To facilitate the cultural popularity of the Song Dynasty and the West Lake, the Fenghuang Mountain Management Office of the West Lake Scenic Area recently hosted the 2024 Southern Song Farming Culture Festival at the Baguatian Ruins Park.

The festival kicked off with a captivating reenactment of the Southern Song Dynasty’s tillage ceremony. The performance combined historical accuracy with artistic creativity, creating a spectacle that transported the audience back in time. Following the ceremony, visitors were immersed in the unique charm of Southern Song culture through engaging activities like tea and snack tasting and a garden party.

Baguatian also hosted a variety of live performances and cultural activities, including choral performances in the rice fields, songs, dances, and poetry recitals. These offerings provided a comprehensive glimpse into the daily lives and entertainment of the Southern Song Dynasty. Additionally, exhibitions on the Twenty-Four Solar Terms and Song Dynasty-inspired cultural products vividly showcased the era’s lifestyle.

For thousands of years, the Chinese people have held agriculture in high esteem, developing exceptional farming techniques and a deep reservoir of agricultural knowledge. This farming culture festival, centered around rice, brought the past to life through captivating art installations crafted from straw, fruits, vegetables, and traditional farming tools. Visitors were invited to explore intricate straw art, examine historical farm implements, admire diverse crop specimens and seeds, and join local farmers in celebrating the harvest, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of agricultural practices and the farming culture. The festival also featured informative displays on the five-pronged water management initiative, set amidst the rice fields, as well as interactive games that offer a fun and educational experience. To date, over 100 brochures and 200 small gifts, including seeds and scented sachets, have been distributed.

As autumn’s pleasant weather continues, Baguatian invites you to step into a bygone era and lose yourself in the fragrance of rice.