A traditional wedding show is presented by an American man and a local Chinese woman during an evening gala in Qingtian, Zhejiang province on March 1. [Photo/zgqt.zj.cn]

Qingtian county in Zhejiang province arranged an evening gala featuring international and traditional characteristics on March 1, to celebrate the Lantern Festival which falls on March 2.

Part of the "Overseas Chinese Hometown and Chinese New Year" event in Qingtian, the party was designed to demonstrate the distinctive culture of not just the county but also Zhejiang province, giving the expats a taste of the first important festival after the Spring Festival.

The party started with a fish-lantern dance, a traditional performance where performers dance with fish-shaped lanterns in hands with the accompaniment of folk music. Overseas Chinese have already recommended this artistic performance to the whole world, allowing people to enjoy the folk dance in Spain, Italy and other foreign countries.

One of the highlights of the party was a Chinese wedding performance given by a man from the US whose Chinese name is Meng Shengxu and a local Chinese girl. Meng, who lived in Qingtian for half a year, said performing Chinese bridegroom was very interesting and it gave him a great opportunity to learn more about Chinese culture.

Most of the performances on the night were given by local people. Residents from Shankou village, with their vivid presentation, revealed how they spent the Spring Festival at the countryside.

Moreover, the officials also announced that the "Overseas Chinese Hometown and Chinese New Year" event was to permanently settle in Qingtian.

Qingtian is renowned for its large international population. Emigration overseas has a long history in Qingtian. Isolation - it is surrounded by mountains - and a lack of resources and government funding have forced the people of Qingtian to travel afar for survival since the late 1800s. Currently, there are about 330,000 Qingtian people living or working abroad, in more than 120 countries and regions.

Though far from their hometown, they still hold strong emotion for traditional Chinese festivals and arranged 681 celebrating activities around the world during the Spring Festival.

Villagers perform the dragon dance at the evening gala in Qingtian, Zhejiang province on March 1 to welcome the Lantern Festival. [Photo/zgqt.zj.cn]