At 5:30 a.m., Wang Hui – a woman who travels with her family – is waiting for the Nordbahnhof of Shenzhen to enter the Northwest Chinese city of Xi’an in the first high -speed train from the South Chinesian city of Shenzhen, who runs at 6.08.
As a mother and inhabitant of the metropolis, Wang reports that despite the construction of a life in Shenzhen, she always longs for her hometown, especially during the spring festival.
“I have been living in Shenzhen since my studies and now have my own family, but every year when the spring festival comes closer, I am drawn home,” she says, smiling, despite the early hour and the long journey that lies in front of her.
Another traveler with the surname Zhong was on the way back to her hometown Chenzhou in the central Chinese province of Hunan. Since she has been living in Shenzhen for more than ten years, Zhong said, the city’s rapid growth has never reduced her homesickness during the spring festival.
“I planned this trip for a month. The spring festival is the time in which you want to be with the family and the traditions that connect us want to maintain, “said Zhong.
Departure for the spring festival
Throughout China it is as Chunyun Well -known travel tower in progress for the spring festival. Millions of people like Wang and Zhong go on long trips to meet their family for the most important holiday of the year.
This year’s rush of travel started on January 14th and lasted until February 22nd, for 40 days. During this period, the authorities expect an unprecedented number of nine billion interregional trips. According to the traffic authorities, over a billion national journeys have already been carried out by January 19.
According to Ctrip, one of the leading online travel agencies China, most travelers from the largest Chinese metropolises such as Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing and Hangzhou are traveling, and Harbin, Chongqing and Chengdu are among the most popular travel destinations.
For millions of travelers, the spring festival is more than just a family reunion. It is about the return to the cultural roots that shape the holiday. On the way home for reunion, they not only make a physical journey, but also take part in a broader movement that wants to preserve and celebrate the rich cultural heritage of China.
Celebrate the cultural heritage
For many Chinese, the meaning of the spring festival lies with the family. However, the meeting with the family is only the beginning to which numerous traditions follow.
The most important customs include shopping for festive goods, sticking out spring festival couplets, distributing red envelopes (Hongbao), the lighting of fireworks, hanging lanterns and staying up on New Year’s Eve (Shousui).
Another tradition is watching at the spring festival gala or Chunwan. The TV art show, which has been broadcast annually since 1983, is still a highlight of the celebrations. The four and a half hour program offers a mixture of singing, dance, opera, sketch comedy, crosstalk, martial arts and acrobatics. As the first gala since the start of the spring festival in the list of the intangible cultural heritage of the UNESCO, this year’s event will integrate further elements of this cultural heritage.
In addition to the gala, the intangible cultural heritage focuses on various aspects of the festival. In Chongqing, one of the city’s cultural shops, which is operated by a man named Guo, recorded a strong increase in sales of traditional articles such as silhouette, shadow doll play and New Year’s paintings. “More and more people are looking for unique, handmade gifts that reflect our legacy,” said Guo.
The tourism focused on intangible cultural heritage is also experiencing a boom. From learning the traditional cutting of paper in the province of Zhejiang to the Lantern Festival in Zigong City – people flock to droves to travel destinations that offer an immersive cultural experience.
This trend is reflected in the travel bookings, whereby the regions known for their intangible cultural heritage have an increasing tourist interest. According to data from Meituan Travel – one of the leading Chinese online service platforms – the searches for experiences in the field of intangible cultural heritage such as that are Huohu (Fire pot) in Guiyang and the Zigong Lantern Festival compared to previous years by five times or the double.
With a Chunyunthe new record brands will not only attract this year’s Spring Festival an unprecedented number of travelers, but will also trigger a boom in cultural consumption, which boosts a pulsating tourism market and gives new impetus to the economy of the country.
For more information, please click here:
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-chinas-fruhlingsfest–rekordverdachtiger-reiseansturm-fur-ein-faszinierendes-kulturereignis-302360221.html