The opening ceremony of the 5th Neighborhood Festival in Beijing E-Town was held in the Lincoln Park Community on Ronghua Street on May 20. 

Residents present brush calligraphies and traditional Chinese paintings. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

With the theme of "Being Together with Neighbors, Being Kind to Neighbors, and Building a Beautiful and Happy Home Together," this year's festival will run until May 28. It will feature over 60 themed activities including neighborhood gatherings, cultural events, mutual assistance, and community services.

As the main venue for this year's festival, the C area plaza of Lincoln Park came alive early in the morning. Stalls were set up in designated areas one by one, performers from Beijing E-Town artistic troupe were ready, and community residents gathered, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

Lion dance performance at the opening ceremony [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

At 9:30 am, the lion dance performance kicked off. Lions maneuvered by dancers nodded, blinked, and leaped with agility, eliciting wild applause and cheers. 

In the enthusiastic and joyful atmosphere, leaders from the district and street poured colored sand into the launch platform, inaugurating the 5th Neighborhood Festival of Beijing E-Town.

Subsequently, residents of Lincoln Park presented their clapper talk, residents of Boxing street performed a roliball performance called "We Are All Dream Chasers," foreign friends from the community performed a duet of famous tunes named "Canon," residents of Yinghai town showcased a dance performance titled "Mother River," and primary school students delivered a recitation titled "Fifty-Six Ethnic Groups.”

Two foreign friends perform a duet of famous tunes named "Canon" at the opening ceremony. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

These diverse performances attracted community residents to step out of their homes and participate in the festival.

After the opening ceremony, a series of community activities took place, allowing residents to experience the convenience brought about by technology in their neighborhoods, discover the charm of traditional Chinese culture, taste various Chinese and foreign delicacies, and enjoy a green and healthy lifestyle right at their doorsteps. 

Residents feel the charm of intangible cultural heritage at the festival. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

The site was divided into several areas, including a food zone, an intangible cultural heritage production experience area, a display area for characteristic services in Beijing E-Town, and a fun game experience area. 

It covered convenient services and featured projects such as psychological counseling, kite painting, printmaking, tie-dyeing handicrafts, as well as Chinese and foreign food tasting. Furthermore, themed promotional activities on fraud prevention, safety awareness, and garbage sorting knowledge were also arranged.

A resident receives psychological counseling at the festival. [Photo/beijingetown.com.cn]

On the same day, multiple sub-venues of the festival, such as Ronghua street, Boxing street, Yizhuang town, and Yinghai town, also simultaneously launched their Neighborhood Festival activities. 

Throughout the festival, Beijing E-Town will organize communities to engage in a series of activities such as park festivals, bazaars, charity sales, sports events, and folk experiences.