On February 4th, the launching ceremony of the 2024 "Chinese Dream: Spreading Culture to Every Household" series of events, along with a special performance, took place at Chaozhou's Guangji Gate Tower.
Guangji Bridge
Launching ceremony of 2024 "Chinese Dream: Spreading Culture to Every Household" events
With the participation of numerous volunteers, the event presented a magnificent artistic feast, offering the audience a rich cultural experience.
Chaozhou cultural elements can be spotted everywhere.
As the first event of the series, the performance showcased Chaozhou's distinctive elements and the charm of its historical and cultural heritages. Featuring wonderful presentations of Chaozhou gongs and drums, Chaozhou opera, Chaozhou lion and dragon dances, it also showcased performances of songs like "The Magnificent Guangji Bridge in Chaozhou."
Li Jun performing Peking Opera "Zhulianzhai" (Pearl Curtain Fort)
Zeng Xiaomin and Zhu Hongxing performing Cantonese Opera "The Legend of the White Snake: Love"
The main venue for the event, Guangji Gate Tower, built in 1370, is a city tower with a history of over 600 years. In addition to the unveiling of intangible cultural heritage items, the gate tower also played an important role in showcasing the rich history of Chaozhou, introducing the audience to its abundant cultural and tourism resources.
Applause from the audience at the launching ceremony
The Gate Tower is facing the Han River, where the Guangji Bridge, one of China's four ancient bridges renowned as the "earliest pontoon bridge that opens and closes in the world" can be found; The Longhu Ancient Village, founded in the second year of the Southern Song Dynasty (1132), served as one of the material distribution centers and a bustling marketplace for commercial trade in the history of Chaozhou; While on the Shibi Mountain, inscriptions and poetry created by renowned scholars and contemporary Chinese artists can be found on the cliffs, earning it the reputation of the "Most Outstanding Inscription Wall of Eastern Guangdong".
Yingge Dance performance in Chaozhou Ancient City
Currently, Chaozhou boasts 17 intangible cultural heritage items on the national representative list, 47 items on the provincial list, and 139 items on the city-level list...In addition, the cultural development in Chaozhou focuses on enriching people's lives and improving people's well-being with culture. In recent years, continuous efforts have been made to improve public cultural facilities such as libraries, cultural centers, and museums. Chaozhou has also earned itself the "golden labels" of the "Creative City of Gastronomy" and the "National Historical and Cultural City" among the second batch of demonstration zones for the protection and utilization of national historical and cultural relics, revitalizing its cultural"treasures".
Audience taking photos with the Yingge Dance Troupe
Source | Yangcheng Evening News
