Performers after the Spring Festival gala in Deqing county, Zhejiang province on Feb 8 [Photo by Zhu Yanchao/zjol.com.cn]

East China's Zhejiang province staged a grand gala to welcome the approaching Spring Festival at a cultural hall in Deqing county, Huzhou on Feb 8.

Jointly hosted by the provincial publicity department, Zhejiang Provincial Department of Culture, and Zhejiang Radio & TV Group, the gala epitomized Zhejiang's rural culture which has rapidly developed through the emerging cultural halls built around the province in recent years.

Under the theme of "Good Life in New Era", 18 performances including both traditional shows and modern presentations by over 500 villagers from around the province were staged.

"This year's gala was the biggest ever. Villagers were all positive about the event and happy to perform in various ways," explained Zhang Xiaofeng, the party director.

Lan Jingxin and his team are from Jingning She autonomous county of Lishui city. They had prepared for more than two months for the gala. "It is very meaningful to showcase the culture of our She ethnic group. The cultural hall is also a good platform to spread traditional culture and local folklore," said Lan.

Among all the participants, four foreigners were rather notable. They put on a rap show called Chinese Language which received cheers and applause from the audience.

During the gala, a New Year fair was organized on the sidelines where people enjoyed the festive atmosphere outside the hall. Demonstrations of folk handicrafts occurred and photographs reflecting cultural development were displayed. Calligraphers at the event wrote Spring Festival couplets for visitors.

Cultural halls are a type of public welfare cultural facility in Zhejiang, providing platforms for villagers to practice cultural performances and promote rural civilization. As of January, there were 8,000 cultural halls in Zhejiang's rural areas. This year, more than 5,000 grassroots galas will be staged at the halls during Spring Festival.

Female villagers from Wuyi county give a performance reflecting tea culture at the grassroots gala in Deqing county on Feb 8. [Photo by Zhu Yanchao/zjol.com.cn]