Gankeng Ancient Town to host lantern festival

A resident hangs red lanterns to greet the upcoming Spring Festival at Gankeng Hakka Town, Longgang District in eastern Shenzhen, on Feb. 1. China News Service

Gankeng Ancient Town, a scenic spot in Longgang District modeled after ancient Gankeng villages, will host a lantern festival during the upcoming Spring Festival.

The Gankeng Ancient Town Lantern Festival will be based on traditional Hakka culture, and include fun activities such as a good luck bazaar, a dragon-themed lantern exhibition, a Chinese New Year parade, and a treasure hunting camp.

The good luck bazaar will feature ancient-style jewelry, the traditional craft of candy blowing and sugar painting, bamboo weaving, traditional Chinese dresses, DIY painting and coloring, ancient-style perfume, and many other handcrafts and merchants.

The Chinese New Year parade will take place at the town's Phoenix Valley and be joined by people wearing traditional Chinese dresses. Modeled after Song Dynasty traditions including drinking tea, appreciating flowers, dancing, calligraphy, and playing musical instruments, the parade aims to recreate scenes of ancient festive bustling streets, while visitors can feel travelling through the time to immerse in the traditional way of celebrating the Chinese New Year.

The treasure hunting camp will take advantage of the town's idyllic natural environment to offer participants a chance to explore nature while enjoying spending time with their family and friends.

Gankeng used to be a village where Hakka people lived more than 350 years ago. With many old Hakka buildings still preserved, Gankeng is regarded as one of the 10 historical Hakka villages in Shenzhen. The town has become a tourist attraction for visitors to experience Hakka culture and folk customs as well as taste various delicacies.

Add: Ganli Road, Jihua Subdistrict, Longgang District (龙岗区吉华街道甘李路甘坑古镇)

Metro: Line 10 to Gankeng Station (甘坑站) , Exit B