Exploring the cultural value of Shanxi's She Huo Festival
- By Lu Cairong
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 22, 2012
In Jinzhong City, "She Huo" culture lives on
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Front row from left to right: China International Publishing Group (CIPG) Vice President Lu Cairong and journalists from Japan, South Korea and the U.S.. In February 2012, a reporting team headed by Lu went to Jinzhong, a city in Shanxi Province, to cover the She Huo Festival. [Photo: China.org.cn] |
Jinzhong City is a place that preserves Shanxi's folk culture and heritage intact. The ancient cities of Pingyao and Yuci, Qiao Family Compound, Chang Family Compound and Zuoquan's local Xiaohua Opera are all the important parts of Chinese folk culture.
Jinzhong City mayor Wu Haiqing said the city is building a test reserve area for folk art, in order to explore, compile, save and develop the region's folk culture. The project has been deemed a significant investment in the region's cultural heritage.
Since 2007, Jinzhong has held its She Huo Festival every year during the Lantern Festival at the conclusion of the Chinese New Year holiday, attracting millions of participants and spectators. The State Council has recognized Jinzhong for its significant contributions to Chinese folk culture. The Jinzhong She Huo Festival won an award for promoting traditional Chinese culture at the first national Chinese Festival Awards.
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Stilt dancers perform at the annual She Huo Festival in Jinzhong, Shanxi Province in February 2012. [Photo: China.org.cn] |
This year's She Huo Festival kicked off on Feb. 6 in Yuci District, Jinzhong's city center. More than 30 performing teams from urban and rural areas joined in the celebration and paraded along the city's boulevard. Dragon and lion dances, Yangge dance and local Xiaohua Opera, and stilt-walking were fixtures of the carnival.
While "She Huo" activities in Yuci focused mainly on the city's parade, Zuoquan County's "She Huo" activities showed more folk cultural characteristics and invited more local people to join in the celebration. Zuoquan's folk dance has an earlier origin. It is said that in Song Dynasty, "She Huo" activities were already celebrated in every village. The fest got even more popular in Ming and Qing dynasties.
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