A grand event will be held from Aug 9 to 15 in Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong province, to celebrate the Qiqiao (or Qixi) Festival, also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day, said the organizers on Aug 2.

Qixi is a traditional Chinese festival and it will fall on August 14 this year. It celebrates the legend of the annual meeting between two mythological figures, the Cowherder and his wife the Weaver Girl, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

Highlighting cultural inheritance and innovation, this year’s Qiqiao festival will be held in different ways and will encourage more online interaction.

Compared to previous sessions, this year’s event will pay more attention to people’s emotional needs, provide richer content in different forms, attract more participants and a wider audience, and feature a higher integration of culture, business and tourism.

All activities will be held in strict accordance with COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control measures in Guangzhou and Guangdong province. All measures will be strictly implemented and the activities will be adjusted in a timely manner.

This year, 52 activities will be held across 16 venues in Tianhe district, the largest number ever since the annual celebrations started over a decade ago said Chen Xiaohui, director of the publicity department of the CPC Tianhe District Committee.

Chen said that the event will be operated by social forces under the guidance of the government. The main venue is set in Zhucun village, Tianhe district, where Qiqiao customs originated.

In addition, the festival strives to meet the diversified and personalized needs of people by exploring the value of traditional culture and developing folk culture, Chen said.

It endeavors to bring new meaning and connotations of the times to traditional festivals, and promotes the integrated development of culture, business and tourism, she added.

Guangzhou’s Tianhe district has held the cultural festival for more than ten years, said Chen, who fully affirmed the enthusiastic participation of social forces.

She said they hope to promote excellent traditional Chinese culture and influence people through this event. The development of a city is marked not only by its fast and high-quality growth, but its people-centered culture.

Cai Pengcheng, secretary-general of the Cultural and Creative Industries Association of Tianhe District, Guangzhou, the organizer of the event, introduced the event at the press conference.

Cai said that this year’s event is centered on city landmarks, cultural tourism, cultural heritage, and China chic, and aims to boost the integration of Qiqiao folk culture and diversified urban cultures, as well as bring a richer cultural experience to the general public.

Venues of this year’s event include cultural centers, industrial parks, shopping malls, plazas, and creative parks of Tianhe district.

The following four highlights of the cultural festival are sure to catch the audience’s eye:

Highlight 1: New thinking and new vitality stimulate the inheritance and innovation of Qiqiao culture

This year’s event will kick off in Zhucun village, Tianhe district, which is  the birthplace of Qiqiao culture. Many traditional Qiqiao folk activities and cultural exhibitions will be held during the event, aiming to help promote the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese culture while displaying the charm of Qiqiao culture.

Other exciting themed activities include porcelain exhibitions, calligraphy and painting exhibitions, Cantonese opera performances, and Hanfu - a type of traditional Chinese clothing - model contest will enable more people to learn about Qiqiao culture and encourage them to join the celebration.

On the most romantic Chinese festival, a series of special activities will be held for young people. They will be able to take the chance to get to know each other, learn about ancient rituals, and promote excellent Chinese culture about marriage and family.

The festival will also hold art events including exhibitions for teenagers, in the hopes of rousing their interest in Qiqiao and traditional culture.

Highlight 2: New China-Chic trend leads new fashion

The rise of China-Chic has become the most popular fashion trend among young people. To increase the influence of the Guangzhou Qiqiao Cultural Festival among them, the event adds Chinese fashion elements and provides young people with a distinctive cultural experience. Haval H6 SUV, the chief partner of the Guangzhou Qiqiao Cultural Festival, integrates China-Chic with traditional Chinese culture by holding various Hanfu costume shows. These shows are expected to attract young people to participate in the activities.

Through the combined experience of wearing Hanfu, watching Hanfu shows, and experiencing Han culture through a variety of activities, young people are able to feel the charm of traditional culture.

Highlight 3: Fashion shows to be staged on Haixin Bridge

Since its opening on June 25, Haixin Bridge has become a hotspot on the Internet. A fashion show that includes ceremonies and blessing performances, as well as Hanfu performances, will be hosted here on the Qiqiao Festival, which falls on August 14.

As a combination of tradition and trend, the fashion show will feature cultural heritage and innovation, and will bring a strong visual impact to the audience.

In addition, a collective wedding ceremony will be held on Haixin Bridge on the evening of the Qiqiao Festival, with Guangzhou Tower being lit up for the newly-weds.

Highlight 4: New business models boost integrated development of culture, business and tourism

A new business model has been adopted for this year’s event to explore the integration of intangible cultural heritage and culture, business, and tourism.

Shopping malls will host a series of offline promotional activities during the event, and a WeChat mini program will be launched as the main online platform and will display offline activities, facilitate interaction, and boost tourism, commerce, and consumption.

The integration of Qiqiao culture with tourist attractions and commerce makes the attractions more appealing and provides a boost to shopping malls.

In addition, a themed forum on content-driven festival cultural tourism will be held during the event, including two keynote speeches and a series of roundtable dialogues.

The participants attending the forum will discuss new businesses and new models to promote the integration of culture, business and tourism for new consumption and new experience.