File photo: Taibo Temple Fair in Wuxi. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
UNESCO inscribed Spring Festival, the social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of their traditional new year, on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on Dec 4.
To celebrate Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of Chinese New Year, the people of China traditionally wish for good fortune, organize family reunions, and promote social harmony. Such celebrations are known as guonian, literally "crossing the year".
The Taibo Temple Fair, a Spring Festival celebration in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, was also included among the recognized practices.
File photo: A bird's-eye view of the Taibo Temple Fair in Wuxi. [Photo provided to wuxi.gov.cn]
In 2014, Taibao Temple Fair, one of the oldest and most influential temple fairs in Wuxi, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item.
Taibo Temple Fair grew out of the ancient sacrificial beliefs of the people in the Wu area, which gradually evolved into a gathering that integrates sacrificial rituals, folk parades, intangible cultural heritage performances, agricultural markets, and cultural entertainment.
In 2024, the temple fair wintessed new additions to the parade – the hanfu and qipao teams. Additionally, fair-goers were able to indulge in local delicacies like Cai Ashui lamb and the Qian Family's fermented glutinous rice at the gathering.
