Water towns promise plenty to see over holiday period

Folk cultural activities will take center stage in neighboring water towns and cities throughout the upcoming Spring Festival holiday beginning from February 15, allowing tourists to savor the tradition of the Chinese New Year.

Traditional wedding rituals will be performed in Donghu Lake scenic area in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province, and a wupeng boat, or black awning vessel distinctive to Shaoxing, will be used to pick up the brides with the accompaniment of drum music.

Visitors are invited to write chunlian (Chinese New Year couplets), ring bells and experience traditional Spring Festival blessing ceremonies at Kuaijishan tourist attraction, which has been spruced up with red lanterns.

At Shaoxing’s Shenyuan, a classic garden dating back more than 800 years, light shows and local traditional opera will be performed.

From Shaoxing’s Orchid Pavilion, or Lanting pavilion known for the Chinese ancient calligraphy master Wang Xizhi, folk music performances will be staged, and chunlian will be presented to tourists.

A temple fair will be hosted in Dangkou of Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, featuring dragon and lion dance and traditional Chinese opera performances. The classic love folktale of Tang Bohu (1470-1524), a renowned painter of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), will be performed.

In Xijindu tourist attraction of Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu, a lantern fair will be hosted featuring 25 sets of lanterns, many of which are dog themed, in line with the Chinese Zodiac. Traditional Chinese opera performances like Peking, Yueju and Yangju and other performances will also be staged.

In Shanghai’s neighboring city of Kunshan, traditional activities to welcome “the God of Fortune,” or caishen, will be held with grand water parades on February 20.