Han Ximin

1824295095@qq.com

A GRAND fishery intangible cultural heritage show will be held at the square of the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District to kick off the opening of the Shenzhen International Fisheries & Seafood Expo this Friday.

The performers will take turns presenting exciting shows, including the Grass Dragon Dance, Fish Lantern Dance, Wedding Welcoming Dance of a Boat Family, Oyster Culture Performance, and Lion Dance, to highlight the unique charm and vitality of Shenzhen’s fishery-related intangible cultural heritage.

The Grass Dragon Dance, also known as the Fire Dragon Dance, is a distinctive Chinese New Year custom of fishermen in Nan’ao, Dapeng New Area. They use sword grass to create dragon shapes, dance to the beat of drums and sound of firecrackers, and pray for a prosperous year characterized by an abundance of fish and shrimp.

The Wedding Welcoming Dance is a tradition of the families who lived in boathouses in Yantian District in ancient times. As fishermen gradually transitioned to living on land, wedding customs have changed and given rise to a tradition known as the Fishermen’s Wedding Dance.

The performance will come to a climax and an end with a performance of the Awakening Lion Dance, which is performed by the Huang Liansheng Lion Dance Troupe in Shangchuan, Bao’an District.

The three-day fisheries expo will exhibit 12,000 types of aquatic products including more than 100 Shenzhen Standard products from 33 leading fishery enterprises and agricultural production bases. The expo has attracted more than 500 enterprises from 25 countries and regions, according to the organizer Shenzhen Port Group.