These are stage plays based on Chinese folklores.  They are usually performed on holidays, especially during Spring Festival.

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Spring Festival is the end of one year and the beginning of another. “Nao Chun” is an essential part of the festivities associated with Spring Festival.  The stories in these plays symbolize the good days ahead, and carry wishes for good harvest and abundance,  and for everything to turn out as wished.  During Spring Festival 2011, “Nao Chun” became popular again after a long hiatus.  It brought back all the sweet memories from my childhood.  Back then, there weren’t a lot of convenient media tools.  In other words, there was nothing good to watch, and not a lot of new and modern things.  Traditional cultural activities were still attracting a large audience.  Later more new things became available for the public. With the rapid development of the economy and the advancement of urbanization, traditional art programs gradually faded out of the public’s sight. Naturally things do make a come back.  They come back at the appropriate time as needed. But the return does carry the sense of the times.  Even if it plays out as it did before, people have a new style to think and observe.  When I watch these activities, I still feel the hopes and prayers for the new year.  But I also feel the poignant sadness because of the times. These days, people would still wish for all things to go their way, and for abundance and good harvest.  This will never change.  But in these times of crudeness, these wishes seem to have become less meaningful, and fall short of their own weight.

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The culture of “Spring” is changing, but it is actually being changed by our lives, while the era has changed our lives.

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