Lantern Festival celebrated at Shanghai Workers' Cultural Palace
A slew of activities organized by the Shanghai General Trade Union marked the Lantern Festival celebration on Sunday, attracting more than 700 residents to experience the glamour of traditional Chinese cultural and folk customs related to the festival.
With folk music sounded, they guessed riddles, played ancient games like touhu (arrow-throwing), and experienced intangible cultural heritages to win handmade handicrafts such as Chinese knots, sugar paintings and longfeng (dragon and phoenix) character paper cut works at Shanghai Workers' Cultural Palace in Huangpu District.
Inheritors of intangible cultural heritages such as dough modeling, sugar-figure blowing and paper cuts displayed their exquisite skills.
"I am interested in traditional Chinese cultural and folk customs and riddle guessing reminds me of my school days as I have not guessed riddles for many years," said Chen Yong, a resident from Minhang District. "The activities are interesting and it is a pleasant way to celebrate the Lantern Festival."
The trade union prepared a cultural feast for Shanghai's employees to celebrate the Spring Festival with the participation of some national model workers and Shanghai craftsmen.
People made paper planes, rabbit lanterns, built a tower of cards, and wrote the Chinese character "fu ," which means good fortune, during the events.
National model worker Hu Shuangqian, who contributed to making the home-grown large passenger aircraft C919, was at the site.
"The palace has a homey atmosphere for grass-roots workers in Shanghai and the activities are both interesting and special," he said.
Chen Lijing, another national model worker who serves as a volunteer spreading traditional Chinese medicine culture and works at 239-year-old Tonghanchun TCM pharmacy, shared tips for health recuperation during COVID-19 recovery.
On Sunday night, a livestreaming class on paper quilling art with a blend of xingshi, Guangdong-style lion dancing, will be hosted.
The trade union has also launched other online classes on food culture, intangible cultural heritage, and psychological services during the holiday. Reading events were hosted, and free film tickets were distributed to migrant workers who are staying in the city during the holiday, sticking to their posts.