The following is a brief introduction of Wu Culture.
Wu culture is a clan culture, also known as Jiangnan culture, which is an important part of Chinese culture. Renowned educator Mr. Zhang Qiyun said that “southeast culture lies in Meili Wuxi, not in Suzhou, Hangzhou or Beijing.
The ancient "Wu culture" is originated in Wuxi. During later Shang Dynasty, Taibo, the eldest son of Emperor Zhou Tai, relinquished his throne to his second younger brother Jili, came to Wuxi from Shaanxi Province together with his third younger brother Zhongyong and created the Wu culture. In order to cherish the memory of the pioneering founder of Wu, Wu clan descendants and people nearby will spontaneously pay tribute to Taibo in Tomb-sweeping Festival. According to the records of "China’s Wu lineage genealogy", the number of Wu clan descendents at home and abroad has reached 40 million. In recent years, a large number of Wu clan descents came to Meicun Wuxi to show respect for their ancestors. Over these years, Wu culture relics were discovered and protected, of which the most famous ones were “Taibo Temple, Taibo Tomb, Taibo ditch, and aristocratic tomb in Hongshan Mountain site".
Wu has a long history of rich culture, a combination of diversity and openness, the uniqueness of south Yangtze River and pioneering and innovative capability. The integration of traditional culture and modern civilization plays an important role in its modernization. Wu culture is the source of the charm and the brand of Wuxi. Organizing the Wu Cultural Festival is a significant measure for Wuxi city in terms of building up the most humane-featured "Cultural City", pushing forward the construction of cultural city, and enhancing overall competitiveness of Wuxi.
2009 the 4th China (Wuxi) Wu Cultural Festival was opened on April 10.
On the basis of the previous three sessions, the Wu Cultural Festival this year will further highlight the theme of "inherit Wu civilization, show culture, build cultural city". This year’s festival will combine the 60th anniversary of the founding of China, pay more attention to cultural construction, create cultural brands, and enhance cultural influence. Meanwhile, it will further promote and strengthen traditions and folk culture.
The main activities of this year’s Wu Cultural Festival will basically follow the pattern of 2008 Wu Cultural Festival, holding seven major activities. In addition to fixed religious ceremony for Taibo, Huishan temple fair, Wuxi Forum of China Cultural Heritage Protection, Wu Culture International Symposium, there will be a series of activities such as the opening ceremony of Xu Beihong Memorial Hall Wuxi Branch and Chinese painting exhibition of Xu’s apprentice and other masters. At the same time, the festival will attract more authorities, renowned experts and celebrities at home and abroad and combine more well-known cultural activities with it to strengthen social influence of celebrities and build the cultural brand.
The highlights of this year’s opening ceremony of Wu Cultural Festival are as follows:
First, 50 Olympic Fou (an ancient drum) performed in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games will make its debut in Wuxi in the ritual dance of the opening ceremony of the festival.
Second, the first phases of Liang Hong Wetland Park completed before Wu Cultural Festival and the China Peculiar Stone Park to start construction on the same day of the festival will be another two highlights
Wuxi will build the Wu Culture Exposition Park into a national site protection park, an experimental zone of ecological protection on national intangible heritage, national cultural wetland park and demonstration zone of national cultural industries, adding new highlights to the festival.
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