As the fusion of culture and ecology blossoms in the village, Lin Yue conceives an even grander and more beautiful idea—to hold a grand ecological and cultural festival. This will be a carnival that integrates cultural display, ecological promotion, tourism promotion, and villager interaction, aiming to allow more people to appreciate the unique ecological and cultural charm of the village, while also injecting new vitality and passion into the village's sustainable development.
The preparation for the Eco-Culture Festival was like a meticulously choreographed symphony, with Lin Yue acting as the conductor, leading all the villagers to perform their respective duties and jointly play this stirring movement. First and foremost, determining the theme of the festival was a crucial first step. Lin Yue organized several lively discussions with the village's cultural leaders, ecological experts, and village representatives. After careful consideration, the theme "Ecological Charm, Cultural Soul, Rural Sentiment" was finally chosen. This theme accurately encapsulates the close connection between the village's ecology and culture, as well as the villagers' deep affection and love for their hometown.
The choice of venue took into full consideration the village's natural landscape and cultural heritage. The expansive lawn in the village center was selected as the main venue for the festival, surrounded by ancient trees and a babbling brook, as if nature itself had provided a natural stage backdrop for this grand event. On one side of the lawn, a traditional-style wooden stage was erected, its design incorporating elements of the village's ancient architecture. The flying eaves and bracket sets complemented the surrounding natural environment, showcasing a rich rural cultural atmosphere.
During the preparation for the cultural festival, the villagers demonstrated great enthusiasm and active participation. The village elders voluntarily contributed their treasured traditional farming tools and handicrafts, adding a rich historical flavor to the festival's exhibition area. For example, Grandpa Li brought out his family's exquisite wooden waterwheel model. Although ancient, the model was well-preserved, with every part meticulously carved, bearing witness to the development and changes in the village's agricultural culture. Grandpa Li said, "This waterwheel used to be a great help in irrigating our fields. Now I'm showing it to everyone so that the younger generation can learn about the wisdom of our ancestors."
The young people fully utilized their creativity and energy, actively participating in the promotion and publicity of the cultural festival. They used social media platforms to create exquisite short videos showcasing the village's ecological beauty, traditional crafts, and the progress of the festival's preparations. One short video, a collaboration between several young people, used the village's four seasons as a backdrop, interspersed with scenes of villagers making traditional handicrafts, accompanied by melodious pastoral music. It quickly went viral online, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and attracting a large number of tourists. Furthermore, some young people volunteered for the festival's service team, responsible for greeting tourists, guiding routes, and maintaining order. They received professional training and welcomed every guest to the festival with warm and attentive service.
The women were equally enthusiastic, organizing themselves to meticulously prepare for the festival's food displays and cooking activities. Aunt Wang led a group of women, starting several days in advance to prepare ingredients for various traditional dishes, such as refreshing pickled vegetables made from their own organically grown produce, freshly baked handmade steamed buns, and sweet and delicious glutinous rice cakes. At the festival's food area, they demonstrated the traditional food-making process, allowing visitors to participate and learn how to make these delicious foods. One visitor, after tasting Aunt Wang's glutinous rice cakes, exclaimed, "These rice cakes are soft and chewy, sweet and delicious, and full of the taste of the countryside—they're fantastic!"
The cultural festival featured a rich and diverse array of activities, unfolding like a vibrant and colorful scroll. Among them, the organic agricultural product display area was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching. Each exquisitely designed stall was filled with various organic agricultural products produced in the village. Brightly colored, plump organic fruits exuded an enticing aroma; tender, fresh vegetables seemed to still bear the morning dew; and mounds of plump organic rice were piled high. There were also various processed agricultural products made using traditional techniques, such as sweet and delicious candied fruits and rich, mellow honey. Each product was accompanied by a detailed information card, which not only indicated the product's name, origin, and cultivation or processing method, but also told the story behind it and its connection to ecological culture. For example, the card for a specialty organic tea introduced the long history of the tea garden and how the villagers followed ancient planting techniques, using mountain spring water and natural fertilizers to cultivate this high-quality tea. This allowed visitors to not only enjoy the delicious taste but also experience the village's profound cultural heritage and commitment to ecological preservation. According to statistics, the sales of the organic agricultural products exhibition area reached hundreds of thousands of yuan during the cultural festival. Many tourists placed orders after tasting the products, which not only brought considerable economic benefits to the villagers, but also further promoted the village's organic agricultural product brand.
The traditional ecological crafts performance area presented a different, bustling scene. Here, villagers showcased their skills, demonstrating the production process of traditional handicrafts on the verge of extinction. Several skillful women sat together, their needles and threads flying as they expertly performed embroidery. The patterns they created were exquisite, ranging from auspicious flowers, birds, fish, and insects to landscape paintings depicting the idyllic village scenery. A young man focused intently on demonstrating bamboo weaving, shaving bamboo stalks into thin slices and then skillfully weaving them together. In no time, a delicate bamboo basket appeared before everyone's eyes. Nearby, traditional carpenters were crafting rustic wooden farm tools. Although their tools were simple, their superb skills transformed pieces of wood into practical and beautiful models of farm implements. Tourists were deeply attracted by these traditional crafts, stopping to watch, and many even tried their hand at them, experiencing the unique charm of traditional handicrafts. According to incomplete statistics, more than a thousand tourists participated in the traditional ecological craft experience. This not only allowed tourists to gain a deeper understanding of the village's traditional culture, but also provided a new opportunity for the inheritance and development of traditional crafts.
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