Yuqi town in northwest Wuxi, Jiangsu province, celebrated the traditional Shangsi Festival on the third day of the third lunar month, which this year fell on a rainy March 30. The town did not let the spring drizzle dampen its spirits, with locals holding colorful folk activities.

A tour to Lishe old village

The old village of Lishe, located southwest of Tongting Square, served as the final stop for visitors who took a cultural folk tour of Yuqi town.

The village has several key attractions including an old stage, the former residence of Sun Yefang(1908-1983), a revolutionist and economist, and a charming old street. The quaint traditional village certainly makes for a strong contrast with the noisy modern parts of the city that stand nearby.

Travellers used to convenient mobile payment services available in Wuxi’s urban areas probably will find it unusual that stores on the old street haven’t introduced such systems yet.

Visitors chat together in front of an old village stage [Photo by Liu Sitong/China Daily]. The local Lishe folk music troupe can be heard practicing in a small, backstage room.

The Lishe folk music troupe is made up of predominantly wind and stringed instruments and harmonizes traditional Chinese instruments and western ones wonderfully. [Photo by Liu Sitong/China Daily]