Lion dance performances, New Year prints, writing "Fu" (happiness) characters, flower arranging... A dazzling array of delightful sights, tastes, and activities overwhelm the senses. On December 21, the "Celebrating the New Year – Exhibition of the Spring Festival" opened to the public at the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum. The exhibition artistically presents the intangible cultural heritage projects related to the Spring Festival, allowing visitors from all over the world to experience the unique charm of this traditional Chinese holiday.

A Colorful Atmosphere of New Year Celebrations

Upon entering the exhibition hall, the large "snake" shaped lantern and the characters "Celebrating the New Year" immediately set a festive tone, immersing the audience in the joyful and peaceful atmosphere of the Spring Festival. On the first day of the exhibition, the Spring Festival-themed event attracted a large number of visitors, ranging from elderly guests in their 80s to parents with young children, with people of all ages showing a special connection to this grand traditional festival of the Chinese nation.

Covering 2,600 square meters, this theme exhibition displays over 120 representative intangible cultural heritage projects related to the Spring Festival. The exhibition deeply explores the historical and cultural significance of the holiday and connects various regional intangible cultural heritage items by following key time nodes during the Spring Festival.

The entire exhibition narrates the story of the Spring Festival from the Winter Solstice to the Lantern Festival, divided into different thematic units: "Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New," "Reunion and Blessings," "Joyful Year and Singing," and "Celebrating Together Across the World." Each theme has its own unique style and concept. For example, the "Introduction Hall" presents the origins and development of the Spring Festival, while the "Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New" unit depicts the busy preparations for the festival, marked by the Laba Festival.

A Variety of Spring Festival Customs

Inside the exhibition hall, elderly visitors holding cameras and children "arguing" over knowledge of the Spring Festival created a lively and amusing scene. This exhibition has sparked the interest of different age groups, thanks to its rich historical background and a wide variety of exhibits.

In order to reflect the diverse regional customs and recreate the lives of common people during the festival, the exhibition features over 300 items from national and provincial-level intangible cultural heritage projects, as well as multiple interactive performances, allowing visitors to experience the warmth of celebrating the New Year at home.

In the "Farewell to the Old and Welcoming the New" unit, displays include depictions of winter cold and the Laba Festival, the Peace drum of West Peking, blessings calendars for the New Year, and the tradition of whipping the spring ox on the first day of spring. The Spring Festival customs from various regions captivate visitors.

Also impressive is the "Joyful Year's Music" section. To showcase the vibrant atmosphere of the Lantern Festival, selected lanterns from various regions are illuminated, filling the exhibition hall with a brilliant glow.

Among them, the Loong Lights of Leqing stands out as the most eye-catching centerpiece. This magnificent loong, placed in the center of the hall, shines brightly with intricate craftsmanship, combining woodwork, oil painting, paper cutting, dragon lanterns, and other traditional techniques. Driven by a mechanism, the dragon boat can sway its head and tail, and the hundreds of different figurines aboard come to life, moving in a lifelike manner. Every year, around the Lantern Festival, Leqing in Zhejiang hosts grand parades featuring these Loong Lights, with people hoping that they will bring good weather, abundant harvests, and prosperity.

Enjoy the Intangible Cultural Heritage

In the "Reunion and Blessings" unit, a long line of visitors can be seen waiting, attracted by the opportunity to purchase a New Year print personally painted by an intangible heritage inheritor for only 20 yuan. This print is a collaboration between Zhao Liping, a traditional New Year print inheritor from Yangjiabu in Weifang, and ink artist Zhao Chufan, blending traditional ink painting with New Year prints to create a new style of ink New Year prints. Visitors not only get to experience the cultural heritage firsthand but can also take home a beautiful souvenir.

The "Joyful Year and Singing" unit has been a hit with the performance of the Peace drum of West Peking. Performers from the Wangzuo Town Guai Village Peace Drum Team in Fengtai District performed confidently and skillfully, winning enthusiastic applause from the audience.

During the exhibition period, the museum will regularly host performances of intangible cultural heritage projects from different regions. In addition, a series of related events will be held, including the "Traditional Calendar and Spring Festival" exhibition, Spring Festival cultural forums, "Celebrating the New Year at the Intangible Heritage Museum," "Lanterns and Lights for the Snake Year," and dragon dances for the Lantern Festival, enriching the cultural offerings and services during the Spring Festival. The exhibition will run until March 2, 2025.

Translator: FENG Haoxuan

Reviewer: BAI Jing