Visual and auditory feast of traditional arts and crafts

As a well-known "capital of handicrafts and folk arts," Suzhou city in Jiangsu province is bringing visitors and residents a visual and auditory feast of intangible cultural heritage during the sixth Jiangnan Cultural and Arts &International Tourism Festival. The event aims to showcase the charm of traditional Chinese craftsmanship and boost the creative and innovative development of culture.

Focusing on silk culture and folk customs, the ICH session of the festival is hosting a series of themed activities such as the silk charm of Jiangnan; the 2024 rolling immortals folk cultural activities; the Jinji Lake dragon boat race; the sixth Jiangnan hanfu (traditional Chinese dress) fashion show; the local talent boutique exhibition of Suzhou ICH craftsmen and the music gathering of guqin, a seven-string zither.

The silk charm of Jiangnan series of activities take the inheritance and promotion of silk culture as the starting point, offering more than 50 online and offline activities such as art exhibitions, fashion shows and themed live broadcasts, showcasing the ancient charm and modern trends of Jiangnan culture in all aspects.

Suzhou boasts seven world-class ICH items such as Kunqu Opera and silk weaving, as well as 33 national-level ICH items including Taohuawu woodblock New Year prints. The city's historical culture is its soul.

This year, outdoor activities that integrate cultural experiences with tourism have become a highlight of this year's Jiangnan Cultural and Arts & International Tourism Festival.

Visitors can experience the folk custom of "Rolling Immortals" to pray for blessings for their families in the bustling Shilu street, feel the excitement of dragon boat racing during the Dragon Boat Festival on Jinji Lake and participate in various themed exhibitions where they can not only experience ICH memories with inheritors but taste the delicious Biluochun tea and Suzhou pastries.

Savoring the festival in the 2,500-year-old city is like being in a huge art space where gardens, lanes, buildings and bridges can all be elevated to creative stages, leaving an indelible Suzhou-style tone for everyone living in or visiting.

Visitors can enjoy various forms of ICH performance, such as ancient guqin music and Jiangnan silk and bamboo music; appreciate the skills of dozens of national and provincial-level inheritors at the exquisite craftsmanship exhibition; and experience a beautiful life brought by traditional ICH skills such as silk embroidery, Song brocade, Biluochun tea and Suzhou-style pastries at silk exhibitions, food carnivals and more.

From moving operas and dramas, stunning silk fashion shows to imaginative animations, the festival reshapes local culture and awakens the collective memory of people.

In 2023, the father-son duo of Chen Peisi and Chen Dayu incorporated the melodious Shuimoqiang, a mainstream singing style of Kunqu Opera, into a drama. Named Dream Shock, it launched in Suzhou to great acclaim.

wangjinhui@chinadaily.com.cn