Traditional festivals are a special time node, but also a representation of our cultural genes, it often reflects the characteristics of local culture and local life in different regions. Just as the same traditional festival may have different festivals in the city or the countryside, in the south or in the north, which also reflects that the formation of the traditional festival itself is inseparable from our lives. Today's Shanghai is an international cultural metropolis where red culture, Shanghai culture and Jiangnan culture converge. To a certain extent, such cultural attributes have forged various ways for Shanghai citizens, especially Generation Z, to participate in traditional festivals. At the same time, in this city, where the cultural and creative industries are highly active, and in this city of design, which can inspire inspiration at any time, there are more and more vivid cases of traditional festivals and open, innovative and inclusive urban qualities.
- Editor
Guests:
Pan Jin is the director and professor of the Fashion Creative Industry Development Research Center of Donghua University
Cao Yiyao is a researcher at the Institute of Applied Economics, Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences
Liu Zhehui is the professional director of the public affairs and brand communication department of Yuyuan Co., Ltd
Moderator: Wang Yan, reporter of this newspaper
The inheritance of traditional festivals is often the sum of local context, folk customs and lifestyles of the times
Moderator: Not long ago, during the Museum Night held on the opening night of the Shanghai Museum's "Dialogue with Leonardo da Vinci - Renaissance and Oriental Aesthetics and Art Exhibition", the young people of the Zide Qin Club wore national costumes and played "Jasmine" and "Drunken Fishing Singing Night", which marked the cultural exchanges between China and the West. Based on the important window of the world to see China, this scene based on traditional culture and highlighting the exchange and mutual learning of civilizations seems to be a common landscape in Shanghai.
Pan Jin: If traditional festivals are infused with the aspirations of the ancestors of the Chinese nation for a better life, then today's inheritance of traditional festivals is often the sum of local context, folk customs and contemporary lifestyles, etc., which are reflected in daily life and often reflect a distinct localization.
Shanghai has nurtured the great spirit of the founding of the party, and the Shanghai-style culture and Jiangnan culture have also blended with Shanghai's urban development in the evolution of history, and we can find vivid examples from many urban cultural landmarks. For example, in Yuyangli, red landmarks and fashion landmarks are integrated here, infiltrating the daily life of the city. For example, in Longhua, the solemn martyr's cemetery and the lively temple fair during the Spring Festival live next to each other, in the words of today's Generation Z youth, "the sequel to "The Awakening Age" is our life today" and "This prosperous era is as the ancestors wished", the intersection of red culture and traditional festivals has a Chinese-style romantic expression. Another example is Yu Garden, which has the reputation of the birthplace of Shanghai's urban history and the "heart of the city", and is also one of the most holistic and largest regional cultural features in the central urban area. For more than 100 years, not only has Yu Garden's own business and urban culture developed symbiotically, but it is also one of the best places to convey the traditional cultural feelings of Shanghai citizens and celebrate traditional festivals. All of these are the integration of integrity, innovation and oriental aesthetics in Shanghai.
Cao Yiyao: The cultural heritage of festivals is never cold, and only when it is better integrated into public life can it be revitalized. In recent years, we can see that the integration of traditional culture and festivals into urban life has become more and more traceable. Among them, as an important traditional festival, the Flower Dynasty Festival is expected to become an important starting point for the creative transformation and innovative development of flower culture in Shanghai, and rejuvenate the style of the times.
The Flower Dynasty Festival, corresponding to the Mid-Autumn Festival, is a festival of the sun and a day when a hundred flowers bloom. "The birthday of the hundred flowers is a good day, and the general spring of the flower dynasty has not arrived", and the flower festival is also known as the "flower god festival", that is, the birthday of the flower god. Perhaps because of the different climatic conditions in the north and south, the specific dates of the Flower Dynasty Festival in the north and south of the mainland are not very different. Yang Wanli's "Chengzhai Poems" in the Southern Song Dynasty: "Tokyo February 12 is the Flower Dynasty", which is the date of the Southern Flower Dynasty Festival. In the Qing Dynasty, the Flower Dynasty Festival in the north was determined on the 15th day of the second lunar month. According to some researchers, the Xi customs of the Flower Dynasty Festival include at least 10 kinds of customs, such as hanging colors and appreciating red, worshipping the gods and celebrating their birthdays, going out on a tour with lanterns, dancing butterflies in spring, planting flowers and picking vegetables, drying seeds and praying for abundance, catching flowers, making flower cakes, arranging flowers and hairpins, and sacrificing and persuading farmers. In Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions, in addition to some of the same Xi customs as above, there are also poems and inscriptions, the play of fighting grass, the play of a hundred flowers, and the exchange of food. The regional differences in the Xi customs of the Flower Dynasty Festival reflect that no folklore matter can be separated from the cultural environment in which it depends.
