During the Spring Festival, various regions in Gansu Province adopted the theme "Intangible Cultural Heritage Celebrates the Spring Festival: Savoring the Chinese New Year." Through scene reconstruction, digital empowerment, and consumption integration, ancient intangible cultural heritage was transformed into a part of daily life—knowable, relatable, and experiential for the public—painting a lively new picture of the festive season where cultural charm blends with the warmth of tradition. As the festive atmosphere subsided, the event concluded on a successful note. Recently, a relevant official from the Gansu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism accepted an exclusive interview with reporters, discussing the effects of the event and the delight it brought to people across the region.

Question:What is the significance of the Shehuo performances during the Spring Festival?

Answer:During the Spring Festival, Shehuo exhibitions and parades across the province could be described as a grand folk spectacle. In Gaolan County, Lanzhou City, a Shehuo troupe of nearly a hundred performers danced to the rhythm of songs, with the percussive beats of Taiping drums resonating like the surging Yellow River, heralding the Chinese New Year under the theme "Auspicious Gansu, Vibrant Intangible Cultural Heritage." Cultural and tourism departments at municipal and prefectural levels, along with intangible cultural heritage protection agencies and various social forces, organized a series of intangible cultural heritage inheritance and practice activities tailored to local conditions. These events were based on traditional Spring Festival customs and included programs such as "Celebrating the New Year in Ancient Towns," "Lighting Up Chinese Lanterns," "Family Reunion Through Food," "Spending the New Year in Intangible Cultural Heritage Museums," "Intangible Cultural Heritage New Year Shopping Month," and online campaigns like "My Hometown’s New Year." According to statistics, the province hosted over 2,000 intangible cultural heritage events, attracting more than 3 million attendees. Enriched by the intangible cultural heritage elements, these activities allowed the public to personally experience the splendid charm of China's excellent traditional culture, creating a joyful, lively, and harmonious Spring Festival atmosphere.

Question:How effective was the integration of modern elements into the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Celebrates the Spring Festival: Savoring the Chinese New Year" activities?

Answer:When tradition meets modernity, intangible cultural heritage is powerfully "breaking through the circle" through youth-oriented expressions. The Spring Festival cultural temple fair in Lanzhou successfully achieved an innovative fusion of traditional intangible heritage and contemporary elements. At Wuwei City’s third Liangzhou Lantern Fair, technology was leveraged to create signature lantern displays centered on the "Heavenly Horse Culture" and "Silk Road Culture," featuring themes such as "Goddess Adorned with Flowers," "A Heavenly Steed Soaring Across the Skies," and "Four Auspicious Mythical Creatures." The Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow IP was deeply integrated with modern lighting techniques, forming a central axis of lantern displays stretching for miles—every step offered a new view. The intangible cultural heritage "iron flame show" dazzled with sparks flying and silver flares lighting up the sky, complementing the lanterns and creating a stunning visual spectacle. High-altitude acrobatics from the royal circus, interactive sessions with adorable animals, and clown performances catered perfectly to families. Diverse performances, such as Sichuan opera face-changing, fire-spitting, firework puppetry, and the golden waterfall illusion "Galaxy from the Heavens," took turns on stage, alongside interactive activities like NPC parades and bonfire parties. Zodiac and blessing-themed lantern sets, including a complete series of the 12 zodiac animals and the God of Wealth lanterns, fulfilled visitors’ wishes for auspiciousness. Non-heritage delicacies such as Jiuquan's baked cakes, Jingning's roasted chicken, Dingxi's wide noodles, Tianshui's guagua (a local snack), and Wuwei's "Three-Carriage Feast" became top choices for younger generations seeking culinary delight.

From fingertips to taste buds, people sought the essence of the New Year within the warmth of festive atmosphere, feeling the enduring vitality of Chinese cultural heritage through craftsmanship passed down generations. Once again, intangible cultural heritage became the "top trend" during the Spring Festival.

Question:What were the main featured activities in the "Intangible Cultural Heritage Celebrates the Spring Festival: Savoring the Chinese New Year" event that helped boost holiday consumption?

Answer:During the Spring Festival, intangible cultural heritage performances at Lanzhou Old Street were spectacular. In Jiayuguan City, an intangible cultural heritage hands-on experience allowed residents to touch the millennia-old legacy of the fortress at their fingertips. Jinchang City’s "Soaring Dragons and Galloping Horses Hail the New Year, Nickel Capital Sings in Celebration" Shehuo Yangge festivities dazzled spectators along the route. In Jiuquan City, Shehuo parades, opera performances, folk custom experiences, and intangible heritage product sales spread across urban and rural areas. Zhangye City hosted the provincial-level demonstration event "Joyful New Year Celebration, Vibrant Spring Festival Festivities"—Gansu Province’s 2026 Shehuo Performance Exchange, alongside its own municipal Shehuo showcase. Baiyin City focused on three categories of intangible heritage—traditional foods, folk skills, and traditional arts—centered on the theme "Preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage, Creating a Rich New Year Atmosphere," forming an immersive matrix of Spring Festival heritage activities. Tianshui City, under the theme "Spicy Tianshui: Intangible Cultural Heritage New Year Market," organized a series of featured events including heritage exhibitions and food fairs, amplifying the ripple effects of "Tianshui Spicy Hot Pot." In Pingliang City, Kongtong Ancient Town—a repository of local nostalgia and memory—saw booming business for its traditional pot-boiled tea, with visitors lining up to taste it. Amid the chimes of the New Year, the delicate artistry of Qingyang paper-cutting and the exquisite fragrance of embroidered sachets—intangible cultural skills flowing with a millennia-old heritage—integrated into modern life with renewed vitality. Dingxi City held the "Intangible Heritage Enters Communities, Cultural Legacy Connects Neighborhoods" exhibition and sales event. In Longnan City, the Guandegou Scenic Area in Tanchang County hosted lively heritage activities under the theme "So Close, So Warm: Celebrating the New Year in Guandegou," with rotating folk Shehuo performances attracting tourists from all directions. Gannan Prefecture’s massive "Tug-of-War to Celebrate Lantern Festival" created a spectacular and bustling scene, while Linxia Prefecture’s Spring Festival Shehuo gala featured representative intangible heritage items such as land boat dancing, lion dances, dragon dances, Nuo opera, and performances of the "God of Wealth" ritual.

This Spring Festival, intangible cultural heritage was no longer a static memory but a flowing feast. It has not only remained a cultural treasure but also become a powerful engine for activating the cultural tourism market and boosting holiday consumption.