Xi’an Festival
Chang’an International Calligraphy Annual Conference
Time: The last week of March every year
China Chang’an International Calligraphy Annual Conference, It is a large-scale international calligraphy exchange event hosted by the Shaanxi Provincial Tourism Bureau. Chinese calligraphy is a unique Chinese art with a history of thousands of years. Chang'an (today's Xi'an) is not only the place where famous calligraphers of the past dynasties emerged in large numbers, but also the place where the largest number of steles of calligraphy masterpieces from past dynasties are preserved. It is known as the "Hometown of Calligraphy". The first Chang'an International Calligraphy Annual Conference was held in 1986. Every year, it attracts many calligraphy celebrities from home and abroad to participate in the performance, which has an important influence at home and abroad.
The Chang'an International Calligraphy Annual Conference is held in the last week of March every year. By then, famous calligraphers and calligraphy enthusiasts from home and abroad will gather in the ancient city to compete in skills and exchange experiences. The main contents of the annual meeting include: a large-scale inscription ceremony imitating the wild goose pagoda of the Tang Dynasty; an exhibition of ink by celebrities from past dynasties; a pen meeting of Chinese and foreign calligraphers; an exhibition and sale of the four treasures of the high-quality study room; a seminar on calligraphy theory, a visit to the Forest of Steles, and the Shimen Thirteen Products activities, etc.
Xi'an Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pomegranate Festival
Time: Mid-September every year
Xi'an Lintong is not only the hometown of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, but also a nationally renowned pomegranate producing area. When autumn comes and the air is crisp, it is also the peak tourist season. The fiery red pomegranates are particularly eye-catching in the sun, adding to the splendor of Lishan Mountain. The Xi'an Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pomegranate Festival cleverly combines these two contents, allowing tourists to enjoy both spiritual and material enjoyment.
The Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pomegranate Festival is held in Lintong in mid-September every year and lasts for one week. Its main activities include visits to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, tours of the Royal Concubine Bath in Huaqing Pool, viewing and tasting of the 10,000-acre pomegranate garden, traditional pomegranate festivals, and the lighting ceremony of the Lishan Ancient Beacon Tower.
Xi'an Ancient Culture and Art Festival
Time: September every year
The Xi'an Ancient Culture and Art Festival is a large-scale cultural tourism festival in Xi'an. Since 1990, it has been held every September in the golden autumn. The Ancient Culture and Art Festival brings together the essence of Shaanxi folk art and is rich in content. The main activities include:
Gongs and drums of the palace ceremonial guard; performances such as stilts, land boats, bamboo horses, lions, and dragon dances; large-scale palace fireworks; street social fire performances; large-scale cultural and artistic programs, such as the large-scale music and dance "Chang'an Treasures" ", "Silk Road Style", "Charm of Chang'an", "Souls of Qin Terracotta Warriors", "Feng Ming Chang'an", etc.; imitation Tang music and dance that are very popular with guests at home and abroad; Shaanxi local opera Qinqiang, Meihu, Wanwanqiang, puppets, Shadow puppets, etc.; the Ancient City Wall Art Garden held a unique night market entrance ceremony with the ancient city wall. Guests passed through the South Gate Suspension Bridge, filed into the Wengcheng, and then climbed up the ancient city wall to enjoy literature, martial arts, qigong and Tang Dynasty cockfighting performances, and participate in various activities. A variety of entertainment projects; exhibition and sales of folk handicrafts and souvenirs.
Xi’an City Wall International Marathon Friendly Race
Time: The first Sunday in November every year
The Xi’an City Wall International Marathon has been held since 1993, and has been held at home and abroad. Have a certain influence. In 2003, the Xi'an City Wall International Marathon was named the "National Sports Tourism Gold Medal Event" by the State Sports General Administration and the National Tourism Administration. During the competition, 5-kilometer, 10-kilometer and half-marathon races for men and women will be held on the ancient city wall of Xi'an.
Xi'an History and Culture
Xi'an, known as Chang'an in ancient times, is one of the birthplaces of the Chinese nation and Eastern civilization. As early as 1.1 million years ago in ancient times, human ancestors thrived here. Xi'an has a history of more than 3,100 years as a city and more than 1,100 years as a capital. 13 dynasties have established their capitals here. It is an ancient capital as famous as Rome. Since the Western Han Dynasty, Xi'an has become an important city for economic, cultural exchanges and friendly exchanges between China and other countries around the world. The "Silk Road" starts from Chang'an and ends in the ancient city of Rome in the west. "Chang'an Culture" represents the backbone of Chinese culture. In the second year of Hongwu in the Ming Dynasty (AD 1369), Fengyuan Road was renamed Xi'an Prefecture, and the name of Xi'an has been used to this day. After the Revolution of 1911 broke out in 1911, Xi'an was one of the first provincial capitals in the country to respond. On December 12, 1936, the "Xi'an Incident" occurred here, which shocked China and foreign countries.
