The lights are like the sea, and the people are like the tide. On February 22, the thirteenth day of the first lunar month, in Zhouao Village, Zeya Town, Ouhai District, the Zhouao Lantern Festival was restarted after a four-year absence. In the flow of light and shadow, people parade through the lanterns, praying for good weather and abundant harvests.
Zhou'ao lanterns are simple, atmospheric, different in form and imaginative, common five-star lamp, jade rabbit lamp, carp lamp and other types, full of fun and beautiful meaning. This year is the Year of the Dragon, and many families in Zhou'ao Village make dragon-themed lanterns to participate in the parade.
At 18:50 that night, after three firecrackers sounded in the Shima Palace, the lantern activity officially began. Lanterns of all kinds weave through the village, and men, women, and children gather on both sides of the road, holding up lanterns with green bamboo branches, waiting for the procession. With the sound of firecrackers, the parade passed by mightily, and the people who carried the lanterns joined in one after another, holding lanterns to follow the procession. The "lantern" team is also interspersed with a blowing team, a copper drum team, a horse riding team, a dragon dance team, and an opera makeup team. "For this Lantern Festival, our village has been preparing for more than four months in advance, and the villagers have made more than 1,200 lanterns to participate in the parade, with a total of about 4 kilometers of parade route. Zhou Kezheng, deputy director of the village committee of Zhouao Village, said.
At night, the total length is 1The 5-kilometer lantern procession is like a giant fire dragon swimming, illuminating every street and alley in the village. The "long dragon" finally gathered at the entrance of the temple outside the village and threw lanterns into the burning bonfire, wishing for a prosperous New Year and a happy family. "This is the third time I have come to participate in the Lantern Festival, and it is also the first time after the epidemic, it is really delicious, fun and lively. Citizen Jin Haiyan said with a smile.
With a history of more than 600 years, Zeya Zhou'ao Lantern Folk Customs Activity has been included in the fifth batch of intangible cultural heritage projects of Zhejiang Province in 2016, attracting 10,000 people to participate every year.
Reporter Lin Huihui Xu Wenxing Photographer Wang Bin.