Performers of the Miao ethnic group are dressed in traditional clothes for the Spring Festival gala in Qingtian, Zhejiang province on Jan 12. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

People from China's rural grassroots communities gave various cultural performances in Qingtian county of Lishui, Zhejiang province on Jan 12 to welcome the approaching Chinese New Year.

The curtains on the gala were raised with a dance show featuring the county's distinctive customs. Following the opening dance, villagers from across China presented assorted performances with features of their own cultures and lifestyles.

"The clothes we are displaying are adorned with silver ornaments and Miao embroidery from our hometown. The heaviest silver suit weighs more than 5 kilograms," said Long Qingfeng, a performer of the Miao ethnic group from Fenghuang county, Hunan province.

On the sidelines of the gala, a fair of local snacks and imported food such as wine and coffee from Spain and Italy, gained much popularity among the audience and performers.

Villagers queue up for local snacks presented on the sidelines of the gala in Qingtian county, Zhejiang province on Jan 12. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Zhang Anna and Zhang Xinyi, a pair of overseas Chinese sisters, said they only saw such scenes on TV in the past and this time they were grateful they could experience the joyful celebrations for themselves.

Emigration overseas has a long history in the county. Currently, there are about 330,000 Qingtian people living or working abroad, in more than 120 countries and regions. This time, thanks to live streaming, the gala was also presented to overseas Chinese, which helped spread the Chinese Spring Festival festivities among international communities.

In recent years, rural grassroots galas have become an iconic cultural event in Lishui to celebrate the Spring Festival. In 2018, more than 2,700 villages in the city gave host to 1,115 galas which involved the participation of over 300,000 villager performers. The galas attracted more than 200,000 tourists last year, bringing in an income of 1.41 billion yuan ($208.75 million).