Lychee culture festival revs up in Guangzhou

The folk festival featuring the fruit of lychee presents a great opportunity for Guangzhou residents and visitors to experience the Xiguan culture, local media reported.

Xiguan used to be a traditional area in Guangzhou, located west of the old walled city, which now forms most of the city's Liwan district. Over the years, it has developed its distinctive culture.

In order to promote its local culture, Liwan district's scenic area management center organized a series of folk cultural activities starting from the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, which falls on June 29 this year.

The activity will go on till July 28. The month-long event provides the public with an opportunity to access the  royal banquet of the ancient times.

It's said that Liu Chang, a king of Southern Han Dynasty (917-971), used to hold a banquet entertaining his ministers and concubines in Tangli Garden, Guangzhou's Liwan district, whenever lychee would grow ripe.

Due to the vast swathes of the territory being covered with red and sweet lychee, the feast got its name of Hongyunyan, literally meaning 'Red cloud feast'.   

This year's ten different dishes and snacks for the feast are all specially designed and share the same ingredient of a lychee, according to the organizer. 

Ten specialties featuring ingredients of lychee are served during the festival activity, which runs from June 29 to July 28, in Liwan district, Guangzhou. [Photo by Gong Jilin/xkb.com.cn]

People dressed as ministers and maidservants in Southern Han Dynasty and waited outside the hall in the old site where the king used to hold the banquet. 

During the event, dancers and artists reproduce the rituals of serving wine to their guests, play the traditional stringed instruments and perform classical dances.

In addition, an exhibition displaying the ceramic products and tea making is also held in the Liwan Lake Park.

Performers dressed as ministers and maidservants in Southern Han Dynasty (917-971) toast guests in a boat during the lychee cultural festival in Liwan district, Guangzhou. [Photo by Gong Jilin/xkb.com.cn]

Performers show off traditional dances in Tangli Garden to celebrate the lychee cultural festival, Liwan district, Guangzhou. [Photo by Xiao Xiong/southcn.com]