Chapter 998

Lu Xiaoya said, "It's not as lively in our compound; fewer firecrackers are set off."

Su Xinghui nodded. Many high-level cadres lived in the Provincial Party Committee compound, and many were retired high-level cadres. Older people like quietness, so naturally, fewer firecrackers were set off. However, with fewer firecrackers, there was much less New Year atmosphere.

Of course, setting off too many firecrackers also had many drawbacks. In a few years, Jiangcheng should completely ban firecrackers. Such things have their pros and cons. In general, banning firecrackers is better than not banning them. The New Year atmosphere can be replaced by other folk activities.

The two walked to the entrance of the commercial street and saw a dragon lantern team and a colorful dragon boat team enter the commercial street. Lu Xiaoya said excitedly, "Let's go in and take a look."

Dancing dragon lanterns and colorful dragon boats are a custom of the New Year in Shangjun County. The dragon lantern is a dragon made of cloth, more than 20 meters long and about two feet in diameter. The inside is made of iron wire into a circular shape, equipped with light bulbs or candles, and the outside is wrapped in cloth and painted. The dragon dancers are composed of dozens of people. One person uses a hydrangea to fight the dragon in front, and the rest all lift the dragon, performing actions such as "Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl," "Two Dragons Coming Out of the Water," "Fire Dragon Soaring," and "Coiled Dragon Making Trouble in the Sea."

The colorful dragon boat is a miniature dragon boat made of bamboo and cloth. The middle is empty. A woman or a performer dressed as a woman stands in the center of the boat, holding the side of the boat with both hands, singing the Dragon Boat Tune. There is an old boatman leading the way in front, and a team of people singing and dancing on the left and right sides of the boat to perform for the audience.

These are all New Year customs that the people of Shangjun love to see and hear. They are generally organized by villages around Shangjun County to perform in the county. They will perform from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival. Of course, to perform this, the year must be good. If the year is not good, how many people have the heart to perform this?

During the years of turmoil, these folk customs were called dross and feudal remnants and were banned. The dragon lanterns and colorful dragon boats in each village were burned by the little revolutionary generals. For more than ten years, both folk customs had disappeared. Since the reform and opening up, these folk customs have been slowly recovering.

Of course, the rural economy was not very good in the past few years, and there were not many villages dancing dragon lanterns and colorful dragon boats. In the past two years, the economy has become better and better, and dragon lanterns and colorful dragon boats have become prosperous again.

The two followed the dragon lantern and the colorful dragon boat into the commercial street and saw them perform in front of a clothing store. The performance was very lively. The dragon lantern was danced up and down by dozens of people, which was very beautiful. Unfortunately, it is daytime now. If it were at night, the candlelight inside the dragon lantern would bring out lines of fire in the air, which would be even more spectacular.

Su Xinghui said, "Xiaoya, let's come out to watch after dinner; that will be even better."

Lu Xiaoya nodded and said, "That's good. We can't see this in our compound."

After the dragon lantern and the colorful dragon boat finished dancing, cigarettes and pastry boxes were thrown out like snowflakes from the surrounding shops. This is also a custom in Shangjun County. The dragon lantern team and the colorful dragon boat come to perform, which is to pay a New Year's call and send blessings. Any shop or unit must show something. Of course, it doesn't matter how much, just to get a good omen.