2015 Yongjing Winter Solstice Cultural Festival ~ Super Heartwarming: A Century-Old Town Comes Together to Make Tangyuan

▲ Through the “A Thousand People Make Tangyuan, Yongjing Writes History” event, local culture and cuisine are promoted.

Photos & Text / Provided by Chengmei Cultural Park

What to do on Winter Solstice!?
Of course, make tangyuan (dumplings)! Freshly made tangyuan, cooked and eaten on the spot, plus lively performances to enjoy. That’s the real festive vibe.

On December 19th (Saturday), Yongjing Township in Changhua County will host the bustling“Winter Solstice Cultural Festival”. The event offers free parent-child tangyuan-making activities, where you can also experience traditional techniques like using a stone mill and kneading dough. The organizer, “Zengguang Cultural Foundation,” not only teaches everyone how to make tangyuan for Winter Solstice but also provides free tangyuan for all to enjoy. Come join the fun.

▲ On December 19th (Saturday), Yongjing Township in Changhua County will hold a one-day “Winter Solstice Cultural Festival.”

Zhang Boguang, chairman of Zengguang Cultural Foundation, said that Yongjing Township has maintained traditional customs since its establishment as a street during the Qing Dynasty hundreds of years ago. In winter, they would hold “Harvest Thanksgiving Opera” to worship the gods and thank heaven for a bountiful harvest. This year’s Winter Solstice Tangyuan Cultural Festival aims to convey this spirit of “respecting heaven,” “thanking heaven,” and being content and grateful through the event. Although with the progress of time, Harvest Thanksgiving Opera has become less common, other forms of performances can achieve the same effect. This event will bring some liveliness to the usually quiet rural township at the end of the year.

In addition to tangyuan-related experiences, a stage will be set up with performances by various local groups. There will be sultry belly dancing, dynamic martial arts troupes, and even performances by the 21st Golden Melody Awards winner“Dagou Luange Troupe”kicking off the day with energetic acts, bringing a full day of excitement to the event.

Qiu Yanjun, chairman of the Yong’an Community Development Association participating in the event, said joyfully that he has lived in Yongjing his whole life and has never seen such a large-scale event. He hopes that traditional cultural festivals will let the younger generation in Taiwan learn about them. Lü Zhengzhang, CEO of co-organizer Chengmei Cultural Park, said,Through“A Thousand People Make Tangyuan, Yongjing Writes History”, the event helps promote the locality, shines a light on Yongjing, and fulfills our mission to pass on culture.By attracting tourists, this simple rural town of Yongjing can become known to more people, thereby realizing the park’s mission of “Marketing Yongjing, Bringing Happiness to Taiwan.”