The Wuhou Temple, a historical site in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu has received waves of tourists who love to immerse themselves in traditional culture during the week-long National Day holiday.
For more than two thousand years, Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province, has a history of being a political, economic and military center of southwest China. It's home to numerous historical sites, which are now seeing several new changes.
During the National Day holiday which started on Oct. 1, 50 free shows are staged every day at the Wuhou Temple. Many of the performances showcase traditional music, dance and singing, providing spectators with an immersive experience and taking them back to ancient times.
"It was very interesting to see that everyone was dressing up in traditional clothes, to take pictures like next to the water and next to the boat system. It was good to see the people. We are having a taste of it now in the traditional clothes. But it was good to see that people were like fully dressed up. They had their hair done. They had their makeup done and they were wearing very long and very beautiful dresses. And that was very good to see. So as you said, very surprising to see how strongly traditional values are," said Youst, a visitor from the Netherlands.
With a history of 1,800 years, the Wuhou Temple commemorates the heroic deeds of Zhuge Liang, Liu Bei and others during the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280 AD).
It continues to play an important role in popular culture and has become an entry point for many young people to learn about their nation's history.
"I am 13 years old, and I have been a volunteer narrator for two years. I hope during the National Day holiday, I can help more people understand the culture of Wuhou Temple, such as Liu Bei's generosity and Zhuge Liang's loyalty. I'm also getting more and more interested in Chinese history," said Duan Tingxi, a docent at the temple.
"As people's love for traditional culture becomes increasingly prominent, there are more and more tourists visiting Wuhou Temple. Every major festival, we are promoting interactive social activities and high-quality cultural products, letting visitors experience the strength of traditional virtues," said Li Zhi, a staff member of the Wuhou Temple Museum.
Visitors flock to historical site in Chengdu for cultural feast
