The countdown representing 24 solar terms in Beijing Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony was very innovative, spectacular and romantic. And do you know that the Beginning of Summer, one of the 24 solar terms, is deeply related to Gongshu District of Hangzhou? Let’s get to know it!
The Beginning of Summer is a very special solar term in Gongshu. When it arrives, a lot of cultural activities related to its custom will be held in Banshan of Gongshu.
And Banshan’s Custom of Celebrating the Beginning of Summer has been included on the 5th Representative List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is very popular among the public.
Banshan’s Custom of Celebrating the Beginning of Summer 半山立夏习俗
As an important part of the 24 solar terms of China, which were inscribed in 2016 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Banshan’s Custom of Celebrating the Beginning of Summer has made the place a crucial community to protect the Beginning of Summer. And it was listed on the 5th Representative List of National Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2020. At the same time, relevant traditional activities and handicrafts such as "Banshan Clay Cats" and "Temple Fairs of Banshan Goddess" were also approved as intangible cultural heritage elements so that they would be passed down and widely promoted.
The custom first originated in Banshan and then spread to Hangjiahu Region. It is a representative custom showcasing the features of Jiangnan’s traditional agricultural culture. On the Beginning of Summer, people gather near Banshan Goddess Temple spontaneously. As per local traditions, they hold a sacrificial ceremony to say goodbye to spring and hello to summer, have a running race, eat black rice, cook rice in the wild, use a traditional Chinese scale to weigh people, and organize temple fairs and markets, etc. to pray for a healthy and peaceful summer and a bumper harvest in the upcoming autumn. It has been passed down from generation to generation and nowadays people still actively participate in this event.
The most important way to display Banshan’s Custom of Celebrating the Beginning of Summer is the Festival of the Beginning of Summer in Banshan, which was resumed in 2012 in Banshan Subdistrict. In recent years, the scale of the festival has enlarged year by year. And the 10th Festival of the Beginning of Summer in 2021 lasted for 3 consecutive days and included a series of cultural activities such as the Flower Umbrella Fair, a sacrificial ceremony, traditional experiences and a running race, etc. in two locations, namely the Canal Square and Banshan Goddess Temple, so as to showcase the folk culture of Gongshu District through various forms at one go. And the Grand Canal Solar Term Culture and Tourism Integration Forum held at the same time also assembled China’s top-notch experts and scholars and received great attention from all walks of life and widespread media coverage.