China News Service, Ningbo, February 23 (Fang Kun, Jiang Pan, Luo Jiaming, Ge Pengchao) February 23 was the fourteenth day of the first lunar month, and the Gutingguan Square in Qiantong Town, Ninghai County, Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province was filled with people and excitement. , a folk custom activity that has lasted for hundreds of years, the "Qiantong Lantern Festival" was held here.
The scene of the "Qiantong Lantern Festival Guild".
Photo courtesy Jiang Pan
At 13:00 on the 23rd, firecrackers exploded and gongs and drums roared. A big flag led the way, and dragon and lion dances cleared the way. A total of 23 bars including the first card, drum pavilion, lifting pavilion and swing followed closely behind, and more than a dozen drum bands followed. The whole team was one or two miles long, and they set off towards the Tashan Temple where "Master Hao Gong" was.
The scene of the "Qiantong Lantern Festival Guild".
Photo courtesy Jiang Pan
During the parade, the descendants of the Tong family placed offerings to their ancestors as required. Along the way, villagers provided free fruits, refreshments, soup dumplings and wheat dumplings for tourists to enjoy.
The parade will also perform folk performances such as dragon and lion dance, Yangko dance, and "Nanhou Street". Villagers and tourists crowd the streets and alleys, and lively drum music and cheers resound through the sky.
At night, every household is decorated with lanterns and lanterns are lit up on the pavilions and drum pavilions. The lights stretch for miles, and the atmosphere is pushed to a climax along with gorgeous fireworks.
The scene of the "Qiantong Lantern Festival Guild".
Photo courtesy Jiang Pan
It is reported that Ninghai County celebrates the traditional Lantern Festival on the 14th day of the first lunar month, commonly known as "Lantern Festival on the 14th night". The "Qantong Lantern Festival Guild" commemorates the ancestor of the Tong family in Qiantong Town, Tong Hao, who led the tribe to dig canals, dig furnaces, and irrigate. Traditional folk activities carried out on farmland and to pray for a good harvest began in the mid-Ming Dynasty and flourished in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties. It has a history of more than 500 years and was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage projects in 2014.
Today, the Qiantong Lantern Festival Guild has gradually evolved into a large-scale folk event integrating parades, markets, theatrical performances, etc., attracting domestic and foreign tourists.
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The scene of the "Qiantong Lantern Festival Guild".
Photo courtesy Jiang Pan