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Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

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      China

      China

      Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

      2025-01-29 02:12 Last Updated At:07:17

      For this year's Spring Festival, the streets in the ancient town of Shipu in east China have come alive with the soft glow of intricate fish lanterns, showcasing the timeless beauty of this intangible cultural heritage.

      The tradition of making fish lanterns is an integral part of the cultural heritage of Shipu Town in Xiangshan County of Ningbo City in east China's Zhejiang Province.

      Rooted in the Chinese saying "may you have surplus year after year," these lanterns symbolize fishermen's hopes for a prosperous and bountiful future.

      This craft has been passed down through generations. For the locals, fish lanterns are not just decorations -- they are a tribute to their seafaring heritage and a manifestation of their wishes for prosperity.

      Each year, on the 14th day of the first lunar month, Xiangshan County hosts a grand parade where locals proudly carry fish lanterns through the streets, celebrating the arrival of the new year.

      Bao Jiqin, now in his 80s, has dedicated his life to perfecting this art. As a young man in his hometown of Shipu, Bao had a passion for drawing and an interest in creating lanterns in the shape of carp as his forebears had done.

      After the first Fishing Season Festival was held in Xiangshan in the late 1990s - a celebration marking the start of a new fishing season following a fishing moratorium - Bao expanded his lantern designs to include different marine life, from yellow croakers to cuttlefish.

      To faithfully replicate real fish, Bao has studied marine life extensively, using books and materials that focus on the unique shapes and behaviors of different species.

      Bao, reflecting on his lifelong dedication to the craft, said his new year's wish was for the precious tradition of making fish lanterns to never fade and to shine for generations to come.

      The 2025 Spring Festival falls on Wednesday, ushering in the Year of the Snake.

      It marks the first Spring Festival since its inclusion on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.

      Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

      Traditional fish lanterns illuminate night sky of ancient Chinese town

      Next Article

      China's Spring Festival celebrations showcase rich cultural heritage

      2025-02-02 22:23 Last Updated At:22:57

      Spring Festival celebrations in China are in full swing, with visitors treated to a thrilling spectacle of traditional performances, local customs, and warm hospitality.

      In Taiyuan, north China's Shanxi Province, the city is alive with the joy and excitement as people enjoy traditional temple fairs by day and lantern displays at night.

      At a park in the Wanbai District, the festive atmosphere is truly captivating, with acrobatics, dragon dances, and yangko performances drawing large crowds.

      When the night curtain falls, dozens of large lantern installations transform the park into a dreamlike world of lights and shadows.

      "This year's lanterns are beautiful, very beautiful.It gives me the feeling of visiting a temple fair in my childhood. The New Year flavor in Shanxi is very strong," said Sun Yaling, a tourist.

      This year, the lantern exhibition at the temple fair is bigger than ever, with stunning displays including a mountain laser show and animated insect lanterns, both of which have become crowd favorites.

      In Tongren City, southwest China's Guizhou Province, the atmosphere during the Spring Festival is vibrant and full of energy.

      The city was abuzz with intangible cultural heritage parades and traditional Chinese New Year activities that bring a strong sense of local culture.

      As the sun goes down, parade teams make their way through an old street, where performers showcase traditional ethnic performances such as dragon dance, and Miao ethnic costume displays.

      The city also hosted a variety of performances, including a lantern festival, Nuo Opera, a religious ritual to ward off evil spirits, and bonfire celebrations, all of which reflect the region's rich cultural heritage and festive spirit.

      During the Spring Festival holiday, the scenic spot of Lijiang in southwest China's Yunnan Province, including the Lijiang Ancient Town and the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic area, saw a surge in tourists.

      The region's unique Naxi culture and gorgeous snowy mountain landscapes continue to attract visitors from across the country.

      In Lijiang Ancient Town, the streets were bustling with visitors, who immersed themselves in a vibrant array of colorful folk performances.

      Local residents, dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, perform the lively Naxi dance, celebrating the Chinese New Year with tourists.

      "I saw a lot of programs with ethnic minority characteristics after visiting the Lijiang Ancient Town. The different cultures felt very different from ours. Anyway, I liked it very much. It was the first time I felt such a warm and strong Spring Festival atmosphere," said Dong Chao, tourist from Henan Province.

      Meanwhile, the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic area also attracted a large number of visitors during the Spring Festival holiday.

      Official data from the scenic spot showed that from the first day of the Chinese New Year, the scenic area has welcomed more than 20,000 visitors per day. To accommodate the large crowds, the park has adjusted its opening hours, starting operations at 06:00 instead of the usual 08:00. "Over 500 volunteers from our 13 service teams at the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic area are fully dedicated to assisting with receiving tourists. In addition to offering guidance and travel route consultations, we also provide visitors with complimentary candy, boiled water, and ginger syrup. We hope to make the the visitor experience smoother, while also extending warm hospitality," said Tang Jianheng, a volunteer at the Yulong Snow Mountain scenic spot.

      China's Spring Festival celebrations showcase rich cultural heritage

      China's Spring Festival celebrations showcase rich cultural heritage

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