The photo, taken on March 21, shows people leading cattle into a field to mark the beginning of spring ploughing and sowing at the Daotian (rice field) Park in Anren County.

Chun Fen, or Spring Equinox, the fourth solar term on the Chinese lunar calendar, was marked on March 21 this year. Ganfenshe, a folk activity to mark the beginning of spring ploughing in Anren County, also an intangible cultural heritage item, was launched at the Daotian Park in the county. Traditional rituals to worship Emperor Shennong, who was known as the forefather of Chinese agriculture, and celebrate the beginning of spring ploughing, were held, which allowed visitors to experience the charm of traditional farming culture.

Chun Fen is called Ganfenshe by the Anren locals. It was included into the list of the national intangible cultural heritage items in 2014, and an extended representative list of China's "24 Solar Terms" item in 2016.

Ganfenshe can be traced back to the later Tang Dynasty (923-936), as a folk ritual to commemorate Shennong who tasted hundreds of herbs in order to understand the medicinal properties of them. On the occasion of Chun Fen, the locals and guests from both home and abroad gather in Anren County to worship Shennong and pray for a good harvest. Fairs of herbs, grain seeds, and agricultural tools would be held simultaneously.

In recent years, Anren County has leveraged the Shennong culture and comprehensively integrated canola flower-admiring economy and Ganfenshe celebrations, to promote integrated development of traditional Chinese medicine and cultural tourism. These efforts have raised the profile of Anren's culture and tourism brands, and expanded the visibility and influence of the county.

People gathered at the Shennong Temple in Anren County to participate in the Ganfenshe activity to worship Shennong on March 21, 2023.

People gathered at the Shennong Temple in Anren County to participate in the Ganfenshe activity to worship Shennong on March 21, 2023.

People celebrated beginning of spring ploughing at the Daotian Park in Anren County on March 21.

People played dragon dance to celebrate the beginning of spring ploughing at the Daotian Park in Anren County on March 21.

 
Tourists took selfies with blooming canola flowers at the Daotian Park in Anren County on March 21.


A wall featuring China's 24 solar terms was newly built at the Shennong Culture Street in Anren County. Chun Fen, also Ganfenshe in Anren County, is highlighted.


People flocked into Shennong Culture Street in Anren County to attend the Ganfenshe celebrations on March 21. 

People selected herbs at a traditional Chinese medicine market at Shennong Square in Anren County on March 21.


Villagers stewed pork with herbs at a Chinese herbal cuisine intangible cultural heritage inheritance center in Yonglejiang Town, Anren County, on March 20.

He Lusheng, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Anren rice powder figurine making skills, showed his Chun Fen-themed figurines made of rice powder at Yonglejiang Town, Anren County on March 20.

All the photos above are taken by Guo Liliang from Hunan Daily.

This article is from the Hunan Provincial Government www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunantoday