Changsha marks 'Lichun' in poems

Yesterday on Feb 4, was "Lichun" a day which signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring, according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

Changsha poets and poetry aficionados attended a party in celebration of Lichun, the first of the 24 solar terms. The event was organized by Changsha's Xiaoxiang Poetry Society and attendees celebrated the coming of spring by reading and chanting poems.

Themed with the title "Beginning of spring, Forging ahead", the event was bigger than the usual gathering, as it coincided with the anniversary of the gatherings. This meant that a party of a far larger scale was hosted at the Changsha Mass Arts Center in dedication to literature and traditional Chinese culture.

This is not the only event that has been organized by the Xiaoxiang society, as they have hosted others in the past and have even more in the works. The society has promoted Chinese culture by getting an assembled group of poetry hobbyists, both professional and amateur to hold various cultural events around the city. These events first began last year on Feb 18, 2017, the day of "Rain Water", the second of the 24 solar terms.

The aforementioned party was divided into four parts, each corresponding to a calendar season. This allows the participant to voice the joy in poems they discover each of the 24 solar terms pass by.

Performers celebrate Lichun, or the Start of Spring, in Changsha Mass Arts Center on Feb 4. [Photo by Zou Lin/icswb.com]

Only one third of the performers received professional training with the eldest being 80 years old and the young member being a child of just six years, according to Hu Shubin, the event's organizer.

Throughout the last lunar year, the participants have been enriched through a series of cultural activities, including that of lectures, artistic performances, storytelling, and readings of classical and modern poems and prose.

The organizer has been vigorous in his efforts to promote the event so that the public can be more enthused by that of literary works and traditional Chinese culture.

People in their 40s and 50s are the most active participants in the society, especially retired women, according to the organizer.

"The Chinese 24 Solar Terms is one of the precious intangible cultural treasures in China," Hu said. "The poetry society helps promote it among the public and has a huge influence across the country."

"We are firmly determined to continue promoting traditional culture, as well as make innovations to our methods," Hu added.