A Diverse Cultural Feast at Nanxiang G<i>uochao G</i>ala

The 2025 Nanxiang Guochao Festival, which started in the ancient town, presented a cultural feast with diverse activities.

This year's opening ceremony strung together cultural landmarks such as Nanxiang Brick Tower and Tanyuan Garden. Through ancient-style markets, old street light shows and cultural performances, tourists encountered traditional Chinese style, enjoyed an immersive tour of the millennium-old town, and experienced a splendid guochao (China-chic) cultural feast.

With Nanxiang Brick Tower and Guyi Garden as the main venues, the event echoed the Shanghai Tourism Festival and Shanghai International Light Festival, and four series of intangible cultural heritage activities themed around guochao were launched in the ancient town, including night tours and food feasts featuring Shanghai-style guochao.

A giant moon lantern illuminated the town.

The event featured a gong ceremony to start the "1,000-table & 10,000-person xiaolongbao (Shanghai small steamed buns) feast," creating an immersive experience for attendees.

Tourists could not only experience the unique charm of Nanxiang xiaolongbao (a national-level intangible cultural heritage) but also gain emotional resonance and cultural connection through food.

To allow citizens and tourists to fully experience the guochao charm of Nanxiang, the event focused on four key areas: a light and shadow night tour, intangible cultural heritage food, technology and diverse arts.

This initiative aimed to integrate both day and night experiences, offering opportunities for viewing and engagement. An exclusive tourist route was introduced for the event.

The lantern fair on Nanxiang Old Street was a standout feature of the event. The main gate building, the surrounding scenery and the lantern riddles, all illuminated by brilliant lights and accompanied by swaying lantern shadows, contributed to a vibrant and festive atmosphere.

The light show at Guyi Garden used technology to revive brick carving patterns, and there are also on-site Kunqu Opera performances in the garden.

The Mid-Autumn limited intangible cultural heritage fish lantern parade brought the atmosphere to a climax as giant fish lanterns walked through the garden, and the lantern light and water scenery blended to present a stunning visual feast.

The event also collaborated with the Power Station of Art to present a special urban art project, showing traditional Mid-Autumn culture through modern art and light and shadow technology.

The Shanghai-style guochao food feast combined authentic intangible cultural heritage dishes with a vibrant market atmosphere, offering a delightful experience for both the palate and the senses.