Fine traditions upheld during national holiday

A molten iron fireworks show, which is also known as datiehua among locals, is popular in Shanxi's cities such as Yuncheng and Jincheng.

This practice involves spraying molten iron into the air, which is said to be able to scare away demons and other evil spirits.

On Jan 31, a datiehua show was held in Yuncheng's Yanhu district, attracting an audience of thousands.

At a public square near the Yanhu Lake, which was surrounded by crowds on three sides at a safe distance, eight big pots with molten iron were placed near bonfires. Hundreds of performers danced beside these bonfires to the rhythm of drums and gongs.

When the rhythm intensified, the datiehua show began. Performers sprayed the scorching iron liquid into the air, producing a shower of magnificent sparks, just like fireworks. Among the audience members, children watched and jumped with excitement, while the adults raised their phones to capture the dazzling scene.

According to a performer, there are more than a dozen ways of spraying molten iron into the air, with tools such as an iron ladle, wire and a board.

There are also plenty of opera shows throughout the province during Spring Festival.

As one of the sources of the country's opera arts, Shanxi is dubbed "a cradle of Chinese operas", with its numbers of ancient opera stages and opera genres both ranking first in the nation.

The main stage for the CCTV Spring Festival opera evening gala on Jan 30 was set up in the old county seat of Taiyuan. Renowned performers of local opera arts, ranging from Jinju Opera, Puju Opera to Shangdang Bangzi and Beilu Bangzi, offered an audiovisual feast to audiences throughout the country.

In addition, Shanxi is home to 182 intangible cultural heritage items at the national level and 942 ICH items at provincial level. Most of these cultural assets were presented to audiences through various shows during this Spring Festival.

During Spring Festival, the charm of Shanxi cultural heritage can also be experienced by foreigners.

On Jan 22, a day known as xiaonian or Little New Year in northern China, Gojayeva Bagul from Turkmenistan and Mutangay Jesteben Beni from the Democratic Republic of the Congo attended a workshop at Shanxi Museum in Taiyuan.

At the workshop that featured a range of ancient craft skills, the two showed a special interest in the making of new year paintings based on wood carvings.