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 | Traditional Opera and Intangible Cultural Heritage Usher in the New Year, Bringing Prosperity to Linchuan in the Year of the Horse

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2026-02-25

Horses gallop across a thousand mountains, bringing blessings; intangible cultural heritage ushers in the spring with an enduring charm. During the Spring Festival of the Year of the Horse (Bingwu, 2026), the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou City, under the theme “Opera’s Charm in Fuzhou: Intangible Heritage Welcomes the New Year,” presented a special New Year exhibition and a series of hands-on intangible cultural heritage activities, seamlessly blending the rich traditions of equine culture and the artistry of Chinese opera with time-honored festive customs. From February 15 to 23, the hall was steeped in the spirit of the season, offering visitors a vibrant cultural feast that combined profound cultural insights with engaging interactive experiences—allowing them to savor a unique taste of the New Year within the memorial and to carry forward China’s fine traditional culture through immersive intangible heritage activities.

Exhibition “Gallop of Ten Thousand Horses”

CHINESE NEW YEAR

As a key highlight of this year’s Spring Festival celebrations, the exhibition “A Thousand Horses Galloping” made its debut on February 14 at Yumingtang Square and will run through March 16. Co‑hosted by the Tangwangfu Museum of Nanyang and the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou, the show features more than 200 carefully selected images of cultural relics from museums across China. Presented in a richly illustrated format, it offers a comprehensive exploration of the deep historical ties between horses and the Chinese nation, tracing the evolution of China’s equine culture and enabling visitors to gain a systematic understanding of the zodiacal significance and enduring historical value of horse‑related traditions. During the Lunar New Year period, our museum also updated the exhibition content simultaneously on its WeChat official account and website, creating a virtual viewing platform that allows those unable to attend to transcend time and space, join this “galloping rendezvous,” and draw inspiration from the spirited energy of a thousand horses in motion.

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New Year Intangible Cultural Heritage Experience Event

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From February 15 to February 23, our museum will host daily intangible cultural heritage–themed experience activities at the Yumingtang Visitor Service Center (with no events on New Year’s Eve). Eight distinct thematic programs will be offered each day, with no repeats. All materials for the hands-on activities are provided free of charge, while supplies last—first come, first served—allowing residents and visitors to personally unlock the charm of intangible cultural heritage and savor the vibrant vitality of traditional New Year customs.

PART.0 1

The twenty-eighth day of the twelfth lunar month (February 15)

The “Yinfuna Ji – Embossed Zodiac Rubbing Red Envelopes” kicked off the series of events. This ancient art of rubbing has stepped beyond the hallowed halls of stone and bronze inscriptions to become part of traditional New Year customs. Participants personally create embossed zodiac red envelopes, heightening the sense of ritual as they prepare for the year ahead and breathing new life into this intangible cultural heritage through the joyful crafting of festive New Year items.

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PART.0 2

Lunar New Year Grade 7 (February 17)

“Song‑Dynasty Elegance: A Springtime Makeover for the Year of the Horse” brings the refined charm of the Song era back to life. Professional tea masters demonstrate and guide the “Seven‑Pour Tea‑Making Method,” while participants personally whisk the tea, savoring the graceful “snow‑like froth and milky blossoms.” They can also craft traditional tea‑time treats, ushering in a fresh new year amid the timeless aroma and ancient elegance of tea.

PART.0 3

Lunar New Year Grade 8 (February 18)

“Elegance Amid Fragments: Ancient Fans Reimagined with New Fragrances” invites you to encounter the intangible cultural heritage of the Jinhuai Pile technique, reinterpreting discarded books, calligraphy models, and pictorial motifs to craft distinctive artistic imagery on fan surfaces, breathing new artistic life into fragments of tradition.

PART.0 4

Lunar New Year Grade 9 (February 19)

“Carrying Forward the Legacy of Calligraphy and Ink: Classic Opera Nurtures the Heart” bridges classical literature with handcrafted creativity. Under the guidance of a calligraphy instructor, participants transcribe iconic lines from “The Peony Pavilion,” savoring the poetic spirit of Tang Xianzu’s operatic works. At the same time, they combine traditional opera‑inspired embellishments—such as pom-poms and beaded ornaments—with contemporary hairbands to craft one-of-a-kind opera‑style accessories, making cultural heritage both wearable and passable across generations.

PART.0 5

Lunar New Year Grade 8 (February 20)

“Brocade Letters, Opera’s Charm: The Mirror‑Fan Unification Reflects the Peony” blends the art of Song brocade with the poetic spirit of “The Peony Pavilion.” Participants will craft their own elegant “mirror‑fan‑in‑one” pieces, bringing the aesthetics of traditional opera into everyday life and symbolizing a harmonious and prosperous New Year.

PART.0 6

Lunar New Year The fifth day of the lunar month (February 21)

Welcoming the God of Wealth, the “Yu Ming Welcomes Spring: Jeweled Splendor Paints the God of Wealth” event has arrived just in time. Visitors can collect free material kits to create pearl‑embroidered portraits of the God of Wealth, reimagining this traditional auspicious figure in a modern style and personally writing down their heartfelt New Year wishes for blessings.

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PART.0 7

Lunar New Year Sixth day of the lunar month (February 22)

“Dreams Return to Linchuan: Shimmering Lights and Whirling Lanterns Welcome the Blessing Lanterns” invites participants to experience the traditional art of crafting vibrant, rotating lanterns. The flickering play of light and shadow symbolizes smooth fortune and enduring blessings, offering a heartfelt prayer for good luck and auspiciousness in the New Year.

PART.0 8

The seventh day of the first lunar month (February 23)

“Jingling Bells: Spring Breeze Swings, Melodies Resonate with Elegance” brought the series of events to a perfect close. Participants assembled their own wind chimes, celebrating life while leaving behind a delicate, lingering charm for the Spring Festival holiday.

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The event venue also featured a dedicated photo‑op spot, where visitors eagerly snapped selfies and shared them on social media, spreading the festive spirit of the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall to even more corners. Amid laughter and cheerful chatter, attendees savored the charm of intangible cultural heritage; each day’s program drew huge crowds, with adults and children alike taking part, immersing themselves in the unique allure of Linchuan culture and basking in the warm glow of the New Year.

Bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new—Happy Spring Festival!

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This series of events, “Opera Charm in Fuzhou: Intangible Cultural Heritage Welcomes the Spring,” represents a vivid effort by our museum to carry forward China’s fine traditional culture and enrich the cultural lives of the public. By skillfully blending equestrian culture, opera traditions, and intangible cultural heritage techniques with time-honored New Year customs, we have made these ancient treasures accessible and tangible. As a result, both local residents and visitors enjoyed a Spring Festival that was steeped in culture, warmth, and delight, while further enhancing Fuzhou’s reputation as the “hometown of Lord Tang.” Looking ahead, the Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou will continue to use culture as a bridge, launching more programs that combine entertainment with cultural depth, inviting more people to visit the hall and deepen their understanding of traditional culture, ensuring that intangible cultural heritage thrives through both inheritance and innovation.