After the incident, the Xi'an Eighth Route Army Office located here transported a large number of young intellectuals and military supplies to the Yan'an Revolutionary Base Area. Party and state leaders Zhou Enlai, Deng Xiaoping, Ye Jianying, etc. all led revolutionary struggles here.
Xi'an was liberated on May 20, 1949. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xi'an was the seat of the Northwest Bureau of the Central Committee and the Northwest Administrative Committee, and a municipality directly under the Central People's Government; in 1954, it was changed to a provincial municipality; in 1984, it was listed as a city under separate state planning by the State Council; in 1992, it was approved as an inland open city; in 1994 It was approved as a national comprehensive supporting reform pilot city and a sub-provincial city. After more than 50 years of construction and development, Xi'an has formed a relatively complete industrial system and urban service system, and has become an important base for scientific research, higher education, national defense science and technology industry and high-tech industry in my country, as well as a financial, technological, Education, tourism and business center.
Xi'an has a strong cultural atmosphere, whether it is literary creation, dance art, instrumental music performance, calligraphy and painting style, or traditional drama, folk performing arts, and collection of ancient cultural relics, it has a certain influence at home and abroad.
Overview of Xi'an Folk Culture
Sugar Blower
Folk "sugar blowers" artists, when they heat the caramel to the right temperature, they pull off a lump , knead it into a round ball, use your index finger to dip a small amount of starch into a deep pit, tighten the outer opening, and quickly pull it out. When it reaches a certain thickness, snap the candy stick. At this time, the candy stick is like a thin tube, and immediately Use your mouth to blow into the shape. The entire operation process must be practiced hard, the technique must be accurate, and the shape must be simple and vivid. The key skills of a sugar blower lie in the skills of blowing and pinching. The sugar maker first places a small piece of caramel in the palm of his hand and flattens it, then makes a fist, passes the fingers of the other hand through the palm, piles the candy into a tube, and bites off the top end of the tube. Blown. The candy maker puffed up his cheeks, and in a short while he blew it into a thin, hollow oblate ball. Then he used dexterous and changeable techniques to shape flowers, birds, fish, insects, people, etc. in different shapes, some of which were as colorful as the picture. color.
Paper-cut
In the cradle of the Chinese nation, a broad and profound national culture has been nurtured and developed. Paper-cut, commonly known as window grilles, is one of the contents of national culture. As a folk art form with a long history, paper-cutting is loved by people of all ethnic groups in China, among which paper-cutting in northern Shaanxi is particularly eye-catching. Northern Shaanxi paper-cutting includes the styles of the Qin and Han Dynasties. The style is both slender and beautiful, but also rough and generous. The craftsmanship can be seen in the roughness, and the beauty of the earth is in the earth. It has been exhibited in Xi'an, Beijing and other places for several consecutive years, and has received high praise.
Fengxiang Woodblock New Year Pictures
According to historical data, it has a history of 476 years. According to an ancestral archive record of a family engaged in this business, in the second year of Zhengde in the Ming Dynasty (1507), eight households of the Tai family in Xiaoli Village were engaged in the production of New Year paintings as a sideline; before the fifty-fifth year of Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty (1790), the Tai family had already started an early-stage business. The "Painting Bureau" of New Year paintings has lasted for more than 190 years for six generations. Fengxiang woodblock New Year pictures have grown from small to large, from coarse to fine, and have gone through many ups and downs, ups and downs, and have become the leading folk New Year picture resort in northwest China. In the course of nearly two centuries, Tai's "Shixing Painting Bureau" has played a major role in promoting the art of painting, based in Fengxiang, facing the whole country and abroad.
Fengxiang Clay Sculpture
The painted clay sculptures in Liuying, Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province have a history of more than 400 years. There are more than 100 varieties of painted clay sculptures including dramatic figures, mythological figures, birds and animals. These clay sculptures have bright and bright colors, exaggerated, concise, simple and elegant shapes, and are full of fun. The most popular ones are Crouching Cow, Standing Tiger, Hanging Tiger, Fat Baby, etc. These painted clay sculptures are mostly regarded by rural areas in the northwest provinces as gifts for the New Year or festivals, as souvenirs for children, daily decorations for families, and gifts for relatives and friends. In recent years, Fengxiang painted clay sculptures have been listed as tourist souvenirs by Shaanxi Province and are supplied to the outside world in large quantities.
