The traditional puppet art of Liandu district in Lishui, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Lishui Photography Festival]

The 2025 Lishui Photography Festival, scheduled from Nov 7 to 11, will highlight the city's intangible cultural heritage through a grand parade. This open-air event invites visitors to experience traditional culture through their camera lenses.

The parade is set to take place on Nov 8 and will feature 11 performance troupes from two local universities and nine counties. They will march along a 2.8-kilometer route in the main urban area, displaying various intangible cultural heritage items and adding a strong local flavor to the festival.

The troupes are designed to balance cultural preservation with innovation. Lishui Vocational and Technical College will present classic dragon and lion dances accompanied by drum music. Lishui University will blend the She ethnic group's traditional sports with modern street and folk dance.

County troupes will highlight their unique heritage. Liandu will showcase its traditional puppet art, while Longquan will recreate its renowned sword and celadon culture on floats.

Qingtian will feature traditional lantern dances combined with its overseas Chinese culture. Yunhe and Qingyuan will respectively present their local charm and the 800-year history of mushroom cultivation.

Other troupes will offer new interpretations of tradition. Jinyun will present a cultural journey from ancient rituals to folk celebrations, while Suichang will recreate a 12-meter float themed on culture commemorating Tang Xianzu, a Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) playwright known as "the Shakespeare of Asia".

Songyang will connect its farming civilization through four performance chapters, while Jingning will center on the She ethnic group's phoenix legend, combining wedding customs, costume shows, and food.

The parade is now in its final preparation stage, with all troupes having completed rehearsals.