On April 22nd, the 13th annual "Lizhiwan · New Xiguan" folk cultural event, also known as the Shangsi Festival, was held at Liwan Lake Park in Guangzhou.

Purification rituals, flower gifting, and blessings

Since the Spring and Autumn period of ancient China, the Shangsi Festival has been celebrated. After staying indoors for the winter, people gather outdoors to play and eat festival food. Such traditions has been continued today.

Fuxi (a purification ceremony held by the water to wash away impurities and bad luck), flower giving, and egg giving... At Liwan Lake Park, young girls wearing traditional Chinese clothing offer fresh flowers and herbs to passers-by, recreating the ancient purification rituals performed by the water. In order to fully present the folk customs, the girls also give out 333 dishes of "egg and shepherd's purse", a traditional Liwan snack, to visitors, evoking their memories of childhood and the warmth of family.

The event drew in many visitors, with several outdoor tea ceremonies and performances on display, including a tea culture salon themed around "Guangfu Tea Culture and Intangible Heritage Tea-Making Techniques". Experts were invited to discuss the role and impact of tea culture on folk festivals.

Shangsi Festival: A feast for the senses

Aside from being a cultural experience, the Shangsi Festival is also a food festival. Various dishes with distinct Liwan flavors were served, such as poon choi, Guangzhou-style candied fruits, jizai cakes, boat porridge, flower tea, and litchi wine.

Liwan's water chestnut, fried spring rolls, and ai ci (a type of sweet rice cake) were popular snacks among the crowds. The stuffing of the ai ci was specially processed to combine sugar with sesame, black sesame, and peanuts, making it not too sweet or greasy. The skin of the ai ci was made with rice milk and seasonal ai leaves, offering a delicious and fragrant flavor.

In the evening, the elders and pastry chefs of Pun Tong jointly uncovered the steamer, marking the start of the "Long Table Banquet". The banquet was set up in the shape of the Chinese character "hui", symbolizing the return of spring and all things good. The main dish of the banquet was a large pot of Liwan-style stew (poon choi), incorporating local ingredients such as lotus root, water chestnut, horned water chestnut, reed shoot, and shiitake mushrooms.

图集｜三月三·上巳节，到广州荔湾品味春日千年民俗

4月22日，农历三月初三，第十三届“荔枝湾·新西关”民俗文化活动——上巳节在广州荔湾湖公园举办。

祓禊赠花送祝福

从春秋时期，中华民族的先辈已经开始过上巳节。人们经历冬天后，在春天归来之时到户外结伴游玩，吃应节食物，延续至今。

祓禊、赠花、赠送鸡蛋……农历三月三的荔湾湖公园满目青翠，身穿中国传统服饰的少女结伴在荔湾湖公园游园踏青，向路上行人赠送鲜花香草，在湖边呈现古时祓禊场景。为了100%呈现民俗风情，少女们向市民游客派发带有美好寓意的333颗“荠菜鸡蛋”，重温西关人家总是念念不忘儿时父母荠菜煮鸡蛋的温馨画面。

活动当天游人如织，多个户外茶席进行表演，茶亭下的茶艺表演更是吸引观众驻足拍照。

现场有以“广府茶文化及茶叶非遗制作技艺”为主题的茶文化沙龙，专家们在现场畅谈茶文化在民俗节气中的作用及影响等。

应节美食助兴春归

上巳节还是一个美食节，多道富有西关特色的佳肴，如大盆菜、广式蜜饯拼盘、鸡仔饼、艇仔粥、花茶与荔枝酒等在现场亮相。

西关水菱角、炸春卷、艾糍等小吃吸引市民排长队领取品尝。其中，艾糍的馅料经过特别处理，将砂糖融入白芝麻、黑芝麻、花生，吃的时候馅料不会散，也不会腻；而艾糍的皮则用了春季时令的艾叶加米浆（ricemilk）面粉制成，口感回甘、香糯。

晚上，泮塘五约的长老、面点师傅等人共同揭开蒸笼，为“长桌宴”举行开宴仪式。“长桌宴”以中国字“回”字型搭建，寓意春回大地、一切美好回归。其中，长桌宴的大盆烩菜用料独具荔湾特色，结合荔湾泮塘的食材特色，加入了莲藕、马蹄、菱角、茭笋、茨菇等用作辅料。(更多新闻资讯，请关注羊城派 pai.ycwb.com)

文｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 马思泳
通讯员 荔宣
图｜羊城晚报全媒体记者 陈秋明
翻译｜刘佳慧
责编｜王瑜瑛