Ansai waist drum
Waist drum is a common activity in folk dances and has been around since ancient times. To this day, among the people of Shaanxi, especially in northern Shaanxi, whenever young men and women have free time, they wear belts diagonally across their waists, tie waist drums, hold small wooden sticks in each hand, and beat them front, back, left, and right, with gongs and hairpins beating in conjunction. The sound of "bang-cha-cha" is clear and loud, which is particularly pleasing to the ears and eyes.
In schools and groups across Shaanxi, during festivals, young people organize waist drum performances, which are the most attractive to the audience, and Ansai waist drum in northern Shaanxi is a unique leader.
Luochuan lame drum
The lame drum in Luochuan folk dance in northern Shaanxi is unique. According to legend, it was developed from the drills of sergeants during the Qin and Han Dynasties. This activity of jumping and playing drums has taken root among the people and has been passed down from generation to generation. During the performance, the drummer wears a warrior scarf with a hero flower on his head, a war uniform with a flag on his back, a moiré war skirt on his legs, leggings, combat boots, and a two-foot-wide circle hanging across his chest. The drums are played while jumping and beating, fiercely and fiercely. The team is ever-changing, in time and time, neat and orderly. On September 27, 1989, the opening ceremony of the "World Tourism Day" celebration was held in Xi'an. The wonderful performance of Luochuan Laimegu was warmly welcomed by Chinese and foreign audiences.
Ox-Pulled Drum
The "Ox-Pulled Drum" in Xianyang City, Shaanxi Province is a unique project in folk encouragement. During the "Cow Pulled Drum" performance, two cows are dressed in red, each pulling a cart, with a big drum on top. The drummer's back is facing forward, facing hundreds of gongs and drummers behind, while beating the drum, the sound is sonorous and echoes. The sound of matching gongs and drums echoed through the sky. The drummers were all dressed in colorful costumes, wearing white scarves on their heads and colorful ribbons around their waists. They echoed back and forth and cooperated tacitly. During every large-scale celebration or festival, "Ox-played Drum" is a must-do program, which is a feast for the eyes of the audience.
Dragon Rotating Drum
"Dragon Rotating Drum" is a unique project of Shaanxi folklore activities. It is popular in Wangcun Township, Qian County. With its rough and bold, complete and beautiful colors and performances, it has become a folk percussion art activity famous both inside and outside the province. According to legend, a eunuch named Liang Mei of Dawang Village in the Ming Dynasty retired and returned to his hometown in the 21st year of Wanli Emperor Shen Zong's reign (1593). He organized various entertainment activities, among which he personally taught the "Dragon Rotating Drum". For hundreds of years, this traditional program has been rooted in and perfected among the people, and has endured for a long time. Every year on the 13th day of the first lunar month, the gong and drum troupes of Dawang Village march from various streets to beat each other, and finally gather in front of the "Sanyi Temple" in the east of the village to compete against each other, which is very lively.
Pao Gu
The "Pao Gu" popular in Linyou County, Shaanxi Province is one of the traditional inspirations of the Han nationality. During the performance, there are two large drums in the venue. The two drummers wear samurai clothes and trousers and turbans or samurai hats. They dance and play in front of the drums. The beats of the drums must be in harmony with the gongs, cymbals, and hairpins, and they should be integrated into one. . When the drummer hits the drum, he follows a certain rhythm from slow to fast, from slow to tight; when it gets intense, not only does the beat of the cymbals change, and the sound of gongs is inserted into the air to match, but there are also chants and shouts, one after another. The voices echoed each other, and the atmosphere was strong but not chaotic.
Qin Opera
Qin Opera is also called "Luan Tan". The singing tone is high and exciting and requires singing with a real voice, so it maintains the original and bold characteristics. The roles can be divided into: Lao Dan, Zheng Dan, Xiaodan, Huadan, Wudan, Matchmaker, Laosheng, Xusheng, Xiaosheng, Dajing, Maojing, Harlequin and more than ten kinds. It is one of the oldest opera types in my country. It has developed increasingly maturely through the Qin, Han, Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan and Ming dynasties. It became popular in the north and south in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties and had a great influence on many opera types. Its characteristics are: impassioned, wide-pitched and broad-sounding. It is mainly popular in the northwest and is loved by the masses. Its singing, dialogue, boardwalk, facial makeup, body posture and role categories form its own system. Qin Opera has more than 700 repertoires, ranking first among all types of opera.
