BEIJING: A seven-day temple fair opened in south China’s city of Guangzhou on Saturday, celebrating the Lantern Festival and presenting visitors with traditional dances, lion dances and delicious food.
“I’ve been recording the fair with my phone because it’s so lively,” said Chen Yonghao, a tourist from south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
Chen visited the fair with his wife and child. “The traditional culture here is well-preserved, and the cultural performances are distinctive,” he said. “I’m really happy to spend the festival, which symbolizes reunion, with so many other visitors.”
The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
People usually hang colorful lanterns, play riddle games and express their wishes and hopes for the future.
In Guangzhou’s Yuexiu District, lanterns and illuminations adorn Yuexiu Park, creating a festive mood. Next to a 100-meter-long illumination in the shape of a loong — or Chinese dragon — tourist Shen Xiaoran was recording the scene on her phone.
“For Chinese people, the loong symbolizes good weather for the crops and happiness. I hope that everything goes well and I’ll be able to navigate my workplace with ease this year,” said Shen.
In the city of Zhangye, northwest China’s Gansu Province, a centuries-old traditional cultural event was held on Friday night to mark the Lantern Festival. The tradition, called the Jiuqu Yellow River Lantern Array, is an intangible cultural heritage for Gansu Province. –Agencies
