"The March 3rd Festival in Guilin Stone Carvings" Lecture

"March 3rd" is a traditional festival in China, also known as "Shangsi Festival", which features rituals such as purification through self-cleansing, outings, worship, and drinking wine. Today, "March 3rd" is not only a traditional festival in China, but also an important traditional festival for ethnic minorities in Guangxi. In order to promote the excellent traditional culture of the Chinese nation and help people understand the historical and cultural heritage of Guilin, on the occasion of the "Zhuang Ethnic Group's March 3rd Festival", our library, in collaboration with the Guilin Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Inheritance Center, the Guilin Stone Forest Museum, and the National Center for the Inheritance of Ancient Book Restoration Techniques (Guilin), will hold lectures on the theme of the festival both online and offline.

I. Lecture Theme

The March 3rd Festival in Guilin Stone Carvings

II. Organizers

Sponsors: The Guilin Library of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the Guilin Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection and Inheritance Center, and the Guilin Stone Forest Museum 

Host: The National Center for the Inheritance of Ancient Book Restoration Techniques (Guilin) Co-organizers: The Guilin Library Society, and the Guilin Library Reader Association

III. Lecture Time

10:00-11:30 am, April 15, 2023 (Saturday)

IV. Lecture Venue

The first-floor audio-visual hall of the Lingui Branch of the Guilin Library in Guangxi

V. Speaker Introduction

Bao Gang, director of the exhibition and research department of the Guilin Stone Forest Museum, vice research fellow, representative inheritor of the city-level intangible cultural heritage of Guilin stone carving and rubbing techniques, primarily engaged in Guilin stone carving research and exhibition work.

VI. Lecture Content

Why was the third day of March designated as "Shangsi Festival"? What were the activities of Shangsi Festival in Guilin during the Tang and Song dynasties? What descriptions of the March 3rd Festival can be found in ancient literati's works that have been passed down to the present day in Guilin stone carvings? Taking the "Zhuang Ethnic Group's March 3rd Festival" as an opportunity, this lecture invites inheritors of Guilin's intangible cultural heritage to talk about the origin of Shangsi Festival, the literature records of Shangsi Festival in Guilin, and the March 3rd Festival in Guilin stone carvings, leading the public to explore ancient culture and appreciate the customs of the festival. At the same time, there will be on-site exhibitions, explanations, and experiences of the intangible cultural heritage of stone carving and rubbing techniques.