The rural Spring Festival gala is a cultural symbol of Lishui. [Photo/WeChat account: ls-mnews]

Lishui city in East China's Zhejiang province – as the birthplace of China's rural Spring Festival gala – recently released a municipal standard to codify the development of the gala that takes effect on Aug 21 – reportedly making it the first of its kind in the country.

The standard was co-formulated by the municipal culture, radio, television, tourism and sport bureau, the Lishui Vocational and Technical College, as well as the China Rural Spring Festival Gala Research Institute.

According to officials, the standard was compiled on the basis of practical experience gained from previous rural Spring Festival galas in Lishui – defining construction standards, various methods, as well as development paths for the event.

In 2019, more than 37,000 villages across the country participated in the rural Spring Festival gala. The gala in Lishui was named as the "Demonstration Project of the National Public Cultural Service System" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of Finance.

Nowadays, the nine administrative regions of Lishui have developed their own distinctive galas. For instance, the gala in Jingning She autonomous county highlights traditional culture of the She ethnic group, while the gala in Yunhe county focuses on local handicrafts and other forms of intangible cultural heritage.

"The rural Spring Festival gala standard will be in line with the national rural revitalization strategy to further boost rural cultural revitalization," said Lin Yuebao, an official with the municipal culture, radio, television, tourism and sports bureau.