Hongkou lights up with lantern festival celebrations

Ti Gong

The Hongkou Intangible Cultural Heritage Lantern Fair on Wan'an Road in Jiangwan Town.

Hongkou District marked the Lantern Festival with a showcase of traditional and modern lanterns made by artisans in southeast China's Fujian Province and local cultural heritage craftsmen.

The event, featuring dragon dances, craft workshops and a lantern exhibition, aims to promote the preservation and innovation of China's UN-designated categories of intangible cultural heritage (ICH).

The Wan'an Road area in the historical Jiangwan Town was illuminated by lanterns filled with traditional folklore charm. The Lantern Festival falls on Saturday this year.

Lanterns from Wan'an, Jiangle County of Fujian, which has a history dating back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and Hongkou's intangible cultural heritage promotion center shone together, offering a feast of visuals and culture to the audience.

Ti Gong

Dancers from southeast Fujian Province perform traditional lantern dances at the fair.

A dragon dance by athletes from the Shanghai Chin Woo Sports Association showcased the spirit and charm of Chin Woo culture, a national ICH project that can be traced back to the Chin Woo Athletic Federation founded in 1910 by martial arts icon Huo Yuanjia.

A dance based on the folk "Tea Picking Opera" from Jiangle County and music from Jiangwan Town's folk band added to the festivities.

The highlight was the lantern display, featuring 44 Wan'an lanterns across traditional and modern themes, including intricate rabbit and fish lanterns from Hongkou.

The event also featured the 15th annual zodiac cultural exhibition in Hongkou, focusing on Year of the Dragon folklore.

This initiative aims to deepen cultural exchange and appreciation for ICH, promoting the ongoing prosperity of Chinese culture and heritage, according to the center.

Ti Gong

The Chin Woo dragon dance from Hongkou.