Intangible cultural heritages are not only exhibited in museums, but also presented in people’s daily life. Recently, several ancient villages in Guangzhou took the advantage of a celebration to promote intangible cultural heritage among young people.
A lion dance team walks into Yuanxi Village. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Accompanied by the sound of firecrackers and drums, several lion dance teams from nearby villages marched into Yuanxi Village in Liwan District, Guangzhou on the afternoon of the second day of the third lunar month (April 18). They were gathering for the celebration of the birthdays of Yuanxi Village and North Emperor.
During the celebration, intangible cultural heritage performances lion dance and traditional Chinese martial arts were presented by performers from Yuanxi Village and its nearby sister villages, including Xichang, Xicun, Sanyuanli, Wangshengtang and Guotang.
Villagers view lion dance performance at the celebration. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
The highlight of the lion dance was the “Cai Qing” (picking the green) performance. Villagers threw out lettuce (lettuce in Chinese is “生菜”, which sounds like “生财” in Mandarin, meaning making a fortune), and the lions picked it up, tore it apart and put it on the table, symbolizing the villagers’ blessings have been received.
Villagers view martial arts performance at the celebration. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
After that, the traditional Chinese martial arts stunned the crowd with amazing performances of Wing Chun, Hung Kuen, Tai Chi and bench vs broadsword.
It is learned that this is the eighth celebration held by Yuanxi Village to commemorate the birthdays of the village and North Emperor (also called the Zhenwu Emperor of Taoism). And this is the first time that the celebration took place outdoors instead of the village’s ancestral hall, which engaged more villagers, especially young people to participate in the performances.
Villagers view lion dance performance at the celebration. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
He Ruyuan, who has migrated to Macao from the village for many years, made a special trip back to the village for the celebration. He said, “The outdoor celebration enable more villagers to enjoy the activities, which is conducive to fellowship among villagers and guiding more youngsters to inherit the intangible cultural heritage.”
Located in northwest Liwan District, Yuanxi Village was established in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1279), over 700 years ago. It is inhabited by people of several surnames, including He, Xiao, Ma, Huang and Liang.
Lion dance [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Traditional Chinese martial arts [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
Guests and villagers pose for a group photo at the celebration. [Photo provided to Newsgd.com]
