Experts explore Chongyang Festival customs in Guangdong
Experts marveled at the Chongyang festivities in Chendian, a town in the Chaonan district. In addition to worshiping gods for good fortune, the festivities, which lasted for three days from Oct 27 to 29, highlighted spirited Yingge dance (or Hero's Song) by local youths and a colorful parade featuring girls carrying embroidered banners bearing auspicious patterns and blessings.
The group also visited Gezhou and Donghu, two village communities in Haojiang district. There they explored ancestral halls dating to the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) and former residences of overseas Chinese, which blend traditional Chinese and Western architectural styles.
Many participants said that the communities they visited in Shantou embody the profound clan culture and strong familial bonds of people in the Chaoshan area (a region including cities of Shantou, Chaozhou, Jieyang, and Shanwei). All organized by local communities, the Chongyang festivities in this area bear a distinct characteristic of living heritage, they agreed.
