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Young craftsmen of Xuhang straw weaving give a live demonstration of the craftsmanship at the 2nd Xuhang Intangible Cultural Heritage Carnival in Jiading district of Shanghai, Nov 7. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn] |
With the idea of helping local residents gain a better understanding of the town's traditional culture and preserving the culture, the second Xuhang Intangible Cultural Heritage Carnival was launched in Xuhang town, Jiading district of Shanghai on Nov 7.
The carnival, which featured straw weaving, kite making and steamed cake, attracted hundreds of visitors. During the event, some young craftsmen gave a live demonstration of craftsmanship of the straw weaving, a traditional technique that was listed as national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. Some kids learned the skills of making kites and drew lovely pictures on their kites.
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Kids learn skills of making kites at the 2nd Xuhang Intangible Cultural Heritage Carnival in Jiading district of Shanghai, Nov 7. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn] |
At the exhibition area, many exquisite straw weaving works such as handbags, shoes and colorful kites were on display, enabling visitors to enjoy the charm of those traditional cultural items up close.
In addition, the steamed cake, a local delicacy that made the list of intangible cultural heritages in June, was also a highlight. Xie Rongguang, its inheritor, came to show the cooking techniques and invited visitors to have a taste for free. Xie explained that the cake carries rich festive taste in rural areas and its cooking requires quite delicate skills.
Other activities such as interaction games, a cycling tour around the town and folk opera performances were also organized.
According to a local teacher, in a bid to preserve and protect its traditional craftsmanship, most primary and secondary schools in Xuhang have set up courses to teach students traditional techniques including straw weaving and kite making.