Guangzhou's Tanwei Village resumes Chinese Longtaitou Festival after over 40 years

The second day of the second month on the traditional Chinese calendar marks the Chinese Longtaitou Festival, a Chinese folk tradition featuring dragon dance to pray for rain, the consumption of auspicious 'dragon-themed' food, and symbolic haircuts.

On March 1st (the second day of the second month in the traditional Chinese calendar), tanwei Village in Guangzhou's Liwan District resumed the traditional Chinese Longtaitou Festival after more than 40 years. The day was marked by thunderous drumbeats, coinciding with the official establishment of the Tanwei Dragon Boat Federation and Lion Dance Team. Villagers showcased newly crafted lion costumes and dragon boat figureheads at the event.

"Currently, The Tanwei Dragon Boat Federation and Lion Dance Team has recruited 30 to 40 local youth passionate about dragon boat racing and lion dance traditions from our village," said Yuan Zhijian, captain of both the Lion Dance Team and Dragon Boat Team. "There are more than 10 children among the team, primarily the offspring of our team members."

To preserve the lion dance tradition, The team will conduct regular training sessions."We plan to invite experienced lion dance instructors from within and outside the village every Saturday to teach the children drumming and lion dance steps," Yuan added.

At the event, newly crafted dragon boat figureheads also caught people's eyes.

There was a cedar dragon boat in Tanwei Village in the 1970s, and a borneo ironwood dragon boat in the 1980s and 1990s. However, due to various reasons, dragon boat activities ceased in the village. In 2022, a group of villagerswho are enthusiastic about dragon boat culture set up the Tanwei Dragon Boat Federation to actively carry out dragon boat activities.

Currently, The federation owns two fiberglass dragon boats suitable for 10 and 22 crew races in the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). In 2023, They borrowed a dragon boat from a neighboring village in Nanhai District, Foshan City, To participate in the International Dragon Boat Invitational in Guangzhou and secured second place in the Ornamental Dragon Boat Pageant. They also competed in the small dragon boat race in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, achieving fourth place in the open group.

"Our newly crafted dragon head and borneo ironwood dragon boat will be launched during this year's Dragon Boat Festival," announced Yuan. "The dragon head was crafted by Zhang Weichao, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor from Xiasha Village in Huangpu District, known for his expertise in making dragon boat heads and tails. The golden-hued dragon head features deer-like antlers, with black whiskers symbolizing the dragon boat's prime years."

That evening, villagers organized a celebratory banquet with 38 tables, with neighboring villages and communities such as Pantang and Dongjiao in Guangzhou, Shapu in Huangpu, and Nanhai and Yanbu in Foshan, and other social attendees coming to celebrate.

Yuan led the younger generation carrying the dragon head around the banquet, hoping for a smooth and prosperous year ahead.

Notably, the banquet featured dishes unique to Tanwei Village. For instance, a vermicelli dish with dried shrimp symbolizes longevity and vitality, and steamed goose with homemade pickled radish and papaya by Tanwei villagers.

"Seeing traditional folk activities in nearby villages in full swing, such as 'the Double Third Festival' in Pantang Village, we deeply miss the village folklore of our childhood," Yuan said. "We've always strived to pass on our village's traditional culture, So we resumed the Longtaitou Festival after more than 40 years."

Source: Lingnan On the Cloud

广州荔湾坦尾村时隔40多年复办“二月二”活动

二月二，龙抬头。中国民间有舞龙祈雨、吃龙食、剃龙头的传统。

3月1日（农历二月初二），广州市荔湾区坦尾村时隔40多年复办“二月二”庆聚活动，现场锣鼓喧天，当天也是坦尾龙联龙狮队正式成立的日子。恰逢庆聚，村民将新制作的醒狮、龙船头在现场摆放展示。

“目前，坦尾龙联龙狮队已招募了三四十名成员，他们都是村中热爱龙舟、醒狮的青年。”坦尾龙联龙狮队队长、坦尾龙联龙舟队队长原志坚说，狮队成员中有10多位小朋友，他们基本是狮队成员的子女。

为传承醒狮文化，坦尾龙联龙狮队将定期组织醒狮培训。原志坚表示：“以后打算周六请村内外的醒狮师傅教小朋友敲锣打鼓、舞狮步。”

在活动现场，吸引人眼球的还有新制作的龙船头。

坦尾村在20世纪70年代有一艘杉木龙船，20世纪80至90年代有一艘坤甸木龙船，后来因各种原因，村里的龙船活动停办。2022年，坦尾村一群热爱龙舟文化的村民成立坦尾龙联，积极开展龙舟活动。

目前，坦尾龙联拥有2条玻璃钢龙船，分别可以参加10人、22人的“国际龙”比赛。2023年，坦尾龙联向佛山南海的友好村借龙船，参加广州市国际龙舟邀请赛彩龙游龙并取得第二名；同年还参加了香港荃湾西海安小龙比赛，获得公开组的殿军。

“我们新定制的‘龙头’和坤甸木龙船将在今年端午节下水。”原志坚介绍，“龙头”由黄埔下沙村的“龙舟龙头、龙尾制作”技艺非遗传承人张伟潮制作。“龙头”整体金色，金黄闪闪，有鹿角，下巴的黑须代表坦尾的龙船正值青壮年。

当天晚上，村民组织了庆聚，摆38围，广州荔湾泮塘、东漖，黄埔沙浦，佛山南海、盐步等友好村社，还有社会人士前来庆贺。

原志坚带领“后生”们抬“龙头”，围着宴席巡一圈，期望新的一年大家事事顺利。

值得关注的是，庆聚菜式具有坦尾特色，比如坦尾“大姨妈嫁女”是粉丝烩虾米，寓意长长久久、生生猛猛；坦尾“好儿孙”是用坦尾村民自制的萝卜酸、木瓜酸蒸鹅。

原志坚表示：“之前看到附近乡村的传统民俗活动办得如火如荼，例如泮塘‘三月三’。我们十分怀念儿时乡村民俗。一直以来，我们想努力传承自己的乡村传统文化，因此恢复停办了四十多年的‘二月二、龙抬头’活动。”

文、图｜记者 马思泳

翻译｜盛嘉

审校｜林佳岱