A vibrant Spring Festival-themed event kicked off on the morning of Jan 16 in Shuguang village, Longtan town, Lizhou district, drawing hundreds of locals and tourists eager to savor authentic rural traditions in the hometown of China's only empress, Wu Zetian, who ruled the Wu Zhou Dynasty (690-705).

Chefs prepare steaming bowls of paotang soup. [Photo provided to cngy.gov.cn]

The highlight of the day centered on a time-honored year-end pig slaughter ritual, a spectacle rarely seen in urban areas. Crowds flocked to capture the rustic scene on their phones, with many families bringing their kids to experience the vintage New Year vibes. Long lines formed for limited meal tickets, with only 2,000 distributed for the feast prepared with 12 locally raised pigs.

Steaming paotang and farm-style dishes soon hit tables, sparking a warm, festive atmosphere as guests gathered to eat together. Attendees raved about the experience: one visitor from downtown noted that the event offered far more than good food, delivering genuine Spring Festival warmth and human connection that restaurants could not match. Another guest praised the authentic flavors, which she said were reminiscent of rural banquet meals from her childhood.

Event organizer Fei Qiang revealed that the gathering attracted nearly 10,000 participants, with around 3,000 participating in the actual feast. It also welcomed tourists traveling from as far as Henan and Shaanxi provinces.