A bird's-eye view of the folk parade. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

Nantong in Jiangsu province hosted a folk parade at downtown area on Feb 2, the fifth day of the Year of the Snake, to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

At 2 pm, as the energetic drumbeats resonated, dragon and lion dance formations appeared in succession. Figures representing fortune, prosperity, longevity, happiness, and wealth led the procession, praying for peace and bestowing blessings upon the citizens.

Subsequently, each county and district organized its own performance segment, showcasing distinctive folk arts through songs, dances, and music.

A performance during the folk parade. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

The Haimen formation featured Haimen folk songs and tools like a single-wheel cart, allowing citizens to experience the agricultural culture of the Jianghai region.

The Tongzhou formation consisted of a blue calico fashion show and a "Liu Jingting" flower float which reproduces the scene of the historical figure Liu Jingting telling stories.

The Qidong formation presented the folk song Jianghai Gourmet Ballad and a performance where individuals showcase themselves in costumes shaped like shrimp and crabs.

The Rugao formation highlighted local intangible cultural heritage such as rod puppet show, while the Hai'an formation showcased performances of Hai'an flower drums and waist drums. The Chongchuan formation integrated elements of the Journey to the West and Peking Opera.

During the parade, two specially invited formations - the Chaoshan Yingge dance (a folk dance with a 300-year history from the Chaoshan region of Guangdong province) and the Anshun dixi (a folk opera that has a history of about 600 years) - injected fresh blood into this folk cultural carnival.