The first Hongshan Spring Festival Cultural Festival opens in the Chinese Stone Garden in Wuxi's Xinwu district on Dec 28. [Photo/wnd.gov.cn]

The first Hongshan Spring Festival Cultural Festival opened in the Chinese Stone Garden in Wuxi's Xinwu district on Dec 28.

A number of locals attended the event, buying local specialties and necessary provisions for the Spring Festival and taking part in a series of events. They learned how to make dumplings and traditional rice cakes, and asked well-known calligraphers to write spring couplets.

They also took part in several sports competitions, including tug-of-war, jump roping, iron ring rolling, and shuttlecock kicking. Performances such as Wuxi Opera and local storytelling were also held.

A number of locals attend the event, buying local specialties and necessary provisions for the Spring Festival and taking part in a series of events. [Photo/wnd.gov.cn]

A cultural summit was held during the event's opening. Many experts discussed protecting cultural heritage, inheriting folk customs, and developing the culture and tourism industry in Wuxi.

During the opening, Liu Xia, deputy mayor of Wuxi, noted that the integration of cultural and tourism will benefit the development of the tourism industry. He said that Spring Festival customs are the most precious and vital part of Chinese traditional culture and play an important role in promoting the development of tourism.

Liu encouraged the promotion of Wu culture in order to bring greater cultural value and influence to Wuxi.