James Baquet

    THERE’S a little-known area in Bao’an, Xixiang by name. Modern buses and cars speed past it on the Guangshen Expressway; but it holds a considerable amount of history.

    History buffs will remember that at one time, Shenzhen was known as Bao’an County. And the Xixiang area (with nearby Xin’an and Nantou) was the heart of it.

    On a recent hike through the back streets of Xixiang, I ran into one old family hall after another. One of these was surrounded by a modern elementary school; another was abandoned and full of foliage. Yet another was situated on a D-shaped pond, like many of the old Hakka villages of Longgang.

    But the centrepiece of that afternoon’s ramble was the ancient temple of Pak Tai, God of the North, located near the north end of the Xixiang Commercial Pedestrian Street.

    And as luck would have it (every wanderer’s dream) the local people were out in numbers, getting ready for the weekend’s celebrations. You see, not only is this Qingming, but it’s the “Third Day of the Third Month” (三月三) Temple Fair in celebration of Pak Tai’s birthday, which was named part of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.

    Unfortunately, Pak Tai himself is not there; he has been removed from his throne on the altar and placed in a remote location, to be ceremonially returned during the festival.

    Meanwhile, out front, a stage was being prepared for a performance of local folk opera. Surely the vast number of people who visit this weekend are in for a treat.