Capital celebrates rich culture during Lantern Festival

[Photo provided to China Daily]

The Beijing Bureau of Culture and Tourism collaborated with a number of organizations and companies in hosting more than 660 cultural events and performances around this year’s Lantern Festival, which was on Feb 24.

More than 400 cultural activities were organized across Beijing, including temple fairs, garden salons, lantern shows and dragon dance parades, and 261 performances, such as plays, operas and concerts, were staged at theater venues.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

As traditional folk events during Spring Festival, temple fairs, garden salons and lantern shows have been popular among the public. Each district boasted multiple gatherings, where the citizens strolled through the markets and admired the dazzling lantern displays.

Intangible cultural heritage elements were highlighted at these events. The Jiuqu Yellow River lantern array was featured at events by Changping district and Miyun district, a folk custom that involved a gigantic lantern display, performances and rituals for a safe and smooth year.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

At Fengtai district’s Changxindian old town, folk performances and three street parades took place on the day, where folk artists enriched visitors’ experience with drum performances, traditional opera face-changing stunts, martial arts and lion dancing.

Public libraries across the city also joined in leveraging their resources and hosting a series of reading events. In the Capital Library of China, storytellers told tales about Lantern Festival to children and guided them in making crafts. Beijing Dongcheng District Library organized a recital and a lecture where scholars shared and analyzed traditional poems pertaining to the festival.

[Photo provided to China Daily]

At cultural centers, a variety of events were held, from a traditional Chinese opera concert at the Cultural Center of Xicheng District, to public film screenings organized at Chaoyang district’s several cultural centers.

A total of 135 commercial productions were available in Beijing’s theater venues. There was also a concert by the China National Traditional Orchestra at the National Center for the Performing Arts and a Peking Opera concert at Chang’an Grand Theater.

[Photo provided to China Daily]