Urumqi in NW China's Xinjiang celebrates Lantern Festival with vibrant folk performances

People's Daily Online 10:16, February 17, 2025

Photo shows a performance staged during a Shehuo parade celebrating the Lantern Festival in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

People of diverse ethnic groups in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, were treated to a superb Shehuo parade during a lively folk culture and art exhibition and performance event celebrating the Lantern Festival on Feb. 12, 2025.

The Shehuo parade, an item on China's list of representative national-level intangible cultural heritage, is a time-honored folk recreational activity consisting of dragon and lion dances, traditional Chinese opera, drum playing and other folk performances that vary in different regions.

The Lantern Festival celebration took place at the Urumqi Cultural Center in Urumqi. It featured 16 local teams from Urumqi, along with four invited groups from northwest China's Shaanxi Province, east China's Anhui Province, north China's Shanxi Province, and northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Together, they delivered a spectacular cultural feast, with performances of dragon and lion dances, Yangko dance (a traditional folk dance), gongs and drums performances, among other traditional folk performances of the Shehuo parade, as well as performances with distinctive regional characteristics and modern artistic expressions, such as hand drum performances and modern street dance, igniting constant cheers from the spectators.

Among the highlights of the event was the wedding customs performance by a team from the Urumqi High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, also known as the New Urban Area in Urumqi.

The performance featured a vibrant display of traditional wedding attire, with performers moving gracefully in rich, colorful garments. The scene was a striking visual feast, evoking a sense of timeless celebration that captivated the audience.

"The Lantern Festival is the perfect time to experience the joy of a Shehuo parade. The galloping horses were impressive, the Yangko dance was lively, and the dragon and lion dances were energetic. Every moment was thrilling," said an Urumqi citizen named Xu Jinmei.

The whole event not only showcased the charm of traditional culture, but also made everyone truly happy, she noted.

"When traditional and modern performances blend together, the ancient folk culture of the Shehuo parade shines brightly with new vitality in the new era. What the performers are showing is not just the cultural pride of different cities, but the shared expectation of all ethnic groups for a better life," said Shi Zhongming, chief director of the event.

Combining elements of traditional Spring Festival folk customs with contemporary art, the event promoted a deeper integration of culture and tourism through an extensive combination of traditional and fashionable, urban and rural, as well as online and offline means, according to Shi.

Photo shows a performance staged during a Shehuo parade celebrating the Lantern Festival in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (People's Daily Online/Han Ting)

Photo shows a performance staged during a Shehuo parade celebrating the Lantern Festival in Urumqi, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.(People's Daily Online/Han Ting)