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Where Wuzhen, Zhejiang Province, China
What
Wuzhen, a 1300-year-old water town on the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, is a national 5A scenic area and one of China’s top ten historical & cultural towns. It is also one of China’s most charming towns. Located on the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou Plain in northern of Zhejiang Province, it is at the center of the golden triangle consisting of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou.
As an ancient water town, many of the traditional customs of China are preserved in Wuzhen. Moreover, Wuzhen also has its own distinct traditions that are different from those in other regions. Now that Wuzhen provides a wide variety of foods to tourists from around the world, its traditional dishes deserve to be mentioned. It is the combination of food and culture that makes Wuzhen cuisine stand out.
Visitors to the village have the option of spending the night as a guest in the family inn of one the “pillow water families" – the families that have lived in Wuzhen going back countless generations – where the guest can take in the strong atmosphere of a truly traditional Chinese New Year, writing spring scrolls, making paper-cuts for window decorations, preparing dumplings and participating in the family’s grand New Year call ceremony. Led by the head of the household, guests, along with the home’s family members, may express their dedication to the New Year Bodhisattva on the Eve of Spring Festival in prayer for all things to run smoothly and for protection from danger in the coming year. The guest is then invited to take on the task of making rice cakes solo using only the very primitive stone mortar and enjoy the sense of achievement and resulting happiness. The traditional family reunion dinner is mouth-wateringly delicious, replete with all the great delicacies that the town is known for. Most of the dishes are prepared by the head of household and family members following the most traditional of food recipes for family reunion dinners. Everyone eats the dinner cheers each other joyously and without restraint as they look forward to continued peace among all in the coming year.
The Long Street Banquet enriches the atmosphere of the Chinese New Year celebration.
The grand Long Street Banquet, made up of an adjoining table in a solid line, will take place on Xizha Street from the first to the sixth day of the lunar year. The most savory dishes of every type are served, including chicken, duck, fish and various meat delicacies, based on the town’s traditional recipes, each resplendent in its array of colors, with the delectable aroma wafting over the entire length of the ancient thoroughfare. Visitors from all over the world are invited to come and join in the celebration of the arrival of spring and in the opportunity for families to reunite and enjoy each other’s company during this once a year event. The old street is adorned with what appears to be an unending variety of ancient lanterns, enriching the atmosphere of festivities. During the banquet, traditional customs including the making of rice cakes are showcased for visitors. Town residents and guests alike can enjoy the unpretentious folk traditions and pause to remember their own childhood excitement during the Spring Festival. Wuzhen has invited distinguished guests from afar to celebrate Chinese New Year and experience the emotion and feel the passion that is common to all that partake of these simple traditions. The Long Street Banquet will be held along the several-mile-long stretch of Xizha Street, in what can be described as similar to a dragon lying entrenched through the middle of the town. 
Celebrating an authentic Chinese New Year in Wuzhen is like no other Spring Festival on water.
Wuzhen Spring Festival Events:
18Feb,2015 Family union feast for New Year’s Eve;
19Feb-24Feb, 2015 The Spring Festival Banquet;
19Feb-24Feb,2015 Celebration for Spring festival, such as Dragon Dance, Ricecake and baked tea preparation, Praying, etc.
