This year's Spring Festival, or Chinese New Year, fell on February 1. Langzhong, in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, has long been hailed as "the birthplace of Spring Festival culture." Known for its unique and well-preserved Spring Festival customs, the ancient town has attracted countless visitors, who have wanted to experience the charm of Chinese New Year.

Langzhong, with a history of more than 2,300 years, is one of four well-preserved ancient towns in China. The other three are Lijiang, in Southwest China's Yunnan Province, Pingyao, in North China's Shanxi Province, and Huizhou, in East China's Anhui Province.

While standing on the observation deck on Jinping Mountain, people can soak in the panoramic view, which includes Langzhong ancient town. There are more than 100 wellprotected residential courtyards, built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1911) dynasties, in the town.

Langzhong was an important garrison town during both the Ba Kingdom (Warring States period [475-221 BC]) and the Shu Kingdom (Three Kingdom period [220-280]). The senior general, Zhang Fei, the sworn brother of King Liu Bei (161-223), the Shu Kingdom, garrisoned Langzhong for seven years. Zhang was buried there after his death, in 221.

Covering 4.59 square kilometers, Langzhong ancient town has eight major historical and cultural sites, and each is protected at the national level. The sites include Zhangfei Temple, Yong'an Temple, Five Dragon Temple and Tengwang Pavilion.

Langzhong is well-known for its cultural diversity, ranging from the Three Kingdom culture and the Spring Festival culture to the ancient imperial examination system (also known as keju). Chuanbeidao Imperial Examination House, also known as Langzhong Imperial Examination House, built during the Qing Dynasty, is the best-preserved ancient examination house in China.

Langzhong was the hometown of Luoxia Hong (156-87BC), an accomplished astronomer who lived during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD).

He established Taichu Calendar, a relatively complete calendar in ancient China, incorporated the 24 solar terms into the calendar and fixed the first month of spring as the beginning of a year, and the first day of the first lunar month as the start of Spring Festival. Hence, the present Spring Festival came into being. Therefore, he has been referred to as the "Old Man of Spring Festival."

In his book, Science and Civilization in China, Joseph Needham (1900-1995), a British biochemist and science historian, wrote that Luoxia was a brilliant constellation in the world astronomy field.

In September 2004, with the approval of the Nomination Committee for Small Celestial Bodies of theInternational Astronomical Union, the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences named an asteroid, with the international permanent number 16757, as Luoxia Hong Asteroid.

In 2010, the Chinese Folk Literature and Art Association awarded Langzhong the title of Hometown of Chinese Spring Festival Culture. The next year, a Spring Festival culture theme park was established in Langzhong.

The "Spring Festival culture" is undoubtedly the shining name card of Langzhong's profound history and culture.

For Langzhong's residents, the Spring Festival holiday begins with their eating porridge, on the eighth day of the 12th lunar month, and lasts until the second day of the second lunar month.

During the 50-plus days of the holiday, the colorful festive events include holding ceremonies to worship ancestors, performing dragon, lion and folk dances, making dragon lanterns, flying Kongming lanterns, performing a traditional folk drama, playing shadow puppetry, and so on.

On the first day of the first lunar month, performers, who wear costumes of ancient officials, introduce the Spring Festival customs and extend Chinese New Year blessings to people, from all walks of life, in Langzhong.

The 15th day of the first lunar month is known as Lantern Festival. Langzhong's residents have the custom of flying Kongming lanterns (a kind of small, hot-air paper balloons) and floating river lanterns to pray for fortune and well-being.

On the 16th day of the first lunar month, Langzhong's residents usually climb mountains or do other physical exercises, through which they express their wishes for good health. Legend has it that people will avoid various diseases if they exercise on that day. This special activity is called youbaibing.

In Langzhong, there are six forms of dragon dances — Hongshan bench dragon dance, threesection, small-colorful dragon dance, Baoning jiashi (meaning housewares) dragon dance, burning-flower dragon dance, spring dragon dance, and grass dragon dance.

Performing the special folk dance, called baxiang drum dance, is an indispensable part of the Spring Festival celebrations. The dance originated in Langzhong about 2,000 years ago. Performers, who wear masks, use a bamboo whip to play a special kind of drum with ancient totems. The drum has the pattern of a snake on one side and the pattern of a tai chi diagram on the other side. The folk dance has been referred to as the "living fossil of folk dances" by dance experts.

The variety of folk customs to celebrate Chinese New Year constitute the everlasting Spring Festival culture of Langzhong, and present in a unique way the infinite charm of Spring Festival to the world.

Photos Supplied by VCG

(Source: Women of China English Monthly February 2022 issue)