Village in eastern China celebrates spring with ancient rituals

QUZHOU, China, Feb. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a report from China.org.cn:

Miaoyuan village in Quzhou city, Zhejiang province, held a ritual ceremony on Sunday to mark the arrival of spring based on the traditional Chinese calendar. 

The ceremony marked Lichun, the first of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar. Lichun signifies the beginning of spring and a new year for farmers.

The ceremony started at 9 a.m. at a local temple where participants offered flower baskets and sacrificial offerings to the God of Spring of ancient China. They prayed for a bumper harvest and prosperity in the year ahead.

One of the highlights of the ceremony was the Whip the Spring Ox ritual. An elder villager led an ox-pulled plow to till the field, while a child whipped the ox and sang a folk song.

The village also held other activities, such as hosting an open-air market, a food exhibition with spring-themed food dishes (such as spring cakes, spring rolls, and spring pancakes), and an exhibition of photos, paintings, and poems.

Village in eastern China celebrates spring with ancient rituals
http://www.china.org.cn/china/2024-02/04/content_116985769.htm