In commemoration of the Chinese Lantern Festival on Saturday, the “2024 Shantou International Lantern Show” unfolded in Shantou, Guangdong Province, renowned for its significant population of returned overseas Chinese, particularly from Thailand and Singapore.
Hosted at the historical Shantou Small Park, the event featured captivating performances by various prominent Yingge dance teams from the city. Yingge dance, a distinctive folk dance genre, is a specialty of Shantou. Zhang, a 26-year-old dancer, expressed the team’s excitement and nerves, having rehearsed “more than three times” for the Lantern Festival and noting the competitive spirit among the numerous Yingge dance teams.
In alignment with the traditional Chinese Lantern Festival, the Shantou lantern show illuminated the city’s skies. Diverging from the typical local aesthetics found in lantern displays across China, Shantou’s exhibition exhibited an international touch reflective of its history as an age-old international port.
Creative lanterns shaped like iconic landmarks such as the Merlion statue in Singapore adorned the Shantou Small Park, showcasing the fusion of local folk heritage with the city’s distinct identity as the “hometown for Chinese people returning from overseas.”
Zheng Qiuxing, a local resident returning from Malaysia, emphasized that the “Chaoshan tradition” always guided his way home, and cultural festivals provided a valuable opportunity to impart family cultural roots to his children.
Beyond the luminous lantern arts, the festival featured engaging activities like riddle guessing and Chaoshan Opera. Wu Jialing, an opera performer, highlighted that the seemingly traditional art now appeals to a global audience, especially the younger generation, due to the rising prominence of local culture.
The public cultural event attracted locals, tourists, and particularly young attendees. Liang, a young girl dressed in her favorite hanfu (traditional Chinese garment), expressed her pride in being a Shantou local and affirmed her commitment to participating in traditional events.
The lantern displays at Shantou Small Park are slated to continue until March 15, providing a captivating and culturally rich experience for visitors.