Yuqi residents wear qipao, traditional Chinese clothing, and hold a fan while taking part in the parade. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Sanyuesan Folk Culture Festival kicked off in Yuqi, the hometown of Wuxi Opera, on April 18. Sanyuesan, namely the third day of the third lunar month, is celebrated by Chinese people in spring each year.

Many performers were seen gathered on the streets of Yuqi on the day, presenting dragon dancing, phoenix dancing, lion dancing, Wuxi Opera, tai chi, a qipao show and many other traditional Chinese folk arts at a parade.

Dressed in traditional Chinese costumes, actors perform a dance on the opening ceremony of the Sanyuesan Folk Culture Festival in Yuqi, Wuxi. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Located in northeast Wuxi, Yuqi town is renowned for its various intangible heritages and thousands of years of history. An example of this history and heritage is dragon dancing, which in Lishe village has become an international business card of Yuqi. It even won the highest honor from the Canadian government in 1996.

Besides historical folk arts, visitors can also try the delicious foods that Yuqi is famous for, including sticky rice cake, big pancakes and Shuangtao wine. Instead of the typical repeated pounding by hand that is required to make sticky rice cake, Yuqi people use their body weight to do the work instead. By stepping on the well-wrapped sticky rice cake, they manage to create an even better textured result.

Shuangtao wine, a provincial intangible heritage project of Jiangsu, is yellow wine made of sticky rice. Unlike other wineries, Yuqi Winery applies special techniques when making the yellow wine, relying on traditional skills that have developed over the years.

Yuqi is a perfect place to experience Chinese folk arts and try some traditional delicacies.