Culture and art season beckons in Yangzhou

Visitors wander through a street at the Slender West Lake scenic area in Yangzhou to celebrate the lake's second traditional culture and art season. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

In a mesmerizing display of tradition and artistry, the second Slender West Lake Traditional Culture and Art Season commenced near Wuting Bridge in Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu province, on the evening of July 12, casting a spellbinding aura over the picturesque landscape.

At 7:30 pm, the curtain rose on the cultural season with the inauguration of eye-catching performances that included Chinese ancient swordsmanship displays, traditional dances, and Chinese instruments ensembles, captivating the attention of a diverse audience.

Visitors, among which many were adorned in an array of traditional Chinese attire, meandered through the event square, creating a scene reminiscent of a journey through a mystical time and space.

Visitors enjoy a performance from a traditional Chinese instruments ensemble in Yangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

The festivities also featured showcases of intangible cultural heritage, such as cuju (an ancient Chinese ballgame considered the precursor to modern soccer) games, archery experiences, pot-throwing contests, ring-toss games, and a host of other traditional activities that beckoned visitors to partake.

Another highlight of this year's event was datiehua, or the striking of "iron flowers", a national intangible cultural heritage item. Against the backdrop of the western side of the iconic Wuting Bridge, the molten iron blossomed into fiery trees and golden flowers, glowing at temperatures up to 1,600 C. The interplay of light, shadows, and water reflections created a mesmerizing display as the ancient art of iron flowers seemed to dance across the water's surface, harmonizing splendidly with the architectural marvel of the illuminated Wuting Bridge in the distance.

Datiehua performance over Slender West Lake in Yangzhou. [Photo/WeChat account: yzs_lyj]

Running nightly from 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm, the cultural season promises to enchant visitors with its magic until Oct 7.