During the National Day, the “2018 Shihu Garden Intangible Heritage Carnival” sponsored by Weifang Municipal Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Film and Television, News and Publications, Weifang Investment Group Co., Ltd. and Propaganda Department of CPC Weicheng District Party Committee and organized by Weicheng District Bureau of Culture, Broadcasting, Film and Television, News and Publications, Weifang Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Association, and Weifang Shihu Garden Cultural Operation and Management Co., Ltd. was grandly held in the Cultural Block of Shihu Garden in Weifang, and included 8 main components to demonstrate the extreme beauty of intangible heritage in Weifang. Diversified activities come on the stage, attracting countless visitors at home and abroad. It is estimated that during the activity, about 283,000 visitors were received, and from Oct. 1 to 3, the number of visitors approached the maximal capacity. Compared with the same period of last year, businesses, hotels and restaurants nearby have achieved significant increase in sales volume.
At the same time, various mechanisms were enabled to cope with so many visitors and maintain a good order at the carnival tourism market. It is the most influential, large-scale and popular festival activity with the most items during the National Day of Weifang City. Many media and self-media have reported it one after another, which has made the publicity of this carnival reach an unprecedented height, the popularity and influence of Shihu Garden Carnival further enhanced, attracting wide attention and buzz discussion in the field of intangible heritage in China.
Integration and Assembly of Culture, Tourism, Intangible Heritage and Folk Customs
Fabrication process of silk quilt, silk bandhnu at the site, rosewood works embedded with silver decorations, traditional Laomao festive lanterns, Weifang embroidery products, Gaomi tiger shoes, Binzhou coarse cloth, Fangyuan paper cutting, Weifang flour sculpture, and other intangible heritage projects have reflected the profound cultural background of Weifang in a unique manner. At the carnival site, each booth of traditional skill is crowded, and representative inheritors either demonstrate their skills at the site, or introduce to speculators their best works, or recommend them their products. Everyone is busy. New Year panting on wood plate, cultural and creative products of Zheng Banqiao, and Shouguang grass weaving, etc. supported traditional products with wings of creativity and fashion, and revived the desire of shopping amongst young people.
The exhibition area of “Taste from Hometown” becomes the busiest “temple fair”. The best way to enjoy life is food and carnival during the late autumn in the spaces surrounded by red walls and covered by grey tiles in the ancient cultural block. Local specialties-finely grinded sesame oil and Nuanjia cake-of Weifang have enjoyed the most geographical advantages and attracted the most eyes. Misandao, a special product from Hengshengzhai, has fascinated many visitors waiting for a taste from the very beginning of frying, while the Bianjia Burger was sold out in just 2h after opening the store on the first day. Another record is created by Xuguang Mutton of selling almost 100 bowls of mutton on the first day. Some guests even choose to take some home, sharing with the family. Laonanmen Wu’s Soup Dumplings were made freshly, evidenced by the vapor rising high. Everyday a long queue was lined up in front, and the two masters responsible for making were so busy the whole day that they even had no time for lunch.
Firmly the Gong and Drum were beated to make powerfun sounds. On the Grand Stage of Wuchangge, outstanding groups from difference places of Weifang are presenting speculators wonderful shows such as Lion Dance, acrobatics, drama, Sichuan face changing, Qingzhou shuttlecock kicking, diabolo and Sitong Kongfu. Speculators have crowded the stage with earsplitting applause. Amongst them we find some foreign visitors who were watching the most authentic and traditional Chinese folk customs, drams and performs curiously and excitedly that they took out cameras or phones to record this moment. Monkey King with the golden cudgel, beauty in cheongsam holding an oil-paper umbrella, Lord Banqiao with a paper fan, and drivers of rickshaw and matchmaker of the old Weixian County flashed in the crowd from time to time. Tourists took photos with them one after another to record their unforgettable moments in the carnival.
The Intangible Heritage Carnival provided opportunities for children to understand traditional culture. Weifang Foreign Language School, Weifang Experimental Primary School and Rizhao Future Star Art School spontaneously organized students to participate in those intangible heritage projects for learning and experience. Painting clay tigers, paper cutting, New Year picture on wood plate and painting kites... Children, accompanied by their parents and guided by their teachers, were learning to make their favorite folk arts and crafts in a decent way. During the National Day, more than 200 people participated in the interactive activities of intangible heritage projects, enjoying happiness in this process and carrying down what our ancestor have left to us.
Shows One after Another to Satisfy the Cultural Demands of People
The beauty of Weishui intangible heritage is demonstrated through the Skills of Hundreds of Craftsmen, taste from hometown is enjoyed via local foods, villages are re-energized by the Poverty Relief with Culture, free diagnosis by traditional TCM practitioners brings us public good, and changes as time goes on are recorded with photos, the wonderful South-North (Suzhou-Weifang) walnut sculpturing is also skillful while folk customs, dramas and acrobatics are always amazing, and all visitors indulge in pleasures of creative products in Shihu Garden Cultural and Creative Center without stop…cultural shows come one after another, showing the unique local characteristics of Weifang, its abundant styles, gorgeous humanistic style and appearance. They are high level and colorful as the combination of tradition and modernity, culture and intangible heritage. They present local citizens and visitors who came to Weifang a feast during the National Day, are the first choice for foreign guests to spend leisure time, enjoy funs of self driving, funs of tour for culture, funs of tour for folk customs, and funs of tour with children, etc.
