The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.
Event Recap | Celebrating the Lunar New Year at the Museum: Memorable Moments from the Year of the Snake
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2025-02-24
Happy New Year! Wishing you great fortune in the Year of the Snake.
During the Spring Festival holiday of the Year of the Snake (Yisi),
The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou City has launched
A series of vibrant cultural events benefiting the public,
Invite visitors to enjoy the New Year together,
Let’s follow the camera and relive these unforgettable moments together!
New Year Special Events
During the Spring Festival holiday, our museum presented the “‘Si’ Dreams Across Time—Celebrating Love and Ushering in a New Era” series of events for the Year of the Snake, with a different array of exciting experiences awaiting visitors each day.
As a public cultural institution serving the general public, our museum has prepared exquisite little gifts for all visitors. This Lunar New Year, guests who snap their favorite photos of the museum and share them on WeChat Moments will receive a complimentary souvenir. Meet the charm of the soup hall—welcome spring with your dreams—and may the Year of the Snake bring you smooth sailing in all things! 
Rubbing is an ancient printing technique that produces hand‑made replicas of carved or engraved surfaces. The children took part in the intangible cultural heritage rubbing activity with great enthusiasm; the bright red paper carries everyone’s heartfelt wishes, ensuring a year of prosperity and good fortune in the Year of the Snake! 
The lacquer fan is a traditional craft steeped in history, crafted using time-honored lacquer techniques. Its foundation lies in the carefully selected materials for the ribs and the fan surface, while the artistry of lacquerwork serves as its very soul. With the assistance of our staff, visitors can mix and apply colors to create one-of-a-kind masterpieces—each lacquer fan bearing a heartfelt New Year’s blessing. Whether gently fanning the breeze or quietly admiring its beauty, the lacquer fan offers a unique experience and evokes a special sense of delight.
Bamboo‑woven lanterns are a traditional handicraft that seamlessly blends the art of bamboo weaving with the cultural heritage of lanterns. In contemporary times, these lanterns have largely shed their function as mere lighting devices, instead serving as vessels for people’s appreciation of traditional cultural beauty and their aspirations for a happy life.
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Adding flowers to the “scene,” red “Si” ignites the flame.
Bonsai, one of China’s traditional arts, recreates the beauty of nature within a shallow container, achieving an artistic effect that condenses vast landscapes into miniature forms and reveals grandeur in the small. Bonsai is often hailed as a “three-dimensional painting” and a “silent poem.” This Spring Festival, our museum is offering a DIY pipe-cleaner bonsai workshop, inviting visitors to experience the charm of blending ancient elegance with modern techniques.
Before the Qing Dynasty, art paper flowers were known as “fan hua” or “fan tian yin”; later, they came to be called “bian hua,” “shi ba bian,” and “shi ba fan.” The so‑called “fan hua” or “magic flowers” derive their name from the intricate layers of blossoms within each piece, with one flower giving way to another in a lifelike, ever‑changing display. This Spring Festival, our museum hosted an intangible cultural heritage–themed DIY workshop on paper‑flower folding, inviting both adults and children to create their own personalized New Year gifts.
The tradition of hanging colorful decorations for the New Year primarily aims to pray for peace, prosperity, and happiness. Its origins can be traced back to the Han Dynasty, serving as a way to express cherished wishes. Common motifs such as “gold and jade fill the hall” and “abundance year after year” symbolize an influx of wealth and a home brimming with fortune, conveying hopes for a prosperous family and a successful career in the coming year. In addition, images like bats and fish carry their own symbolic meanings: bats signify the arrival of happiness, while fish represent abundance and well-being, all pointing to a harmonious and fulfilling family life.
During the Southern Song Dynasty, the rolling lantern was a traditional form of entertainment at temple fairs, reflecting the prosperity of the era and people’s yearning for a better life. Its craftsmanship is distinctive: large spherical frames are woven from bamboo strips, with a small ball suspended at the center and a lamp or candle placed inside. As it is danced, the flickering light creates the illusion of a rolling lantern. Following the founding of the People’s Republic of China, the rolling lantern was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
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A succession of exciting performances.
From the fifth to the seventh day of the first lunar month, the Simum Stage within the venue will present three consecutive performances of the Xuhe Gaoqiang–style adaptation of “The Four Dreams of Linchuan,” allowing visitors to experience the allure of traditional opera firsthand.
The endangered theatrical form “Xuhe Gaoqiang” is an ancient opera tradition that has been passed down within Guangchang County, Fuzhou, Jiangxi Province, with a history spanning more than five centuries. Its melodies are elegant, gentle, and lyrical. The Meng Opera of Xuhe in Guangchang has been inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage for Preservation. Tang Xianzu authored four renowned plays—“The Peony Pavilion,” “The Purple Hairpin,” “The Story of Handan,” and “The Dream of the South”—each of which features dream sequences that serve as the foundation for its narrative; hence they are collectively known as the “Four Dreams of Linchuan.” These works are not only exquisitely written operatic scripts but also the crystallization of Tang Xianzu’s reflections on the realities of human life and the meaning of existence.
Spring Festival Exhibition
In the Year of the Snake (Yisi), in addition to its permanent exhibits, our museum has also presented “Snake Dance for the New Year: A Joint Exhibition on Chinese Snake Culture Across a Hundred Museums” and “Appreciation of Ancient Anti-Corruption Couplets—The Reading Theme,” offering visitors a rich cultural feast that spans from China’s “snake culture” to the ethos of diligence and integrity. The exhibitions will remain on view through February 16; we warmly welcome all to visit.
Our museum offers free, scheduled guided tours daily, enabling visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the life of Tang Xianzu, the “Sage of Eastern Opera,” and the rich world of his theatrical works. The event drew a large crowd, with attendees closely following the docent, listening attentively and gazing with focused concentration.
As the year draws to a close, fireworks light up the skies year after year. With auspicious stars and rosy clouds, every glance brings joy. The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou has once again accompanied you through a joyful and peaceful Spring Festival. Let us cherish these cherished memories and look forward to reuniting soon!
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Editor: Deng Chao | Written by: Jiang Yuanping | Reviewed by: Rao Fang
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