SICHUAN, January 30th (AMSP/CGTN) – – Various celebrations were held in southwest China’s Sichuan Province and east China’s Anhui Province on Wednesday to mark the start of the 2025 Chinese New Year, featuring ethnic parade performances, fairs and traditional long table feasts.
The Spring Festival, which marks the start of the Chinese New Year, fell on Jan 29 this year, ushering in a Year of the Snake. It is also the first Spring Festival since the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of the traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in December 2024.
On Wednesday, the first day of the Chinese New Year, a spectacular parade consisting of 100 dancing dragons and lions was held at the Beichuan Qiangcheng tourist area in Mianyang, a major city in Sichuan.
Dragon and lion dance teams from different townships gathered for the performance. Dancers in vibrant ethnic Qiang-styled costumes performed the sheepskin drum dance, blending unique ethnic characteristics with the bustling dragon and lion performances, sparking a unique charm.
“We exert all efforts to bring our traditional culture to everyone. The dragon and lion symbolize good fortune. Wish us good luck and prosperity in the Year of the Snake,” said Zhang Rong, one of the performers.
At the Jiezi ancient town in Sichuan’s capital city of Chengdu, long tables were set up along the 280-meter ancient street, where locals and tourists shared delicious food and celebrated the arrival of the Chinese New Year together.
Apart from the feast, a fair featuring intangible culture heritages was held at the ancient town, showcasing captivating performances like face-changing performance in the Sichuan opera and dragon dances.
At the Xihe ancient town in Wuhu, a city in Anhui Province, a dragon lantern parade was held to usher in the Chinese New Year. The performers roamed the streets, extending blessings to every household amid joyful drumbeats.
The spectacular dragon lantern parade, composed of 37 individual lantern sets and extending approximately 110 meters, was led by a towering dragon head measuring more than two meters high, winding through the ancient town.
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