During the Qingming Festival, the Vibrant Scene depicted in the Renowned Chinese Painting of Along the River During the Qingming Festival recreated in Yuantong Ancient Town in Chongzhou, Chengdu
The drums and gongs resound to the skies, celebrating Qingming's grace, while the golden dragon soars and tumbles, dancing in the spring breeze's embrace.
With a history of more than 1,600 years, the 271st Yuantong Qingming Spring Temple Fair was held in Yuantong Ancient Town in Chongzhou of Chengdu on April 4. Enjoying the reputation of "Living Along the River During the Qingming Festival", this millennium-old street presented an immersive traditional cultural feast for visitors from all over the world with sinuous dragon dance processions and an endless stream of folk-custom parade formations.
Huijiang's Centuries-Old Dragon Dance Procession
Recreating the Bustling Fair Scenes from Along the River During the Qingming Festival
Yuantong Qingming Spring Temple Fair held in Chongzhou of Chengdu is a representative project of intangible cultural heritage in Sichuan Province. Hailed as the "First Meeting of Western Sichuan's Heartland", it has a history spanning over three centuries and has been held for 270 sessions.
The morning beneath the Yuantong Pagoda was bustling. The "Golden Ox Spring Blessing Festival" activity, which originated 300 years ago, kicked off the prelude to the 271st Yuantong Qingming Spring Temple Fair, recreating the traditional scene of praying for spring ploughing. Through traditional performances, local people perpetuated auspicious blessings that embody their enduring aspirations: seasonal rains for abundant harvests and peaceful prosperity for the nation and its people.
At the site of the event, the 271-year-old "Huijiang Ancient Dragon" presented a breathtaking spectacle. 271 local middle school students, each holding a section of the dragon body in their hands, emerged from Qilin Street in a grand manner. The colorful dragon of more than 300 meters circled, harmonizing with the gray-tiled roofs and timber-framed architecture of the ancient town. The flags and banners of the shops along the street fluttered in the wind, and some shopkeepers dressed in traditional costumes were selling along the street, recreating the bustling scene of Along the River during Qingming Festival. Tourists followed the procession and shuttled through Yuantong Ancient Town, watched various traditional programs, and took pictures one after another to leave unforgettable moments. "This is the grand event that can most touch the pulse of Western Sichuan culture,” said Mr. Zhang, a tourist from Chongqing, holding a camera and shuttling through the crowd.
Amidst the nocturnal shroud, "Huijiang Ancient Dragon" undulates across Huijiang Bridge
In particular, it is worth mentioning that this year, the Spring Festival Fair also collaborated with local technology companies to use plastic fiber optics and other technologies to light up the 271-year-old "Huijiang Ancient Dragon" for the first time. The whiskers of the dragon were simulated through fiber optics, and the dragon body was illuminated internally, making it very three-dimensional at night. The innovative form of expression attracted a large number of tourists on the eve of the Qingming Festival, giving the millennium ancient town a new look of the times. Meanwhile, it also allowed more citizens and tourists to further understand and appreciate the charm of Yuantong Qingming Spring Temple Fair, and deeply feel the charm of excellent traditional folk culture.
A large number of tourists were attracted by the lantern-lit blessing and Huijiang Ancient Dragon Night Tour activities
“Happy Ma Hua” staged in the ancient town
Audiences experienced culinary-performance symbiosis - savoring banquet delicacies while interacting with opera personas
As one of the highlights of the 271st Yuantong Qingming Spring Temple Fair, the "Happy Ma Hua" team brought innovative dramas to Yuantong Ancient Town, injecting fashion and artistic genes into the traditional folk festival. In the drama The Golden Dinner Party staged at Huang Compound of the cultural protection unit of Western Sichuan, the scene of "Ao Ergong's Birthday Banquet" especially restored the banquet culture of "Nine Bowls" in Western Sichuan. Audiences experienced culinary-performance symbiosis - savoring banquet delicacies while interacting with opera personas, which was full of illusion of Immersion.
People-Benefit Cultural Performance Site
In addition to immersive joy, there was also the stunning physical drama Jincheng Qimeng, where the actors used their bodies as brushes to take you into the fantasy art world. Visitors could experience the actors' superb skills of flying and leaping up close. This physical drama that breaks down language barriers allows traditional architecture and contemporary art to engage in a dialogue that transcends time and space, attracting applause from tourists: "The ancient town is no longer a static backdrop, but a breathing theatrical space."
It is reported that, this "Happy Ma Hua" Theater in Yuantong Ancient Town is a free performance for the benefit of the people, covering comedy performance, improvisation, physical drama and street art performance, parade, installation art, creative market and other sectors.
Furthermore, a variety of traditional cultural activities have also been launched in Yuantong Spring Temple Fair this year. During the Spring Temple Fair, four cultural themed activities, 19 supporting cultural and artistic events, and two material trading market activities will be held continuously in Yuantong. Meanwhile, the creation of new consumption scenes such as "Vitality Market" and "Qiyuan Slow Village" with themes of coffee, bread, animation, and cultural and creative industries has brought tourists a richer and more diverse travel experience.
Local Specialties of the Ancient Town in the Fair
According to preliminary statistics, on the day of the Qingming Festival, Yuantong Ancient Town was expected to receive over 35,000 tourists, and the comprehensive tourism income was expected to be over RMB 21 million. (Source/Propaganda Department of Chongzhou Municipal Party Committee)
翻译：暨南大学 张凤
Translated by: Jinan University Feng Zhang
审核：北京优译文化传媒有限公司 毛敏
Reviewed by: Beijing Yooyi Culture and Media Com., Ltd. Mao Min
