Page 61 - JIANGSU

FOLK ART 56

n March, 10,000 mu of rape flowers bloom in the Yaxi Cittaslow
Scenic Area in Gaochun District, southern Nanjing, like a golden
I ocean. During the China Gaochun International Cittaslow Gold-
en Flower Tourism Festival every year, performers of the intangible cultural
heritage folk customs "Wuchang Dance," "Big Horse Lanterns" and "Small
Horse Lanterns" will parade in the flower fields, attracting tourists to stop
and watch.

The custom of Wuchang Dance was established by ancient villagers on
both sides of the Xuhe River in Gaochun, Nanjing, to respect and remem-
ber Zhang Bo's achievements in digging the Changxing Jingxi River and
draining it to Guangde in the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-AD 25). The
canopy, masks and costumes of the Wuchang Dance are of five colors: red,
blue, yellow, black and white. During festivals, performing Wuchang Dance
means to pray for a happy and healthy life by offering sacrifices to the gods.

The folk custom of "sending spring" in Gaochun also has a long history. It
is said that it originated from the "Spring Field Song" in the Ming Dynasty.
Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, a large number of performers have
emerged from various villages in Gaochun. During the Spring Festival,
they'd go to villages and send songs to households to celebrate the new
year.

Embark on a tulip flower viewing tour in Cittaslow, watch kites fly, pick tea
leaves in Qingshan Tea Garden, and taste a pot of Mingqian tea brewed
with ancient well water... In addition to the beautiful scenery, Gaochun's
"spring-eating" folk customs are also very rich. Toona sinensis fried with
eggs, roast duck rolls with spring bamboo shoots and wild vegetables,
shrimp cakes with spring bamboo shoots and chives, balls of wild moun-
tain mushrooms and shepherd's purse, crab cream with Kalimeris indica,
california burclover soup, salty river mussels and flowering stalks, five-
spice river snails... The Yan bamboo shoots in Cittaslow Bamboo Garden
- either stir-fried or stewed with meat - are sweet and crisp at one bite; the
green balls made of Gaochun's specialty Cudweed Herb are soft, glutinous
and fragrant. On Gaochun Ancient Street with a history of more than 900
years, tourists are full of praise for fragrant tofu, crispy rice cakes, sweet
glutinous cakes, and glutinous lotus root slices.

When you come to Gaochun, in addition to appreciating folk customs,
watching golden flowers, and eating delicious food, you can also feel the
unique temperament of the very first Cittaslow in China. Born in Italy in
1999, Cittaslow is a global movement whose core is to advocate pure living
and protect local characteristics. In 2010, Gaochun Yaxi Town became the
first "international Cittaslow" in China.
If you want to retain the slow pace of life in the "Cittaslow," you can
choose to stay in Gaochun: Zhensong Resort Hotel, Lujia Lodge, Bancheng
Dashan RV Campground, Guilaixi Yaxi Manor Hotel and other hotels,
homestays, etc. They are good places for vacation and leisure.