(CFP)

Jiangsu Province played an active role in the successful inscription of the Spring Festival, social practices of the Chinese people in celebration of traditional New Year, on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on December 4.

The province’s Department of Culture and Tourism contributed to the application process by showcasing related arts and customs, such as the Qinhuai Lantern Festival, Taohuawu Woodblock New Year Prints, and the Taibo Temple Fair.

Wuding New Village Primary School in Nanjing houses the only campus-based lantern history exhibition hall in the province. The school’s principal, Shi Hui, said that the school has invited inheritors of Qinhuai lantern craftmanship to serve as advisors since 2007. Each year, at the start of the autumn semester, new students join a “lantern lighting ceremony” at the exhibition hall. The school also offers diverse courses on this ancient folk art for its students.

Zhao Gang, dean of the School of Handicraft Arts at Suzhou Art & Design Technology Institute, also participated in the application process. Zhao noted that the Spring Festival is the most important Chinese holiday, with New Year prints being among the most representative cultural symbols.

Taohuawu Prints, which originated from more than 400 years ago, were named after Taohuawu Street in Suzhou, where they were traditionally produced. The subjects include blessings, auspicious motifs, social customs and stories.

For many years, the institute has collected oral histories of the craft, conducted research, and documented woodblock print materials. Zhao and his team provided a large amount of detailed, comprehensive materials for the application, including records dating from 1949 to the present and information on the protection and inheritance of the Taohuawu print tradition.

Zhao said that this traditional craft supports local livelihoods and is eco-friendly, generating no pollution. The institute has leveraged its academic resources to preserve, promote, and develop Taohuawu Prints.

The Taibo Temple Fair is the first temple fair after the Lunar New Year in the Jiangnan region, and is among the most historically significant temple fairs in Wuxi and throughout Jiangnan area. It is held annually on the ninth day of the first lunar month to commemorate Taibo’s birthday and his contributions to the development of Jiangnan.

Taibo, a figure from the late Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC), founded the earliest state in Jiangnan, blending the cultures of the Yellow River and Yangtze River basins to form Wu culture.

Taibo Temple, situated beside the Bodu River in today’s Meicun Town, Wuxi, was first built during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220). The temple fair reflects the Chinese tradition of honoring ancestors and praying for peace and good fortune. In addition to ceremonial and cultural displays, the event features exhibitions and exchanges of regional products and folk arts representative of Wu culture.