In the past two years, under the promotion of the Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, the Flower Dynasty Festival has become a traditional festival because of its beauty, feelings, meaning, and creativity, which are in line with Shanghai's urban spirit and character, the rhythm of urban life, and the needs of the people's spiritual culture. In the spring of this year, an urban "Flower Dynasty" landscape line was formed in the central urban area of Yu Garden, Expo Cultural Park Shen Garden and Chongming Dongping National Forest Park. It attracts many young people to wear Hanfu and immerse themselves in the beauty of classical gardens, chanting poems and wandering in the brilliant spring.
It is the need of the times to dig deep into the value and do a good job in the connotation construction and expression renewal of traditional festivals
Moderator: The warming up of the national style has become the manifestation of the times. Nowadays, the traditional Chinese festival with profound cultural connotation is not only a good opportunity for us to promote the excellent traditional Chinese culture, but also the festival itself has gained more and more young fans. In line with the development of the times and in response to the love and expectations of young people, how to do a good job in the connotation construction of traditional Chinese festivals?
Cao Yiyao: First of all, we need to clarify that the core of why traditional festivals are different from bazaars is the cultural connotation they carry. The traditional Chinese festival has been passed down for thousands of years, and the inheritance code is the spiritual orientation, emotional identity, and cultural identity among them. In this sense, today we carry forward the traditional festival, and we need to dig deep into its value and tell a good story. For example, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, can we tell the story of the moon clearly, and dismantle the meaning of the moon in traditional culture in a 360° all-round and multi-dimensional way, which is related to the maturity of the cultural and creative industry.
Secondly, we can gain insight into the needs of young people during the festival from the trend of contemporary youth culture: there is positive energy to draw, to meet the needs of interactive socialization, and to express their personality. Because today's young people pay attention to knowledge acquisition and self-growth, they are no longer satisfied with homogeneous and mass-produced cultural scenes and cultural products, but instead crave in-depth cultural activities with rich cultural connotations and immersive scene-based experiences. It is important to note that when promoting traditional festivals, it is necessary to avoid buying and selling all festivals in the same market. It is the need of the times to deeply explore the value of traditional festivals, and to do a good job in the transmission, interpretation and re-innovation of values, and it is also in line with the inherent desire of the general public to harvest spiritual nourishment and realize self-growth.
Pan Jin: In the land of China, where traditional culture is rich and profound, almost every traditional festival is a cultural symbol and a spiritual metaphor. The Lantern Festival symbolizes people's longing for a happy life in the year, the Dragon Boat Festival interprets the respect for Myanmar, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is full of family and country feelings. People are inspired by traditional festivals, and the inner emotional hole card is the yearning and extraction of positive energy. Traditional festivals often have their historical origins, classic poems, and unique tastes, reflecting people's clothing, food, housing and transportation, the emotions of the Chinese nation, and the time traces of social development, which have changed and remained unchanged.
Nowadays, wearing Hanfu to check in to city landmarks is a ritual for many young people in traditional festivals. "China has a great etiquette, so it is called Xia, and there is the beauty of uniforms, which is called Hua. Hanfu is the concrete embodiment of China's "country of clothing" and "state of etiquette", which carries the changes of national textile technology and aesthetic concepts, and also places oriental philosophy and wisdom. The patterns, materials, and styles of Hanfu in different eras are sometimes like poems, and every detail tells different meanings and matches different traditional solar terms or festivals. This requires us to tell the story of the traditional festival and the story of traditional culture in more detail, and unite more people to love and live the traditional festival from the source of cultural identity and emotional bonding.
Moderator: Speaking of the appeal of tradition, in Shanghai, as China's intangible cultural heritage, the Yu Garden Lantern Festival is probably the most important, it is rooted in tradition, conforms to the progress of the times, responds to the love and expectations of young people, and makes traditional festivals form a grand event in the city, inspiring people to go to a traditional appointment. Just two days ago, the Yuyuan Lantern Festival was held for the first time across borders, and was lit up in Shanghai and Paris at the same time, which was listed as the opening event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France and the Sino-French Year of Culture and Tourism.
Liu Zhehui: The Lantern Festival in Yuyuan Garden can be traced back to nearly 300 years ago, and after the reform and opening up, the Lantern Festival in Yuyuan Garden has also been held for the 29th time. Visiting Yu Garden during the Spring Festival has become one of the reserved programs for many Shanghai citizens and tourists. Take a walk on the Jiuqu Bridge, walk through the nine curves and eighteen bends, pray for a happy and safe New Year, watch the lanterns at the Yu Garden Lantern Festival, taste the food, experience the intangible cultural heritage, and feel the folk customs, all of which are popular activities to experience the rich "New Year's flavor" of the Spring Festival. Over the years, on the one hand, Yu Garden has been deeply cultivating traditions, drawing nutrients from traditional culture, intangible cultural heritage skills and folk customs, and on the other hand, we have sought solutions from the times and science and technology, unlocking more ways to play traditional festivals with fresh expressions that fit the times, so that citizens and tourists can feel the heritage of traditional culture and the charm of oriental life aesthetics in the process of visiting the garden.