Storytelling in northern Shaanxi
Storytelling in northern Shaanxi, according to word-of-mouth legend among the people, has been active in the Yulin area during the long feudal society. At that time, the "Pipa" was called "Scorpion" (the instrument resembles a big scorpion), and the two wooden boards were called "Lengzi". Many artists or blind artists made a living by playing the Pipa and telling stories on the board. Most of the singing was in "double tone". The bamboo board sang "Lotus Falling"; later, in northern Shanxi and Shaanxi, double-tone, single-tone, Luozi tune, adagio, bamboo board and other tunes gradually formed. There are many "nine timbres and eighteen tunes" in storytelling in various places in northern Shaanxi. The pipa is popular in Yan'an, Ganquan, Yanchang, and Wuqi; the sanxian is popular in Suide, Shenmu, Fugu, Inner Mongolia, the banks of the Yellow River, and some neighboring counties in Gansu Province. Storytelling is a single tone; Jiaxian and Wubao are Donglu tone; Dingbian, Zhidan and Jingbian are Xiliang tone and Meihua tone. There are three double-tone tones: Adagio, Wu Tiao, and Allegro, which can be used in both long and short books.
Shaanxi Shadow Puppetry
Shadow puppetry, also known as "Lamp Shadow", is an ancient and unique folk opera art in my country, which is very popular in the Guanzhong area. Shadow puppetry is easy to perform, has a wide range of performance, and has exquisite acting skills. It is active in the vast rural areas and is very popular among farmers. The production of shadow puppets is very delicate, and the materials of the shadows are carefully selected. They use good donkey skin or cowhide, soak it in water until soft, then soak it to make it smooth and transparent, and then carefully carve it and paint it with bright colors. Characters and animals are carved into silhouettes and brushed with tung oil after drying. The limbs and head are movable, and the performance is performed with slender and easy-to-control movements. During the performance, a piece of white gauze is used as a screen (the size of the screen depends on the venue, basically like the screen of a small movie). The operator of the shadow puppet stands under the screen and sticks the shadow puppet on the screen. The light is played from behind, and the audience sits facing the light. direction to watch. The shadow puppet show is mainly based on Qin opera, and the singers and operators work together in perfect harmony. People in Guanzhong call this "Ba style" with skilled performance skills. They hold two or even three shadow puppets in one hand and fight and fight with smooth routines that are dazzling.
Celebrating the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month
Celebrating the Lantern Festival is also called celebrating the 15th day of the Lunar New Year. Starting from the fifth day of the first lunar month (sometimes from the sixth day of the first lunar month), uncles give lamps to their nephews, godfathers to their godchildren, and nannies to their nanny. Generally, one pair of lamps is given to each child, with ten candles in each lamp, for each additional child. Send an extra lamp, a bundle of twists, and a bag of cakes. Twelve consecutive years. Parents also give their married daughters a pair of big red lanterns (palace lanterns) or glass lanterns and a pair of flower lanterns, called chase lanterns, in the first year. If they have grandchildren, they will also give small lanterns. After receiving the lamp, the children turn on the lamp every night and play in groups until they are fifteen. On the night of the 15th, colorful lanterns are hung high in front of every house, and candles are lit in every corner of the house and courtyard, which means that ghosts and evil spirits have nowhere to hide. The newlywed daughter-in-law returns to her wedding home on the night of the 14th to "hide from the lights" and returns on the 14th. On the night of the 15th, we eat Yuanxiao, and on the night of the 16th, we celebrate the "Ba Ba Nian" (meaning the end of the New Year). Children can continue to light up lanterns, play and have fun, and continue to hang lanterns. On the 17th, they are all put away.
Shaanxi’s Ten Weirdest Oddities
As the saying goes: “There are different styles in a hundred miles, and different customs in ten miles.” In the yellow land of Shaanxi, due to the influence of climate, economy, culture and other reasons , Shaanxi people (Guanzhong people) have developed some unique ways in terms of clothing, food, housing, transportation, entertainment, etc. After gathering, they are called the "Ten Weird People of Shaanxi" (i.e., the "Ten Big Weird People of Guanzhong"), and some also say " "Eight Eccentrics of Shaanxi". The rural areas of Baqiao area have been particularly outstanding in this regard in the past.
