In the ancient Guantang village, with its history spanning over 700 years, villagers are busy making tea pastries, a centuries-old springtime delicacy, as Qingming Festival, or Tomb Sweeping Day, approaches.

The tea pastry, a traditional food recognized as a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage in Guangdong province, has been passed down for 800 years and is deeply embedded in the daily lives of local people, especially during traditional occasions.

Made from glutinous rice flour and sticky rice flour, and crafted entirely by hand using traditional methods, they form three main categories of glutinous rice, sticky rice and snacks, with over 50 traditional varieties.

"Every household makes tea pastries during festivals, and they are the most nostalgic flavor for people living far from home," Zhuo Yijun, president of Zhuhai Dragon and Lion Dance Sports Association, who has also set up an intangible cultural heritage dragon and lion dance creative center in the village, said.

In the past, the unique taste was hidden away, with few visitors from afar due to limited transportation, according to Zhuo. The change came after the opening of the intercity railway between Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong, and Zhuhai.

"The high-speed trains help deliver this intangible cultural heritage flavor to people outside the village," Zhuo said.

The village, near the Tangjiawan station along the intercity railway line, has become a hot destination for visitors.

After the opening of the full line in 2012, 45 intercity trains stop at Tangjiawan station daily, allowing travelers from Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, and other places to arrive in 30 minutes.

"The high-speed rail helps connect bustling cities with the tranquil ancient village, catapulting the once-secluded Guantang village into a popular cultural destination in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area," Zhuo said.

In addition to being engaged in hands-on experiences of making traditional tea pastries, visitors can also stroll along cobblestone paths and visit century-old ancestral halls inside the village.