The carriage of traditional culture
Rao Quan, vice-minister of culture and tourism, says that, by demonstrating the unique culture of the countryside, these galas will become a golden brand, boosting rural tourism and the countryside economy.
Wang Xiaozhen, vice-president of the China Media Group, says that countryside galas offer a vibrant array of performances brimming with the vitality of rural life, which recount the splendor of farmers and rural culture in the new era.
The country's first countryside Spring Festival gala was held in Lishui in Zhejiang province in 1981, when villagers in Yueshan village in Qingyuan county, built a stage to perform local operas and lantern dances. It preceded than the annual Spring Festival Gala organized by China Central Television by two years.
The 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) for cultural and tourism development highlights countryside galas as an innovative way of carrying on traditional culture, especially during holidays like the Spring Festival.
