The active inheritance of Korean folk customs in China activates border tourism

Yanbian, March 3 -- The active inheritance of Korean folk customs in China activates border tourism

China News Network reporter Guo Jia

Since the beginning of this year, the "net red wall" opposite Yanbian University has been on fire, and young people from all over China have come to check in. The reporter came to this interview and saw that this "net red wall" is hung with all kinds of shop signs, staggered, especially at night, full of light, tourists are weaving.

Several young people from Shanghai said they were really interested in the scenes of Korean "little brothers" and "little sisters" singing and dancing at night, and the Korean food "hidden" under the signs.

Tourists experience Korean folklore. Photo by Liu Dong

Yanbian Prefecture in Jilin Province, along the border, is China's only Korean autonomous prefecture and the largest area inhabited by ethnic Koreans. The local protection of Korean traditional culture is not "museum-style", but embedded in production and life. Green tile and white-walled buildings, plain and elegant costumes, colorful dances, beautiful folk songs, smooth and pleasant language... For tourists, these distinct ethnic elements are on the horizon.

Located in Yanji City, the capital of Yanbian Prefecture, the Chinese Korean Folk Garden is a complete collection of Korean folk culture elements, which can be seen in full view of Korean ethnic customs. Beautiful Korean costumes are popular with young girls, and the folk garden has taken advantage of the slogan "Be a Korean princess for a day", and since the beginning of this year, tens of thousands of people have come to experience being a "princess" every day. There are also professional makeup artists and photographers in the folk garden to capture beautiful moments for each "princess".

Fujian tourist Lin Jing and her classmates came to Yanbian Prefecture for three days to play, but their interest was still undiminished. She feels that Korean clothing is plain and elegant, the long streamers are very beautiful, the important thing is that the high waist does not show the figure, and ordinary people really wear it like a princess.

In China, more and more young people love traditional culture. Lin Jing said that she wore many ethnic minority costumes, each with a different beauty, which even gave her the idea of "checking in" each ethnic costume.

Yu Liangming, deputy director of Yanbian Prefecture's Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism, believes that the explosion of local tourism is a process of accumulation, and over the years, the local area has not only protected and inherited the traditional Korean culture, but also comprehensively improved the tourism infrastructure. In 2023, the local government is expected to invest more than 20 billion yuan in tourism projects, setting a new high in tourism project investment in recent years.

In Hongshi Township, Dunhua City, Yanbian Prefecture, a Korean folk village is about to open to the public, and some anxious tourists even come to visit the shop in advance. The reporter saw that there were many Korean villagers living in the folk village, and the courtyard was basking in fiery red peppers, and they did not change the rhythm of life because of the arrival of tourists.

Shang Liang, deputy head of Hongshi Township, said that this was deliberately retained by the local area. The construction of a folk village cannot lose the soul of the ancient village, and the empty shell is destined to not last long. Only by preserving more of the natural features, production methods and living habits here can more tourists be attracted and the villagers can benefit more.

The beauty of Yanbian Prefecture, the "taste" cannot fail to mention. At the Korean Rice Cake Experience Hall in China, the flower cakes, steamed cakes, and beaten cakes on the counter are made into various styles, such as Jindalai flowers, Korean lucky bags, Korean traditional costumes, etc., which increase the appearance of the view, and the food is turned into a work of art.

Li Xiangdan, the non-genetic inheritor of Korean court rice cakes, said that the skills of Korean court pastries are directly passed down from generation to generation, but they will also be improved according to modern tastes, such as adding macadamia nuts and cashew nuts to thick cake fillings to improve the sweet taste and nutritional value of the filling.

Guangxi tourist Teng Xin said after visiting Yanbian Prefecture that she was most impressed by the original preservation of Korean culture. "There is no sense of discord throughout the process, and they are so 'trendy', they perfectly combine pop culture with traditional culture."

Yu Liangliang introduced that cultural empowerment has increasingly become a key variable in the integrated development of culture and tourism, and in the future, the local area will continue to explore more cultural content and cultural symbols from multiple dimensions such as history and ethnicity, so that the local tourism industry will continue to be popular for a long time. (End)