mini-theater from 2 to 4 p.m. daily.

From 4 to 7 p.m., drink Chinese tea under the star fruit tree while listening to the sounds of live traditional music performed on Chinese instruments (the erhu and guqin). Traditional Chinese food will be available both days from 5 to 7 p.m.

On Friday, try your hand at Chinese knot tying from 3 to 6 p.m. In the evening, Chef Bobby Santos will demonstrate Cantonese stir-fry cooking from 6 to 7 p.m. On Saturday, have fun with a Chinese calligraphy activity, writing the characters of Sun Yat-sen’s main teachings, from 2 to 5 p.m.

This event is coordinated by Lahaina Restoration Foundation with support from the County Office of Economic Development, Hawaii Tourism Authority and the Wo Hing Society. Call 661-3262 for information.