Expats enthralled by centuries-old Kaiding Festival

Video and photos by Lin Songtao

The bustling pathways of Yu’er Village in Shekou erupted with joy yesterday as the community gathered for the time-honored Kaiding Festival, a centuries-old event aimed at blessing residents with prosperity and many children.

Expat residents take part in the Kaiding Festival celebration at Yu’er Village in Nanshan District yesterday.

This year’s celebrations marked the 25th consecutive year that Yu’er villagers have honored the cultural heritage, which originated from Shanwei City in Guangdong Province during the late Yuan (1271-1368) Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The village welcomed 15 newborns last year, all of whom joined their parents in seeking blessings at this year’s festivities.

Families holding their newborn babies attend a celebration of the Kaiding Festival in Yu’er Village yesterday.

Held annually on the 13th day of the first lunar month, the Kaiding Festival revolves around the preparation and sharing of a special snack known as Kaiding Tea. Lanterns were hung outside homes across the village. Each household prepared an ample supply, typically enough to serve 200 to 300 people, to offer to relatives, friends, and even strangers who visit their homes. Villagers believe that the more guests a household welcomes, the greater the blessings for the family. As a testament to this tradition, guests knocking on doors were met with a generous serving of Kaiding Tea.

A family welcomes expat visitors during the Kaiding Festival in Yu’er Village yesterday.

“I have four bowls today,” said Helena Keric, referring to the Kaiding Tea she was offered to when visiting families in the village. Experiencing the Kaiding Festival for the first time, she said she was particularly touched by the energy and warmth displayed by the villagers. “The hospitality was heartwarming and the babies are so cute. I was greeted with Kaiding Tea the moment I stepped into their homes.”

Performers stage vibrant dispays to celebrate the Kaiding Festival at yesterday’s celebration.

South African teacher Karina Ramparsad was captivated by the “skillful” lion dance performances at the village. “Their agility on the various-height platforms held the audience spellbound,” she said.

Ramparsad said hello to passers-by from time to time during the celebration. “I lives in the neighborhood and these people are like old friends to me.”

Expat residents celebrate with Chacai during the festival yesterday.

The festival has grown in vibrancy over the years. “Each year my family received 200 to 300 visitors during the Kaiding Festival,” said a female hostess of the Tian family in the village. She said the visits usually started at 2 p.m. and continued through late afternoon. “The more people, the merrier.”

The celebration has deep roots in the community, recognized as an intangible cultural heritage by the city government in 2005. Traditional activities include ancestral worship and a grand Kaiding feast, enhanced by the rhythmic beats of gongs and drums, as well as lively lion dances and performances that draw in visitors from near and far.

Expat residents take part in the Kaiding Festival celebration at Yu’er Village in Nanshan District yesterday.

Historically, the Kaiding Festival was celebrated primarily for boys on their first birthday, with families performing rituals that included burning incense and inviting clan elders for a feast. Today, the celebration embraces all children, inviting families and friends to gather, share Kaiding Tea, and wish each other happiness and good fortune.

Yang Yan, director of the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats, which invited several expats for the festival yesterday, said such cultural events helped expat residents better integrate into local communities.