Photo: Li Hao/GT

On the first day of China's Qingming Festival holiday, actors dressed in the traditional clothing or armors of the ancient Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) recreated one of the dynasty's grand ceremonies.

"I usually like the costumes of the Ming Dynasty and I feel very happy to dress like this to enjoy the performance today," said 7-year-old Hou Yuyan, who watched the performance with her parents while dressed in her own traditional Hanfu outfit.

The performance was part of the ongoing Ming Dynasty Cultural Festival that kicked off in Beijing's Changping district. The festival seeks to lead people on a journey through time and space and show the unique charm of the country's traditional culture.

Hosted by the Administration Center of the Ming Tombs and the Changping Culture and Tourism Group, the Ming Dynasty Cultural Festival is a large-scale comprehensive cultural and tourism event based on the Ming Tombs area in Changping and aims to promote China's excellent traditional culture.

According to Ji Enxu, chief director of the festival, Ming Dynasty ceremonies have been recreated over the past three years at the event as they have been well received by audiences. 

Photo: Li Hao/GT

The recent performance was based on the renowned Chinese painting Departure Herald, which shows the emperor's large processions heading toward the imperial tombs of the Ming emperors located in today's Changping district.

Additionally, the festival also includes stage dramas about the 16 emperors of the Ming Dynasty, a jewelry design contest, cultural salons, and a showcase of the Silkworm Worship Ceremony, which began in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046BC-771BC). During the ceremony, the Empress led the royal concubines to worship Leizu, the goddess of silkworms, collect mulberry leaves and feed silkworms. On Saturday, a Ming Dynasty banquet performance was also held.

"Inheritance and promotion are two aspects of hosting cultural activities. China has a rich cultural heritage. These are valuable resources that we can explore and use," Ji told the Global Times on Saturday. "Tradition and modernity are not in conflict with each other, instead they can complement each other. This is what we have been doing."

As everyone loves Chinese culture and is eager to promote it, these friends "gather here from different parts of China due to a shared hobby." They have the opportunity to share their passion with each other, which also helps them to explore better ways to promote the integration of culture and tourism.