On the day of Qixi, the traditional Chinese equivalent of Valentine's Day, a national cultural event themed "Our Festival: Qixi" took place simultaneously in six locations, including Guangzhou City in Guangdong Province, Yiyuan County in Shandong Province, and Lushi County in Henan Province.

Utilizing realistic virtual digital human technology, the event creatively combines Eastern acrobatics with Western ballet to reenact the touching moment of the meeting on the Magpie Bridge during Qixi. Additionally, inheritors of intangible cultural heritage will showcase paper-cutting crafts related to the Qiqiao tradition. On Qixi Festival, Tianhe Zhucun Village, renowned as the "First Village of Qiqiao in China", comes alive with a variety of activities, including traditional rituals, artistic performances, and immersive garden fairs. These events beautifully reflect the charm of Guangzhou's traditional culture and the openness and vibrancy of this modern international metropolis.

As the event begins, young girls dressed in traditional attire follow Qiao Jie to welcome the Qixi goddess. Female elders perform the "hair-pinning ceremony" for young women who have just come of age, vividly bringing traditional customs to life, while the audience eagerly takes photos to capture the moments. The captivating "Zhucun Qixi Chant", performed by the virtual digital character Ban Zhao alongside live actors, showcases the charm of the integration of digital technology and traditional culture to the citizens and visitors.

It is reported that Zhucun Village has a history of over 800 years and is renowned for preserving the Qixi Qiqiao cultural customs. From the folk traditions to intangible cultural heritage celebrations, from spontaneous inheritance to active promotion, and  from cultural protection to innovative development, Zhucun Village is committed to the preservation and development of China's excellent traditional Qiqiao culture. As a result, it has become a prominent cultural hallmark.

Pan Jianming, a municipal inheritor of the "Tianhe Qiqiao customs", stated that the Qixi Festival showcases people's pursuit of a happy marriage, longing for family reunions, and the quest for innovation in production techniques. In recent years, the Guangzhou Qiqiao Cultural Museum and Qiqiao-themed park have been established, gradually becoming new landmarks for citizens and visitors to learn about Qiqiao culture and experience folk customs. "In Zhucun Village, the Qiqiao culture will not fade away after the festival; people can still come here to see, feel, and enjoy the Qiqiao culture."

Chen Lan, the director of the Guangzhou Tianhe Cultural Center, introduced that this year's Qixi-themed cultural activities are the largest in scale ever. In addition to events on the night of Qixi, Guangzhou held a Qixi Festival Intangible Cultural Heritage Activity Week from August 4th (the first day of the seventh lunar month) to August 10th (the seventh day of the seventh lunar month). During this week, various rituals such as welcoming the Qixi goddess, worshiping her, and appreciating her took place, alongside public performances, gatherings of intangible cultural heritage, sports events, light shows, and a Qixi Carnival. These activities aim to bring traditional folk culture to the forefront, allowing it to be seen, understood, loved, and spread.

全景式展现乞巧习俗，全国“我们的节日·七夕”主题文化活动举行

在七夕这一中华民族重要传统节日当天，全国“我们的节日·七夕”主题文化活动在广东广州市及山东省沂源县、河南省卢氏县等6地同步举行。

借用逼真的虚拟数字人技术，让东方杂技与西方芭蕾创新结合，再现七夕鹊桥相会的感人瞬间；非遗传承人现场展示与乞巧相关的剪纸手工艺……七夕当天，被誉为“中国乞巧第一村”的天河珠村格外热闹，这里推出传统仪式、文艺演出、沉浸式园游会等丰富活动，体现广州传统文化之美、现代化国际大都市的开放和活力。

活动开始，少女们身着传统服饰跟随巧姐“迎七娘”，女性长辈为刚成年女子行“笄礼”，传统礼仪鲜活再现，观众纷纷拍照记录。饱满而铿锵的“珠村七夕吟”由虚拟数字人“班昭”与现场演员共同演绎，向市民游客展示出数字技术与传统文化融合的魅力。

据悉，珠村拥有800多年的历史，以守护七夕乞巧文化习俗而声名远扬，从古村民俗到非遗盛典，从自发传承到积极弘扬，从文化保护到创新发展，珠村积极传承和发展中国乞巧优秀传统文化，成为一张亮眼的文化名片。

“天河乞巧习俗”市级传承人潘剑明表示，七夕节彰显人们对婚姻美满的追求，对家庭团聚的追求，对生产技术革新的追求。近年来，广州乞巧文化博物馆、乞巧主题公园相继落成，逐渐成为市民游客了解乞巧文化、体验民俗风情的新地标。“在珠村，乞巧文化不会因为节日的过去而消失，人们依然可以来这里，让乞巧文化变得可看、可感、可触。”

天河区文化馆馆长陈岚介绍，今年的七夕主题文化活动为历年来规模最大。除七夕当晚，广州还在8月4日（农历七月初一）至8月10日（农历七月初七）举办了乞巧·七夕节非遗活动周，举办摆七娘、拜七娘、睇七娘等仪式，开展了惠民演出、非遗雅集、体育赛事、灯光秀、七夕嘉年华等主题活动，让传统民俗文化被看到、被了解、被喜爱、被传播。

文丨记者 符畅 实习生 蒋可怡
图丨记者 钟振彬
翻译丨林佳岱
英文审校丨赵凡