On February 10, 2024, at noon on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the sun shone on Sujia Village, Bobai Town, Bobai County, Guangxi. The customs of the New Year in this village are different and full of warmth and deep meaning.
The lion dance in Sujia Village has long been a major feature of Bobai County. But this year's lion dance has a different flavor. In addition to the traditional lion performances and superb martial arts, the lion dance team in Sujia Village also shoulders the mission of greeting every family and sending New Year's blessings to the villagers.
What's even more unique is that the red envelopes from the lion dance and the money voluntarily donated by the villagers are used to distribute red envelopes, peanut oil, noodles and other New Year's goods to the elderly over 70 years old in the village. And every child can also receive an auspicious red envelope from the lion dance team. Such customs not only add a strong festive atmosphere to the New Year, but also give the lion dance a new meaning - respect for the old and love for the young.
I was fortunate to witness this warm scene and also heard the introduction of Su Yisheng, the boss of the village. He told me that there are more than 2,000 Su people in Sujia Village, all of whom are descendants of Su Shi. Ten years ago, some of the village's respected elders got together to discuss how to pass on and promote the traditional Su family virtues of respecting the old and caring for the young in a special way during the New Year.
After everyone's brainstorming, it was finally decided to use the most popular lion dance during the New Year in the Bobai area to gather young people and convey the virtue of respecting the old and loving the young. As a result, this unique custom was born and has continued to this day for nearly 10 years.
Boss Su Yisheng said that through such activities, not only did young people have more exchanges and interactions, but also the traditional virtues of respecting the old and loving the young could be passed on in practical actions. More importantly, the persistence of this custom has quietly changed the appearance of the village and established a new fashion.
I listened to the introduction of Su Yisheng's boss and watched the happy scene of the old and young people in the village gathering together, and I couldn't help but feel emotional. In this fast-paced, materialistic society, Sujiacun reminds us in such a simple and profound way that no matter how the times change, the traditional virtues of respecting the old and loving the young, family and friendship will always be our most valuable wealth.
The lion dance is not only a wonderful performance, but also a baptism of the soul. In Sujia Village, I saw the perfect combination of tradition and modernity, and saw the vivid inheritance of the virtue of respecting the old and loving the young in the new era. Such New Year's customs are worth cherishing and inheriting by each of us.