**: Xinhua Daily Telegraph, February 25
Author: Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporter Chen Kaixing, Wu Tao, Zhao Ziyu.
The lantern is like a fire tree, and the branches are brilliant." What is it that makes nearly a million people come together to help the old and the young across a bridge? What is it that allows a custom to penetrate more than 300 years of historical time and space and pass it on?
The Tongji Bridge in Foshan on the night of the Lantern Festival is a jungle of windmills. The spring breeze blows across the bridge, and the swirling windmill blades shimmer in a flowing river of light.
Time flies like a journey, the white horse passes through the gap, and the next stop is **? No matter how long you drift in the sea of people, Foshan people will always have the bridge in their hearts, the most beautiful appearance of their hometown and the eternal bright you.
From Chinese New Year's Eve to the Lantern Festival, men and women immersed in the festival once again embark on an unknown journey.
Thousands of trees bloom at night in the east wind. The moon is like jade, the people are picturesque, and this flavor should be priceless.
On February 24, Tongji Bridge in Foshan, Guangdong Province on the night of the Lantern Festival. Xinhua News Agency issued a photo by Su Yiwei "The line is smooth, and the line is closed".
Looking down at it, it is like a candle dragon and illuminating the mystery. Looking up and looking at it, if you wear Danxia and learn nine hundred. ”
In Foshan, Guangdong, on the night of the Lantern Festival, the brightly lit Tongji Bridge ushered in the most lively time of the year. Nearly a million people walked through the area, holding the "Fortune Windmill", paraded on the Tongji Bridge, and silently chanted "Traveling to the Windmill" (no troubles) to pray for good luck.
My family has been 'doing well' for more than 30 years, and when the windmill turns, it will 'rise to the wind', so I have to come every year. Mr. Yao, a native of Foshan, pointed to the windmill in his daughter's hand and said.
Starting from 9 o'clock in the morning of the Lantern Festival, there will be an endless stream of pedestrians on the four routes of "Xingtongji" this year. About a kilometer away from Tongji Bridge, there are golden windmills and lettuce tied to red envelopes; Dragon dance, lion dance, kung fu and Cantonese opera performances along the way attracted bursts of applause ......Red banners, red lanterns, and red scarves are filled with a festive atmosphere.
The ancient Tongji Bridge is one of the earliest bridges built in Foshan, built in the Ming Dynasty during the Apocalypse, the name of the bridge means "the bridge is in the name of Tongji, and then there will be Ji" and "to the justice of Tongtong, to Hengtunji". Later, the custom of "Xingtongji" was gradually formed.
With a history of more than 300 years, Xingtongji is the most distinctive and influential Lantern Festival event in the local area, and it is also an intangible cultural heritage of Guangdong Province. Liu Fang, director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports of Chancheng District, Foshan City, said that every Lantern Festival, every household holds lettuce, windmills, wind chimes, etc. from north to south across the Tongji Bridge, which means to eliminate troubles and smooth sailing.
On February 24, Tongji Bridge in Foshan, Guangdong Province on the night of the Lantern Festival. Xinhua Daily Telegraph reporter Zhao Ziyu took the world to help the poor and help the world.
From family prayers to family and country public welfare, "Xingtongji" has a richer inheritance in the new era.
At the site of "Xingtongji", you can see red charity donation boxes from time to time, and you can see volunteers of the Charity Association carrying donation bags every few meters on the Tongji Bridge.
The person in charge of the Foshan Municipal Civilization Office told reporters that since 2012, the elements of public welfare and charity have been integrated into the traditional customs of "Xingtongji" and have become a characteristic of Foshan culture. At its peak, the "Xingtongji" charity activity received tens of millions of yuan in donations.
There are individuals, organizations, civil forces, and institutions, and it has become a common practice to do good deeds and spread love.
Xian Feiqiu, who has always insisted on donating blood for free, won the annual individual award of the "2023 Foshan Upward Influence for Good Annual Ceremony". In the past 26 years, he has donated 15 percent of his blood60,000 ml, which is equivalent to the blood volume of 37**.
In 1998, the "Blood Donation Law of the People's Republic of China" was promulgated, and Xian Feiqiu, who was working as a vehicle inspector in a company, participated in the blood donation organized by the company, and began to donate blood since then.
Now 52 years old, Xian Feiqiu still insists on the habit of donating blood every month as long as her body is fine, and she also drives her daughter to insist on donating blood. "Every time I see the expectant eyes of the families of patients who need blood, I can feel that I am doing something meaningful, and that there is strength in helping each other and solidarity," he said. ”
Foshan Pineapple Rescue Service Center, which has participated in the rescue in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province, has served for 732195 hours in total, received 96 letters of thanks and 653 thank you banners, won the annual organization award. Since its establishment 12 years ago, the organization has been committed to humanitarian relief and public welfare communication in dangerous situations and disasters.
To do public welfare is to help more people with a grateful heart. Wang Zhiyong, captain of the pineapple rescue team, said.
Good deeds converge, and good winds are more prosperous. On February 18 this year, Foshan launched the "Lumei Foshan 1 person 1 day 1 yuan" charity ** action, advocating each person to donate 1 yuan per day, and by the evening of the 24th, 5.67 million yuan had been harvested.
Xian Feiqiu, who often participates in the party member volunteer team organized by the company, said that more and more people are participating in public welfare, and the atmosphere of doing good is becoming stronger and stronger.
This year's Lantern Festival coincided with a weekend, and more people participated, and we held a series of on-site and online fundraising activities, hoping to convey the spirit of charity, poverty alleviation and helping the world. Liu Fang said.
The Lingnan culture is upward and good.
Upward and benevolent is the gene that has been passed down in the Lingnan culture.
In the ancient Eastern Jin Dynasty, Cheng Min, the ancestor of the Hakka people, took the lead in setting up public welfare, transforming mountains and rivers, and educating the township. Cheng Min is also ranked among the "Ancient Eight Sages" in Guangdong.
During this year's Spring Festival, the dance drama "Wing Chun", which is based on Lingnan folk culture, not only appeared on the Spring Festival Gala of the Year of the Dragon, but also became popular overseas and all over the world. Zhan Shuanghui, director of the Institute of Cultural Industry of the Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the success of "Wing Chun" lies in conveying the upwardness, kindness and robustness of Lingnan culture, highlighting the unique charm of Lingnan culture.
As long as we are firm in our moral pursuit and constantly stimulate the positive energy of the whole society to move forward for good, we will certainly be able to provide inexhaustible spiritual strength for the Chinese nation to brave the wind and waves and stride forward.
At the "2023 Foshan Upward Influence Annual Ceremony" held on the 24th, a group of enthusiastic charitable organizations and individuals accepted the praise of the ** department and the public for their good deeds.
The person in charge of the Foshan Municipal Civilization Office said that this year is the 12th year of Foshan's annual activities of upward and benevolent influence, and the recommendation and publicity of these figures, organizations and institutions is to convey the cultural power of benevolence and high-spiritedness, and to cultivate and shape the urban temperament of "everyone is upward and everyone is good".
Wang Zhiyong, who has been working full-time in public welfare since 2013, said that the pineapple rescue volunteer organization started with only 28 people and now has 2,835 people. He said: "Upward and benevolent is something hidden in the blood of Lingnan culture and Chinese civilization. Now there are a lot of people we don't know to donate and support our volunteer services in various ways, which is our motivation to move forward. ”
In the spring breeze, the flower market lights are like day. The culture of upward and benevolent is in the crisp and pleasant wind chimes on the Tongji Bridge, in the blessings of laughter and laughter during the Lantern Festival, and in the mobile phones that scan the code to donate from time to time.