On the evening of September 20, over 100 Zhongshan residents took part in the "Lantern March", a traditional activity that had previously disappeared for nearly 30 years in Shachong Village, South District. They set off from the Shachong Stadium with traditional lanterns in hands, walked through the streets and alleyways of the village by passing through the Ma Zaiming Memorial Hall, the Nanyuan Hall, Nanbao Street, the Wenchang Temple, the Liangdu Market, the Shachong Song Emperors' Remains and the Hengmei Court.
"As far as I can remember, there was a custom called 'lantern march' in the village. However, as the villagers became more busy working, the custom gradually faded until recent years." Ma Yuquan, a 40-year-old inheritor of Zhongshan's Intangible Cultural Heritage program "The Ma's Spear", said that the "lantern march" was a traditional folk custom in the Liangdu area. In the past, children in Liangdu would line up in groups, holding lighted lanterns, and walk all over the streets and alleyways of the village. It looks like an "luminous dragon", carrying the meaning of illuminating people's life journey and the village's bright future.
Before setting off, members of the Liangdu Guild Hall of South District, South District Folk Art Troupe and Zhongshan Ma's Spear Inheritance Base performed traditional poetry recitals, war drum and Ma's Spear performances. In addition, the Shachong Lion Dance Martial Arts Troupe, Qihang Art Troupe, Shachong Dance Team and Sanxiang Association of Puppet Performance also delivered warm-up shows. Many villagers enjoyed the performances before touring the village and admiring the full moon.