1. Noodles are like trouser belt noodles
“The noodles are as wide as trouser belts”. Pulled noodles are also called biang-biang noodles. There are some differences between the authentic biang-biang noodles made by Guanzhong people and the pulled noodles usually eaten by city people. Authentic biang-biang noodles, a noodle can be two or three inches wide and about 1 meter long. When thick, it is about the same as a copper coin, but when thin, it is like a cicada's wing.
2. Guokui is like a pot lid
Guokui is a big cake. Legend has it that during the Qin Dynasty, when the Qin army unified the six countries and fought everywhere, the dry food carried by the soldiers was prone to mold and spoilage. So, the cooks in the army invented today's pot helmet. Another legend says that when the Qianling Mausoleum was being built in the Tang Dynasty, because there were too many soldiers and craftsmen serving, they often delayed the construction progress just to eat, and were punished. So, a soldier in a hurry put dough into his helmet, put the helmet in the fire to bake, and baked it into cakes. No matter how you say it, Guokui Steamed Bun has a history of thousands of years in Shaanxi.
3. Spicy Dish
Spicy is a serious dish in Shaanxi "Youpo Spicy". Even the doors of every house in Xi'an are covered with strings of delightful red peppers, so as the saying goes: "Sichuan people are not afraid of spicy food, Hunan people are not afraid of spicy food, and Shaanxi people are not afraid of spicy food!"
4. It’s hard to separate bowls and basins
When Lao Shaanxi eats, he likes to use a large porcelain blue and white bowl produced in Yaozhou. The locals call it "Old Bowl". This kind of old bowl is even bigger than a small basin, so it is often difficult to separate bowls and basins. point. In the rural areas of Guanzhong, every time when eating, in the village, in front of the door, or under the tree, men squat together with big old bowls, eating and chatting with relish. This is the famous "Old Bowl Party".
5. Wearing a handkerchief on your head
In the past, the Guanzhong area was rich in cotton. The locals were accustomed to wearing handkerchiefs made of cotton on their heads. It can protect against dust, rain and sun. , you can also wipe sweat, wipe your hands and pack things.
6. Houses built on one side
Whether it is in Xi'an city or in rural areas of Guanzhong, houses "built on one side" can be seen everywhere. It is said that because there is little rain in Shaanxi, the houses built on this side can allow all the precious rainwater to flow into their own fields. As the saying goes, "fertile water does not flow into other people's fields."
7. Girls keep to themselves
The Guanzhong area is fertile, so few people travel to other places to survive. Therefore, there is a saying that "it is better to stay at home than to go out" and "it is better to stay at home when you are old". There is a folk proverb that goes out of Tongguan (Tongguan) and goes to Sichuan (Sichuan). Over time, not only did men not go out to travel, but even girls did not marry far away from home. Nowadays, it is not strange for people who live next door to get married at the same time. Some villages have even built "girls' buildings" for girls who do not want to get married and leave their hometown. , building a nest to attract phoenixes not only attracts more foreign talents for the construction of new rural areas, but also fulfills the girls' wishes.
8. Squat instead of sitting
Because the men in Guanzhong have to squat together for three meals a day to hold "Old Bowl Meeting", which lasts for more than an hour or even longer. Time, coupled with the fact that people like to squat in the leeward and sunny places to "bathe in the warmth" or play chess in winter, so Guanzhong developed the habit of "squatting".
9. Stone pillows for sleeping
Shaanxi people do not like soft pillows, but choose wooden pillows and stone pillows. This is inseparable from the straightforward nature of Shaanxi people. In Shaanxi, when the summer heat is unbearable, when farmers go to bed at night, they prefer to sleep soundly on a brick or stone as a pillow. Moreover, people in Shaanxi affectionately call it: "gold cannot be exchanged", which means a treasure that cannot be exchanged for gold. It is enough to show how attached and obsessed the Shaanxi people are to this pillow made of stones and wood under their heads. .
10. Sing opera and roar
Singing opera refers to singing Qin opera. It is characterized by high excitement, strong and rapid. In particular, Hua Lian’s singing was so loud that the locals called it “breaking the head”. Foreigners didn’t understand the meaning and joked: “When singing Qin Opera, firstly, the stage must be strong to avoid collapse; secondly, the stage must be strong to avoid collapse; The actors need to be in good health to avoid getting tired and sick; the audience needs to be courageous to avoid being scared to death."