Zibo folk custom

Zhoucun is famous for lanterns. "Core" is more famous. The "core" of Zhoucun has a history of at least 250 years. There are two cores, single core, car core, pick core, table core, multi-person core and core lamp. The so-called "core" means that an iron bar is erected high and a female sister or boy stands on the seat above it. They play all kinds of roles. From a distance, they look like standing at the top of a wick, so the masses call this activity the core. When it is prosperous, sixty or seventy sets of cores go to the streets for miles, with gongs and drums in front and flags and umbrellas dancing behind them. Occasionally, there are various juggling and playing activities such as dragon dancing, lion rolling, walking on stilts, rowing on dry boats, running donkeys, butterfly flapping, etc., among which performers are like forests and visitors are like clouds. Zhoucun silk created conditions for hanging lanterns, which promoted Zhoucun silk and promoted the development of silk industry. Nowadays, the annual Zhoucun Lantern Festival attracts a large number of domestic and foreign tourists.

Copper musical instrument

According to legend, in the early Qing Dynasty, Wang Qigui and Wang Hupu opened a copper workshop in Zhoucun. At first, they only made copper smoking sets. Later, they replaced the bronze organ, first made the "Moon Gong" for the vendors, then sold the sharp-angled Gong for transporting sugar, and gradually tried out the "Pick Gong" and "Hand Gong" for folk "playing". During the Qianlong period, there was a large bronze workshop in Zhoucun, which was run by Zhangqiu firewood man. He inherited the skills of the Wang brothers, introduced and produced Feng Gong and Su Gong from the way of production. During Guangxu period, Guanggong was created on the basis of escorting gongs, and was changed to Huyin Palace under the impetus of the development of Peking Opera. This gong can play a horizontal tone, which is rich and round, like a tiger whistling. It is very suitable for accompaniment of old operas, and it can also be used as accompaniment of Qingyi and Hualien operas, which has attracted the attention of Beijing opera circles. The troupe where the "Four Famous Dancers" and the "Four Carriers" are located has sent people to Zhoucun.

There are more than 40 varieties of gongs produced in Zhoucun, with hundreds of specifications and models every year, and there are ten varieties of gongs.

It is interesting to watch the making of gongs. Every process is like an artistic performance, casting copper, forging, shaping, quenching, optical rotation and tuning.

On July 15, turn off the lotus lights.

The residents of Qiu Jin Lake have the custom of setting off lotus lanterns on July 15. According to legend, it is to commemorate Shennong, a highly cultivated parishioner.

Lotus lanterns are made of lotus petals or paper. The lamp is filled with oil-soaked stamens, which can be lit and put into water, and the stamens can float away with the water. The colors are white, pink, red, green and purple, and the appearance of each lamp is unique, including lotus bone bud lamp, bud lamp, blooming lotus lamp, lotus petal lamp and so on.

A brief ceremony was held before the lights were turned on. When lighting the lamp, gongs and drums are loud, firecrackers are ringing, people are buzzing and jubilant.

Lotus lanterns are released, shining in the lake, so poetic.