Guangzhou's Liwan District is set to host its traditional Spring Festival flower market, known as "Liwan Flower Market," from February 6th (the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month) to February 9th (New Year's Eve) along Liwan Road (from the intersection of Zhongshan Eighth Road to that of Xihua Road).

Under the theme of "Prosperous Liwan, Blooming GBA," Liwan District aims to infuse the Spring Festival celebration with Lingnan cultural flair, with a focus on new memorial archways, an innovative matrix, and fresh intellectual property (IP).

Double memorial archways to revive ancient Xiguan culture

In 2024, the Liwan Flower Market introduces a groundbreaking design of two memorial archways in the north and south for the first time. The southern memorial archway draws inspiration from the iconic Chen Clan Ancestral Hall's memorial archway, blending traditional and modern Lingnan architectural styles.

The northern memorial archway features a futuristic entrance with a digital dragon theme. A central transparent screen displays captivating visual animations, incorporating creative dragon elements to symbolize the Year of the Dragon. A steel and light-effect dragon roams near the entrance, presenting a vision of the future for the northern section. The entrance's spiral light strip creates a time-traveling effect, smoothly transitioning between scenes and enhancing the thematic ambiance.

Liwan Flower Market promises a dazzling light show at the northern memorial archway, utilizing transparent LED screens, control systems, and programming technology from the Hangzhou Asian Games' opening ceremony. The fusion of enchanting music, traditional flower market lights, and the Yongqing Fang light show creates a spectacular audio-visual feast for local residents and tourists alike.

Innovative matrix to craft a dynamic Liwan Flower Market

Liwan's Spring Festival celebrations extend beyond the Flower Market, creating a dynamic "1+N" matrix of activities. The festivities include activities held at five different locations, namely, the Waterborne Flower Market, Cultural Park Spring Flower Festival, Flower Expo Garden's Flower Market during Spring Festival, Lingnan Flower Market, and the Shengdi New World Spring Flower Market. Across 13 streets, a total of 38 convenient flower and tangerine selling points have been set up, along with an online flower market.

At the Waterborne Flower Market, an enchanting spectacle awaits as "Xiguan Misses" dressed in festive attire embark on twelve specially crafted flower boats. These boats, intricately designed to blend Lingnan flowers, Cantonese culture, and the theme of the Year of the Dragon, will gracefully cruise on Liwan Lake. Meanwhile, the 2024 Cultural Park Spring Flower Festival will captivate visitors with a display of 40 sets of flower lanterns combined with scenic landscapes. This includes exquisite seasonal flowers, and tangerines, along with art exhibitions, cultural performances, Spring Festival couplets, and traditional lantern riddles. The event promises to be a cultural feast, offering a vibrant celebration of the Chinese New Year for residents and tourists alike.

New IP named "Huishi Cat" takes center stage

Making its vibrant debut at the Liwan Flower Market is "Huishi Cat," the nation's first regional public brand mascot representing Xiguan cuisine. Rooted in the cultural heritage of lion dance and incorporating the Cantonese slang "Wei Sik Maau" (food-loving cat) as its symbolic essence, "Huishi Cat" brings the "Taste of Xiguan" brand to life. At the Liwan Flower Market, six iconic IP characters including"Awakening Lion Cat,""Top Scholar Cat,""Fortune Cat,""Folk Music Cat,""Blessing Cat," and "Cantonese Opera Cat", will grace the event. Together, they will be incorporated into creative cultural products such as windmills, red envelopes, and keychains.

Source: Yangcheng Evening News

双牌楼、慧食猫、水上花市……广州荔湾传统迎春花市即将上新！

2024年广州市荔湾区传统迎春花市（以下简称“荔湾花市”） 将于2月6日（腊月廿七）至2月9日（除夕）在荔湾路（南至中山八路口，北至西华路口）举办。

记者获悉，荔湾区将以“年富‘荔’强、花开‘湾’区”为主题，以新牌楼、新矩阵、新“IP”打造具有岭南文化特色的迎春花市。

新牌楼：双牌楼再现西关千年文化

2024年荔湾花市首次采用“南北”双牌楼设计。南牌楼整体造型以广府建筑代表——陈家祠牌楼为原型，提取建筑结构线，打造传统与现代结合的新岭南风格牌楼。

北牌楼以数字游龙为主题设计的未来感门头，门头中心设有透明网屏，播放主视觉动画。在科幻的造型上结合了龙角的创意体现龙年元素，钢铁结合灯光特效的巨龙在门头附近游走，表现北区的未来概念。入口的螺旋灯带体现时光穿梭的效果，也与内部场景形成了过渡，使场景更具主题感。

本次荔湾花市将在北牌楼为市民游客带来一场绚丽多彩的灯光秀，灯光秀引入杭州亚运会开幕式现场使用的透明LED屏、控制和编程系统。通过先进的音视频融合系统将美妙的音乐与传统花市灯光、永庆坊光影秀联动融合，打造精彩纷呈的视听觉盛宴。

新矩阵：打造“1+N”活“荔”花市

荔湾迎春系列活动还有水上花市、文化公园迎春花会、花卉博览园春节年宵花市、岭南花卉市场迎春花市活动、圣地新天地迎春花市五个分会场。13条街道共开设38个年花年桔便民摆卖点，以及线上云花市。

在水上花市，将有身穿节日盛装的“西关小姐”乘着十二艘结合岭南花卉、广府文化和龙年主题的特色花船在荔湾湖上巡游；广州文化公园2024年迎春花会将展出40组花灯结合的园林景组（灯组）以及各类精品时花、桔果，同时配以书画展览、文艺演出、挥春送福、讲古灯谜等文化活动，为广大市民游客奉上新春文化盛宴。

新IP：“慧食猫”登台

全国首个区域公众品牌西关美食吉祥物“慧食猫”也将在荔湾花市闪亮登场。“慧食猫”以“南狮”地域文化为特征，结合粤语俚语“为食猫”为寓意，将“品味西关”品牌具象化。在荔湾花市上，“醒狮猫”“状元猫”“招财猫”“民乐猫”“祈福猫”“粤剧猫”6大IP形象将携手手持风车、利是封、钥匙扣等周边文创产品登场。

文丨记者 马思泳 通讯员 荔宣
图丨通讯员提供
翻译丨刘佳慧