Mountain villagers in high spirits at Spring Festival gala

Haoping village, perched among the mountains in Xixia county in Nanyang, Henan province, held its own small but special Spring Festival gala on the evening of Feb 8, the first day of the Year of Monkey in the Chinese lunar calendar.

It was the fourth Spring Festival gala organized by local villagers, who've sought to embrace their cultural heritage through community activities. Organizers and performers included returned migrant workers, students, left-behind children and the elderly.

With an altitude of almost 1,000 meters, the temperature in the village plummeted below zero that evening, but that did not stop the resilient villagers huddling in front of the gala stage, waiting for the performance to begin.

A total of 76 villagers performed 23 traditional and entertaining acts at the gala, warming the hearts of the locals on the cold winter evening.

According to Village Secretary Wang Zhenhong, Haoping village has 640 people living across its nine square kilometers, and almost all of them turned out for the gala. "The gala is aimed at adding some festive atmosphere, providing a platform for talented people and increasing community cohesion," Wang said.

Comperes stand on the stage of local Spring Festival gala at Haoping village in Xixia county, Nanyang on Feb 8. [Photo by Zhou Yongsheng / hnr.cn]

Local girls dance on stage for the local Spring Festival gala at Haoping village in Xixia county, Nanyang on Feb 8. [Photo by Zhou Yongsheng / hnr.cn]

Edited by Owen Fishwick