Three Visits to the "Celebrating the New Year - Spring Festival Exhibition"

The "Celebrating the New Year - Spring Festival Exhibition" held at the National Arts and Crafts Museum before the Lunar New Year of the Yi-Si year created waves of excitement in Beijing, attracting large crowds of visitors daily. This exhibition, which opened on December 4, 2024, is notably the first special exhibition held after UNESCO's inscription of the Chinese Spring Festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Showcasing over 120 representative items of intangible cultural heritage related to the Spring Festival, the exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the rich and diverse New Year customs and cultural activities from across China. Visitors were captivated by the intricate Gaomi dough figurines, New Year paintings, exquisite paper cuttings from various regions, dough figurines, straw weaving, and "hairy monkeys" (folk crafts made from cicada shells). A giant Chinese knot hangs from the ceiling, various lanterns adorn one side of the exhibition hall, lion dance props rest beside the stage, and a soaring dragon is displayed above, creating a vibrant Spring Festival atmosphere. A pagoda-like structure in one wing of the exhibition hall draws particular attention. This represents a Spring Festival custom popular in Huairen County, Shanxi Province, known as the Huairen Wang Huo custom. During the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, people in Huairen County build tower-like structures from large pieces of coal. When the "wang huo" (prosperity fire) is lit, flames erupt from countless small holes, creating a spectacular sight that symbolizes prosperity throughout the year. In the center of the exhibition hall sits a dragon boat, representing the Yueqing Dengcai, also known as the Yueqing Jewelry Dragon, which was included in the fourth batch of national intangible cultural heritage representative items. Primarily found in the western townships of Beibaixiang Town and Liushi Town in Yueqing City, Zhejiang Province, the Jewelry Dragon is considered an important symbol for ceremonies, parades, and entertainment. Its intricate craftsmanship involves woodworking, oil painting, paper crafting, lantern making, and paper cutting. Around the Lantern Festival each year, grand Jewelry Dragon parades are held throughout Yueqing, with people hoping for favorable weather and abundant harvests. To be honest, it's incredibly fortunate and rare to appreciate over 120 intangible cultural heritage items related to the Spring Festival in one exhibition. This is my third visit, and I still feel like I haven't seen enough. The exhibition runs until March 2, 2025. If you're interested, be sure to visit the National Arts and Crafts Museum soon. The "Celebrating the New Year - Spring Festival Exhibition" won't disappoint. Remember to book your tickets in advance. Address: No. 16, Hujing East Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing Opening Hours: 9:00 am–5:00 pm Closed on Mondays