On the evening of September 21st, the 2024 Yangtze River Cultural Festival, organized by the Publicity Department of the Jiangsu Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the People’s Government of Suzhou, officially commenced in Zhangjiagang City.
Folklore – Guarding the Yangtze
As part of the event, the “Guarding the Yangtze” Intangible Cultural Heritage and Folklore Fair opened at Wenhui Square in Zhangjiagang City’s Cultural Center. The fair, lasting three days, welcomed guests from 13 provinces and regions along the Yangtze River, including Qinghai, Yunnan, Hubei, Sichuan, and Jiangxi. This cultural event fused art, exhibitions, music, interactive experiences, and consumer opportunities, showcasing the diverse and vibrant cultures of the Yangtze River basin to the public.
This year’s Cultural Festival continues the theme of “Integration, Promotion, and Sharing,” adhering to government leadership, river-wide collaboration, provincial joint efforts, and social participation.
Themes of the Festival
It revolves around five major thematic sections: “Cultural Relics, Intangible Cultural Heritage, Artistic Charm, Travel, and Openness,” launching 14 exciting activities. It strengthens exchanges and cooperation from the “source of the Yangtze River” to the “mouth of the river,” and together tells the “Yangtze River Story” of the new era.
Opening Ceremony
Accompanied by the Anduo ballad “Ama Lai,” the opening ceremony of the Cultural Festival commenced. This year’s opening ceremony, themed “Facing the Sea,” is divided into three chapters: “Rivers as the Source,” “Rap as the Bond,” and “Great Love as the Circle.” It features unique cultural and ethnic performances such as the Kunming rap “Sleepy Pillow” and the Suzhou Pingtan rap “Happy People of Suzhou.”
Additionally, there is the comedic show “Museum Mayhem,” which showcases a super-time collision of representative Eastern and Western cultural relics, and the group crosstalk “Foreigners on Poetry,” which reflects the global youth cultural resonance. These elements demonstrate the open temperament and international perspective of this year’s Yangtze River Cultural Festival.
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