The Second "Xijie" Fashion & Joy Festival Opens in Tonglu, Zhejiang

The Second "Xijie" Fashion & Joy Festival kicked off on July 14 in Huigang Village, Fengchuan Sub-district, Tonglu County.

"Xijie" (washing street), a unique traditional folk culture of Huigang Village, has lasted for more than 300 years. Later, this culture was called another homophonic name that means "street of joy" in Chinese. Like the ancient Chinese drove away the "Monster Nian" with firecrackers to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new year, "Xijie" conveys people's wishes of dispelling misfortune, embracing good fortune and living a peaceful life.

The culture of "Xijie" could not be formed without the complete groundwater system constructed under the guidance of Liu Bowen, a politician in the early Ming Dynasty. In the days around the Great Heat (one of the 24 solar terms) every year, the villagers will block the outlet of "Shui'ao" with slate gates to make the mountain spring water flow over the "Shui'ao" and along the old streets to clean and cool down the street surface.

The theme of the "Xijie" Fashion & Joy Festival this year is "Dream Back to Ancient Huigang, Recall the Charm of Song Dynasty".

Walking along the old streets, you can encounter people dressed as the constables of the Song Dynasty and vendors attracting customers by shouting aloud, and can engage in games such as shooting, Touhu (throwing arrows into the pot), Cuju (ancient football), duck fighting, and lantern riddles. In addition, you can appreciate China's traditional tea acrobatics as featured in the popular series A Dream of Splendor, learn flower arrangement, watch the people in the costumes of the Song Dynasty playing chess, and enjoy other activities.

"The Second 'Xijie' Fashion & Joy Festival is a proactive measure for the vigorous realization of common prosperity," said the relevant person in charge in Fengchuan Sub-district. Fengchuan Sub-district has also worked with Zhejiang Gongshang University Hangzhou College of Commerce to forge an agricultural cultural tourism brand called "Countryside with the Charm of Song Dynasty" and to launch leisure sightseeing activities in beautiful countryside and touring activities in gardens.