Dragon Boat race sheds light on rural revitalization in Fengxian
Fengxian District hosts a dragon boat race on a rural waterway in Yinglong Village.
Shanghai's outlying Fengxian District will host rich cultural events during the Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on Monday, to celebrate its traditional customs and rural revitalization.
In Yinglong Village, a model village of China's "beautiful countryside" campaign, the district will hold a traditional dragon boat race along the farmland waterways.
The event will encourage downtown residents to experience the rural atmosphere and spirit of the village festival.
In community practice stations, residents can participate in activities such as making zongzi, or sticky rice dumplings, crafting perfumed sachets; and playing traditional games.
The Yan Zi Academy will host the 2024 Cultural and Natural Heritage Day, which also falls on Saturday, offering performances and displays of traditional crafts. Visitors can watch artisans perform techniques such as bamboo weaving and feather inlays.
An artist plays Qu Yuan (c. 340-278 BC), one of China's greatest poets in whose memory the Dragon Boat Festival was created, in a performance in Fengxian District.
The district will also offer heritage classes, inviting visitors to learn traditional skills such as wood carving. Zhelin Town will host a heritage market with activities visitors can participate in.
Fengxian will also focus on care activities for the elderly and young people. Events will include home visits and the distribution of gifts.
Fengpu and Jinhai subdistricts will invite families and vulnerable groups to participate in themed activities. Situan Town will host a special event for elderly residents living alone.
For young people, activities will include traditional games and cultural experiences. Qingcun Town will hold a fair for children, and Jinhui Town will offer activities for new employee groups, such as deliverymen and online hosts; and for students.
Professional Huju Opera troupes will perform in various villages along with traditional plays and cultural exhibitions.
Fengxian will also provide community services, such as free haircuts, health checks and medical consultations. Various towns will offer these services in partnership with local volunteers and hospitals.
Children play games that are traditional for the Dragon Boat Festival.
