Ten additional representative cultural cards of Doumen District were announced on Jan 3 following online balloting and expert evaluation.

They are: Lvyi Ancestral Hall, Wangshan Village, Doumen Old Street, On-Water Wedding, Jintai Temple, Yu Wen Quan Imperial Hot Springs Resort, Shili Lianjiang Scenic Spot, Zhuzhou Chinese Water Pine Forest, Baijiao Sea Bass, and Doumen District Folk Art Parade.

Four of them are cultural relics, three tourist attractions, one a National Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Product, and two cultural events. The charm of folk arts was manifested with On-Water Wedding and Doumen District Folk Art Parade making it onto the list together. 

On-Water Wedding

At a recent work meeting, it was decided that this year’s Folk Art Parade would take place on March 3. It will become a Doumen-characterized boutique art parade embodying traditional culture and tapping into its potential.

Beyond that, an array of cultural activities including On-Water Wedding, Catching Mudfish, and Shatian Folk Song will be held while promoting traditional culture. Alongside will be construction of both the Doumen On-Water Wedding Inheritance Base in Nan’ao Village and Zhaozhen Museum in Jing’an Town.

In line with the district deployment, the Doumen Countryside Tourism Festival will host 39 events in five series this year to develop rural tourism in scenic spots such as Shili Lianjiang and all-for-one tourism in the whole.

On Aug 22, Doumen Town became the only one in Zhuhai listed on the second batch of China Characteristic Small Towns, according to a list release by the Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development.

1. Lvyi Ancestral Hall

Lvyi Ancestral Hall, also known as Zhao Ancestral Hall, is located in Nanmen Village of Doumen. Covering 427 sq m, it was built in 1454 under the reign of Emperor Ching-t'ai (Jingtai) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).

Lvyi Ancestral Hall

As a representative of ancient architecture during the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1912), it embodies abundant historical and profound cultural connotations. The hall was designated as a cultural heritage protection unit of Zhuhai in 1994 and of Guangdong Province in 2008.

2. Wangshan Village

Wangshan Village was built in the 30th year of the reign of Emperor Chien-lung (Qianlong) in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) and has a history of over 200 years.

Of more than 100 century-old residences in the area, nearly 70 percent retain the yellow mud walls of the Qing Dynasty and cyan bricks featuring Lingnan characteristics. It was listed among the second batch of Ancient Villages of Guangdong Province in 2009, the third one in Zhuhai to obtain such honor.

3. Doumen Old Street

Doumen Old Street was constructed at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and was designed by the Rev John Galloway, a priest and architect from Canada, and his team. 

Doumen Old Street

Synchronizing Chinese and Western architecture styles, it is lined with stores selling silk, household and forest products, grain shops, general banks, and pawnshops. In 2013, it was designated a Historical & Cultural Street in China.

4. On-Water Wedding

On-Water Wedding is the first in Zhuhai to be designated a state-level intangible cultural heritage item. The protocol involves local rituals including worshipping the Dragon King, meeting the bride, striding over a burning basin, and bowing to mutual parents. The melody Xianshui (Saltwater) Song runs through the whole process, which uses boats for transportation.

Held six times in Doumen, the On-Water Wedding ceremony has attracted a great number of newlyweds from across the country.

5. Jintai Temple

With Huangyang Mt, the first peak in the portal of the Pearl River as its background, Jintai Temple is a landmark tourist attraction in Doumen, and a model site for religious activities in Guangdong Province.

Jintai Temple

The temple was originally constructed by Zhao Shicong in the Song Dynasty (960-1279), as Jintai Vihara over 700 years ago. In the Qing Dynasty, Zhao's descendants converted Jintai Temple into a residence for eminent Buddhist monks. Nowadays, with an endless stream of pilgrims and visitors climbing up and down the mountain, the temple is often a venue for charity events.   

6. Yu Wen Quan Imperial Hot Springs Resort

Enjoying popularity nationwide, Yu Wen Quan Imperial Hot Springs Resort is a national 4A-level scenic area, only one step away from China's top five-tiered tourism rating system. 

Yu Wen Quan Imperial Hot Springs Resort

The unique charm of its rich hot springs and handy authentic open-air hot spring services have won acclaim from the National Tourism Administration, which described the resort as a star of Zhuhai tourism.

Various selections of traditional Chinese cuisines from the north and the south areas are also served at the hotel.

7. Shili Lianjiang Scenic Spot

Located at the core of Lianjiang Ecosystem Conservation Area, Shili Lianjiang is growing into a large-scale comprehensive tourism destination integrating ecological agricultural sightseeing, farm experiences, leisure, vacationing, education, health preservation, and residence. 

Shili Lianjiang

The tourist attraction exemplifies modern and efficient agricultural development of Zhuhai and explores Doumen's eco-agriculture tourism potential in the new age.

8. Zhuzhou Chinese Water Pine forests

Known as "living fossil plants" together with metasequoia and ginkgo, water pine enjoys a status equivalent to that of dinosaurs in animal world. In 1999, water pine became a first-class State-protected plant as well as being named on the list of rare species by the World Conservation Monitoring Center.

Doumen Chinese Water Pine forests

The world's largest continuous water pine forest is located near Zhuzhou Village and next to Modaomen Waterway. The human-planted forest covers more than 360 hectares and is home to 40,000 live water pines. 

9. Baijiao Sea Bass

Baijiao Sea Bass is a famous local specialty cultivated in Doumen. It is listed as one of four famous types of Guangdong fish from the Xijiang River, and is notable for tender meat and health benefits. 

Not only is it certified as a PGI, Doumen Baijiao Sea Bass is one of the Top 100 Regional Agricultural Product Public Brands in China as of September 2017.

China's Land of Sea Bass cultivation produced 90,000 tons of sea bass products across 1,600 hectares in 2015, the output composing about 40 percent of the country's total.

10. Doumen District Folk Art Parade

Doumen District Folk Art Parade is one of the top-draw cultural activities in the district and has been held 13 times. The parade, centered on a square formation consisting of Zhuhai intangible cultural heritages, integrates folk art performances from outside the city or province. With an ever-growing scale, it not only brings joy to residents, but also reproduces the charm of folk culture in ancient times, claimed a local official.

Doumen District Folk Art Parade [Photos by Zeng Yao / Zhuhai Daily]