As the May Day holiday of 2025 coincides with the 10th anniversary of Changsha Binjiang Cultural Park—renowned as the city’s “cultural living room”—a grand series of events titled “A Decade of Glory, May Day Joy” will unfold from May 1 to 4. Blending tradition with modernity, the celebration promises opera performances, intangible cultural heritage (ICH) workshops, vibrant markets, Hanfu lectures, and immersive art installations, inviting visitors to embark on a cross-temporal cultural journey.
The festivities kick off on May 1 at 7:30 PM in the newly unveiled Azalea Flower Theater. Acclaimed artists Liu Zhaoqian and Cao Rulong, both winners of China’s prestigious Plum Blossom and Culture & Arts Awards, will lead a lineup of Huagu opera, folk dances, and ICH performances. Over five days, ten free public shows will be staged by troupes including the Xiangfan Club, Changsha Song and Dance Theatre, and the Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage Troupe. The Changsha Symphony Orchestra will close the series with a majestic finale, bridging traditional melodies and symphonic grandeur.
At the park’s Landscape Tower, a dedicated “ICH Experience Zone” offers daily free workshops. Under the guidance of master artisans, visitors can create traditional Chinese knots, try cloisonné enameling, practice wooden movable-type printing, or explore the mysteries of “single-snip paper-cutting” and Nuo mask painting. Families can bond over crafting dough sculptures or velvet flowers, leaving with personalized souvenirs that celebrate the ingenuity of traditional crafts.
The Central Plaza will host over 30 stalls blending nostalgia and novelty. Savor Hunan flavors like sugar paintings, ICH-style baked flatbreads, and Shaliwen pastries, or browse cultural treasures such as chrysanthemum stone carvings, Tongguan kiln ceramics, and Hanfu accessories. A recreated “Along the River During Qingming Festival” tea stall revives ancient tea-drinking customs, while a KFC pop-up stall adds a quirky twist. Exclusive 10th-anniversary metal fridge magnets will be available for purchase, offering a tangible keepsake of Binjiang’s decade-long legacy.
Daily lectures will delve into the aesthetics of Hanfu, decoding Tang dynasty makeup, Ming dynasty rituals, and historical garment designs. On May 5, makeup artist Zi Yi will recreate Tang-era mural-inspired looks in a live demonstration, with audience participation encouraged. These sessions aim to reconnect modern audiences with the elegance and philosophy embedded in China’s sartorial heritage.