Nev from South Africa tries her hand at piling up a "tower" of clams. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]
A unique coming-of-age ceremony that is still observed by Xinqiao villagers in Yueqing, Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang province to mark the 18th birthday of sons recently impressed Delon and Nev from South Africa, local media outlets reported.
"I've never seen dishes that can be piled up so high. It was quite eye-catching and impressive," Nev said.
She was referring to clam, crab, dried shrimp, dried beef, chocolate, sugar orange and cherries that were piled layer by layer to form a "tower" about 33 centimeters tall.
The tradition has been followed by local residents for more than 300 years and was included in the Zhejiang provincial intangible cultural heritage list in recent years. It is a way for the older to wish good luck to the young in shouldering their responsibilities and cultivating an indomitable spirit. The ceremony is held on the third day of the first lunar month, which fell on Jan 24 this year.
A total of 12 young men took part in the coming-of-age ceremony this year.
"I appreciated the opportunity to get a new taste of Chinese New Year celebrations and I really enjoyed the festive atmosphere," Delon said.
A villager takes photos of the food towers. [Photo provided to ezhejiang.gov.cn]
