On March 3, Meizhou in South China's Guangdong Province marked the Lantern Festival with a vibrant celebration at Academician Square (院士广场). Featuring an intangible cultural heritage (ICH) parade, an electronic music carnival and a fireworks show, the event blended tradition with contemporary flair.
The celebration opened with a lively dragon and lion dance performance. A parade of 12 themed groups from across the city followed, presenting a diverse array of ICH traditions. These included Hakka costumes (traditional costumes of the Hakka ethnic group with unique blue-shirt characteristics), Hakka tunes to bamboo boards (a traditional Hakka folk art form accompanied by bamboo clappers) and the lantern-lighting custom (a traditional Hakka custom to pray for descendants and good fortune).
Among the highlights was a dragon dance from Meijiang District, where golden dragons wound through the crowd in a dynamic display of unity and vitality. Groups from Meixian District incorporated local agricultural elements into their performances, while a team from Xingning City reenacted traditional lantern-lighting and ancestor-honoring rituals, reflecting the region's strong clan culture.
Participants from Pingyuan, Jiaoling, Dabu, Fengshun and Wuhua Counties also presented distinctive local traditions. Later, representatives of local clans joined the procession along the old street, extending festive greetings to residents and visitors.
Beyond the heritage showcase, an electronic music carnival added a contemporary pulse to the celebration, as Hakka melodies merged with energetic beats beneath colorful stage lights.
The evening concluded with a fireworks display that illuminated the night sky, bringing the festivities to a celebratory close.
Author | He Fengyu
Photo | Nanfang Plus
