Tradition behind the romance
Print Edition
JIADING District hosted a three-day Qixi Festival-themed event, which falls on the 7th day of July on the lunar calendar, in Huilongtan Park from August 7 to 9 in a bid to promote the culture and traditions behind Chinese Valentine’s Day.
The event featured a number of interactive activities, performances and fairs, attracting the participation of 1,000 residents.
Heavy rain didn’t dampen people’s passion for the upcoming featured carnival in the evening of August 9. “Come on! Let’s go draw zodiac constellation!” A girl grabbed her boyfriend in the carnival for an ongoing activity led by an astronomer from China Academy of Sciences. With the astronomer’s help, the couple quickly found locations of the Vega, the Altair and the Big Dipper.
The themed cultural fair gathered many local handicrafts and artworks, including Xuhang straw weaving, paper cutting and beading. Visitors could not only appreciate masters’ exquisite skills but also have hands-on experiences in DIY workshops.
According to the legend, unmarried girls in ancient China would be dressed in new clothes and pray for the Weaving Maid to let them become skillful in handicrafts on Qixi.
There are many different ways for such praying though. For example, a woman surnamed Liu completed a cross-stitch work in the carnival. “You could actually indulge yourself in the stitching, which is really good for us to cultivate our characters,” Liu said.
Traditional cultural performances featuring shadow puppet plays, Chinese instrument concerts and traditional game pitch-pot attracted many visitors. Pitch-pot is a game that requires players to throw sticks into a pot from a set distance, which originated from dinner parties in ancient times.
Wang Jianzhong, a paper-cutting master, also demonstrated his skills during the event. A delicate running horse was created in his hands in under two minutes, amazing onlookers.
The event not only drew couples in love but also families who enjoyed the carnival’s diverse cultural programs and activities.
The event was the start of the district’s cultural promotion program. According to Jin Fangbiao, deputy director of the Office of Jiading Spiritual Civilization, a series of events will be held in the next three years.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
