Longxian’s Lantern Festival Shehuo Parade Ignites Festive Spirit in Shaanxi

The "Shehuo Awakens Spring · Carnival in Longzhou" Lantern Festival Shehuo parade unfolded vividly in Longxian County, Baoji City, Shaanxi Province, on 3 March, the 15th day of the first lunar month.

Forty-nine shehuo teams from 10 towns across the county marched along the main urban roads, showcasing over 20 forms of the traditional art—including equestrian shehuo, foot shehuo and high-platform shehuo—in a spectacular display of folk culture.

Known historically as Longzhou and hailed as the "Hometown of Chinese Shehuo Culture", Longxian boasts a shehuo heritage spanning more than 2,000 years. Renowned for its vibrant colours, exquisitely painted facial masks and authentic, diverse performances, Longzhou Shehuo was inscribed on Shaanxi’s first list of intangible cultural heritage items in 2007.

This year’s parade featured over 5,000 performers and drew nearly 100,000 local residents and tourists. Embodying the people’s love for and aspiration to a better life on the Loess Plateau, Longzhou Shehuo continues to thrive through inheritance and innovation, keeping age-old folk traditions alive in modern times.