Bringing tradition back to Spring Festival

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As the most important festival in China, the Spring Festival is all about tradition. With operas, temple fairs, galas and lantern shows… and even intangible cultural heritages, the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism vowed to bring more aspects of tradition back to the biggest family reunion of the year.

The ministry held a press conference on Wednesday morning introducing the celebrations and programs they have prepared for the celebrations of the Lunar New Year.

Performing arts and tourism were boosted during this time, in order to provide more entertainment choices for the Chinese people.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism holds a press conference in Beijing, China. /Photo via China.com.cn

Folk cultures and the special traditions of the ethnic minorities are on full display. For instance, local Spring Festival galas, temple fairs and lantern puzzle events, which grew out of traditional Chinese culture, are encouraged in the vast countryside.

The ministry launched a campaign aiming to bring craftsmanship back into people's daily lives. New Year paintings are considered auspicious in China, and put up as bright decorations at home during the festival in ancient times.

Meanwhile, modern entertainment has also become an indispensable part. The ministry has launched pilot campaigns promoting cultural consumption in 45 cities. Initiatives and exhibitions will be held to boost domestic consumption.

An exhibition of traditional new year paintings is underway in Beijing, China. /VCG Photo

According to the ministry, since its launch in 2016, the campaign has seen 400 million people take part, with consumption totaling 110 billion yuan (16.4 billion U.S. dollars).

Tourism has also become an important factor during the Spring Festival, as it is already a trend for the Chinese to spend the holiday traveling abroad.

The highlights and creations of this year's Spring Festival tourism is the combination of culture and tourism, said Gao Zheng, director of the industrial development division of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

A lantern show is underway in Dalian, Liaoning Province, China. /VCG Photo

After the former Ministry of Culture and the National Tourism Administration were combined in last year's cabinet reshuffle, the new ministry has been promoting the merging of cultural events with tourist destinations.

The museums, libraries and galleries have all promoted their special exhibitions, events for the visitors during the Spring Festival holiday, as well as sweeping performances at tourist resorts, such as “Impression, Sister Liu San Jie” performed on the water in Li Jiang, a renowned natural attraction in Guilin city, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A temple fair was being arranged at the Temple of Earth in Beijing, China. /VCG Photo

According to the ministry, over the past year, over 5.5 billion trips have been made domestically, growing by 10.8 percent year on year. The income from domestic tourism is 5.13 trillion yuan (76 billion U.S. dollars), with a 12.3-percent year-on-year growth.

At least 141 million inbound trips have been made to China, totaling 27.1 billion U.S. dollars.