Expats take part in a Shehuo parade in the Honey Park, Futian District, on Saturday, the Lantern Festival. Shehuo, a folk show marking the customs of traditional festivals, originated about 2,000 years ago from ancient activities to pray for a good harvest. Various celebrations including intangible cultural heritage fairs, lantern shows, Yingge dance performances, and folk culture shows were held across the city to mark the Lantern Festival on Saturday.

A lion dance captivates viewers at the Xiasha Poon Choi Feast in Xiasha Village, Futian District, on Saturday, the Lantern Festival. The feast, listed as a provincial-level cultural intangible heritage in 2009, is the traditional way Xiasha natives celebrate the festival.

Xiasha residents perform with a 108-meter-long dragon before the banquet started in Xiasha Village on Saturday.

People enjoy food at the banquet in Xiasha Village on Saturday. Over 10,000 people sat at more than 1,000 tables to share poon choi while watching splendid performances.

A girl poses with a dragon model at the Lantern Festival fair at Sea World in Shekou on Saturday.

Visitors take joy in a riddle guessing game at the Lantern Festival fair at Sea World on Saturday.

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Celebrations for the Lantern Festival, which fell on Saturday this year, in Shenzhen took various forms such as lantern shows, intangible cultural heritage fairs, Yingge dance performances, and folk cultural shows.

The Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first month on the Chinese lunar calendar, marks the end of Spring Festival celebrations. The festival features family reunions, feasts, lantern displays, and various cultural activities. The vivid celebrations in Shenzhen united locals and expats in spirited revelry.

Community event

With children riding on their parents' shoulders and people holding their phones above their heads to shoot photos and videos, the Xiasha Poon Choi Feast began with a splendid dragon dance in Xiasha Cultural Square, in Xiasha Village, Futian District, on Saturday. 

The Xiasha feast, listed as a provincial-level cultural intangible heritage in 2009, is the traditional way Xiasha natives celebrate the Lantern Festival.

Over 10,000 people sat at more than 1,000 tables to share poon choi, also known as the basin feast, while watching splendid dragon dances, lion dances, and other folk performances.

The banquet's opening dragon dance was performed by a team of over 200 Xiasha natives.

The beautifully choreographed dance featured a 108-meter-long dragon, evoking a sense of marvel in the audience and bestowing blessings upon them. The drum beats motivated the crowd and ignited their emotions.

In addition to the dragon dance, there were a splendid kylin dance by a Bantian team from Longgang, a Pixiu dance by a team from Hong Kong, and other folk performances that received thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.

"The is my first time taking part in this event. It is marvelous. There are so many traditional performances. I enjoy them a lot," a resident surnamed Liao said.

A woman surnamed Huang, a resident of Xiasha Village, shared her deep connection to the tradition. 

"Despite marrying outside Xiasha, I have returned for the celebration almost every year," she told Shenzhen Daily. "These are all our sisters, and this gathering provides a good opportunity for us to reconnect. We cherish this tradition and hope it will endure."

The Xiasha banquet has a long history, originating around 800 years ago when troops protected the emperor as he fled south to escape the enemy during the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Arriving in the Shenzhen Bay area, they stopped in a village in what is now Hong Kong's New Territories. Local villagers served them homemade food in a large pot to alleviate their hunger. Since then, the tradition of preparing a feast to commemorate the emperor's arrival has continued and gradually developed into a Lantern Festival custom in Xiasha. 

International vibe 

The Lantern Festival fair at Sea World in Shekou attracted a diverse crowd. Hosted by the Zhaoshang Subdistrict, the fair boasted 17 booths offering food, arts, games, and cultural experiences. Live music, a drone show, and fountain performances added to the festive ambiance.

Ali Shoaib, a Pakistani who has resided in China for three years, said: "This is my first time celebrating the Chinese New Year and Lantern Festival in Shenzhen, and it has allowed me to immerse myself in Chinese culture. I have captured videos and photos as mementos, sharing them with my friends."

"We celebrated the Chinese New Year in Chinatown in Los Angeles with a dragon dance and a simple parade, but the experience here in China is very different," Gannt Wystix, from the U.S., remarked after volunteering at the fair. "The fair at Sea World has allowed me to explore various aspects of Chinese culture including different foods and snacks from across China."

Bi Mingyan, director of the Nanshan International Cultural Exchange & Service Center, highlighted the importance of such events in promoting international cultural exchange. Zhaoshang Subdistrict, as an international locale, leveraged the festival to deepen foreigners' understandings of Chinese culture and local traditions, according to her.