In 2023, Yu Garden will launch the "Yu Garden New Year" activity, taking the meaning of "Yuding Kyushu" in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", combining multiple scientific and technological means and experience activities to create an oriental aesthetic wonderland surrounded by fairies and beasts, exotic flowers and plants. Citizens and tourists can not only feel the flow of the four seasons and the change of time, but also encounter auspicious beasts and go to the god of flowers and the moon in the unique mountain and sea world created by the integration of light and shadow technology and traditional culture. Judging from the enthusiasm for sightseeing, the creative and innovative expression and creative development of traditional culture we pursue have been recognized by citizens and tourists.
This time, Paris and Shanghai were lit up at the same time. In the Paris Style Garden, a total of 60 large lantern groups and more than 2,000 lanterns are lit up, forming "dragon" totems of different shapes, rare beasts in the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", and colorful light and shadow scrolls. In Shanghai, the "One Night Fish and Dragon Dance" theme lantern group was also warmed up, which not only celebrated the opening of the Yu Garden Lantern Festival in France, but also previewed the 2024 Shanghai Yu Garden Lantern Festival. In the Year of the Dragon, the Yuyuan Lantern Festival will continue in 2023, using the "Classic of Mountains and Seas" as the design blueprint to continue the story of "The Legend of Mountains and Seas", and the theme of the French Yuyuan Lantern Festival is "Mountains and Seas with Spirits". We hope that the Yuyuan Lantern Festival can build a global Chinese brand and present and express the profound Chinese culture, including intangible cultural heritage skills, to the world.
Build a platform to explore cross-industry and cross-regional linkage, so as to jointly leverage the integration and communication of traditional festivals
Moderator: In today's media convergence and development, the communication and expression of traditional festivals are also advancing with the times. We noticed that Henan Satellite TV has launched a series of Chinese festival programs such as "Lantern Festival Wonderful Night", "Qingming Wonderful Tour" and "Dragon Boat Festival Wonderful Tour" since the dance program "Tang Palace Night Banquet", and the effect is extraordinary. From the perspective of communication content, it promotes Chinese culture and demonstrates cultural self-confidence. What inspiration can the popularity of these shows bring us?
Cao Yiyao: In the process of spreading traditional festivals, performing arts can become a fulcrum for leverage. The Shanghai Song and Dance Troupe's "The Eternal Wave" is often performed by Changxin and Changhuo; Zhang Jun's garden version of Kunqu Opera "The Peony Pavilion" has endured for a long time; and in Jiangsu, the Shajiabang Ludang Tinder Script Camp is very popular among young people...... Whether it is red culture or traditional culture, they make the audience have a high degree of cultural identity, emotional resonance and aesthetic enjoyment with novel, interesting and youthful expressions.
In the past two years, Shanghai's Flower Dynasty Festival has gradually explored a strong experience, strong interaction, and strong immersion festival mode. Among them, the Mid-Spring Flower Festival in Yu Garden relies on the shape of the ancient Flower Dynasty Festival, full of a sense of ceremony, through the installation of floats, parade performances, theme markets, flower lanterns, NPC interaction and other content, people are immersed in it. The theme of the 12 flower gods combines folk music, opera, dance and other interpretations, holographic projection and water curtain projection, and the poetic Jiangnan under the night has a unique charm. Chongming Dongping National Forest focuses on the concept of natural ecology, with nearly 100 acres of tulips, a kilometer wisteria promenade, and flowery artworks in the park, and natural decoration is the most beautiful spring. In the future, can the Flower Dynasty Festival be built through the relevant competent departments to build a platform to connect more gardens to participate, adapt measures to local conditions and time conditions, and infiltrate the activities of praying for blessings and poems of the flower gods in various districts of the city?
Liu Zhehui: According to statistics, Yu Garden attracted more than 4 million visitors during the 52-day lantern festival this year. Space and carrying capacity are limited. As a national intangible cultural heritage, the Yuyuan Lantern Festival is willing to participate in this city-wide event as one of the main venues, and make the cake bigger together, so that the traditional cultural resources can radiate more landmarks in the city, and the opening of the garden is spring. Just like the Songkran Festival in Yunnan, it is world-famous and attracts tourists from all over the world. We also expect that Shanghai will have a traditional cultural festival business card out of the circle, and become a charming IP in the minds of tourists from all over the country and even the world.
(Planner of this issue: Xing Xiaofang)