China News Service, Liancheng, Fujian Province, March 12th: Title: Hakka ancient village performs folk customs of walking around in spring fields to pray for a good harvest
Author Huang Shuilin Jiang Yuting
On the second day of February, the dragon raises its head, which starts a good omen for the year.
Over the past few days, the sixth "February 2" Southern Song Dynasty Lantern Cultural Festival has been held lively in Bizhou Village, Juxi Town, Liancheng County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, a traditional Chinese village and a famous historical and cultural village in China - the "ancestral land of the Hakkas".
On March 11, the 6th "February 2" Southern Song Dynasty Lantern Cultural Festival was held in Bizhou Village, Juxi Town, Liancheng County, Longyan City, Fujian Province, the "ancestral land of the Hakkas".
(Photo courtesy of Liancheng County)
"The fish are here, catch them quickly"... It is a good time for spring plowing and planting. The spring rains come as scheduled and nourish the earth.
On the afternoon of March 10, in the farmland between Yonglong Bridge and Wenchang Pavilion in Bizhou Ancient Village, a unique folk activity of the Hakka people, "catching fish and making spring fields", was launched to welcome the arrival of spring plowing and production.
"The New Year is over. Everyone should be busy making a living and start farming. I hope there will be a good harvest this year." A villager said.
At the same time, unique folk activities such as Western Fujian Han Opera, You Gongtai, and "Liancheng Boxing" performances took turns, setting off the first wave of enthusiasm in this ancient Hakka village.
On March 11, night fell in Bizhou Ancient Village and the lanterns were turned on; with the sound of gongs, drums and shouts, a 3-meter-long and 2-meter-high dragon head was lifted high, and hundreds of villagers carried various shapes of Southern Song dynasty dragon heads. Lanterns flow through the streets and alleys, winding in the fields.
Wherever the lantern parade went, every household lit incense and candles, and firecrackers fired.
On March 11, villagers raised a dragon head more than 3 meters long and 2 meters high to start the annual "February 2" lantern tour in Bizhou.
(Photo courtesy of Liancheng County)
Bizhou's Southern Song Dynasty lanterns are unique and made entirely by hand, fully retaining the exquisite skills of making lanterns in the Southern Song Dynasty. They are known as "the living fossil of Southern Song Dynasty lanterns and the peach blossom land of Hakka culture".
The octagonal lantern has two layers inside and outside, three layers up and down, a flower pot on the left and right sides, and more than 20 lights on one lantern.
Inside the lantern, candles make the lantern crystal clear and colorful.
In the village, the cruising lanterns complement each other and shine like the Wenchang Pavilion, Tianhou Palace, Yonglong Bridge and other ancient buildings illuminated by the lights.
The most exciting thing about the traveling lantern is the "coiling dragon".
A more than 300-meter-long procession of lanterns composed of cloth dragons, paper dragons and lanterns gathered in the village square and formed a circle; the dragon balls led the dragon's head to swing, and the dragon's body and tail swayed with it, sometimes leaping and sometimes swooping, with different expressions.
There were crowds of people around the square, and cheers echoed one after another, echoing the sound of gongs, drums, and firecrackers, pushing the "hotness" of Bizhou Ancient Village to a climax.
"I came from Sichuan and came to Bizhou through a friend's recommendation. Seeing the fusion of lanterns and ancient buildings, it was like traveling back to ancient times." Li Xi, a tourist, said that the trip was worthwhile and worthwhile.
On March 11, the lanterns in Bizhou’s “February 2nd” lantern tour were unique, crystal clear and colorful under the candlelight.
(Photo courtesy of Liancheng County)
Bizhou's "February 2nd" Lantern Tour is a folk activity that has been passed down in Bizhou since the founding of the Southern Song Dynasty. It has a history of more than 800 years and was included in the sixth batch of municipal intangible cultural heritage representative projects in Longyan City in 2018. directory.
"There are more than 60 lanterns this year, and each household is responsible for making one. It takes 15 to 20 days for one person to complete each lantern independently." Lin Yingping, organizer of the Lantern Tour Folklore Event in Bizhou, said, "Everyone" is written on the lanterns. As a blessing to our home and country, the lantern tour activity is intended to pray for good weather and abundant harvests.
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