An honor guard, consisting of over 400 local residents playing the roles of musketeers, drummers, and flag bearers, walks across Xinye ancient town to celebrate Shangsi Festival on April 14. [Photo/zjol.com.cn]

Photos and videos capturing the Shangsi Festival celebrations in Xinye ancient town, Jiande, Zhejiang province on April 14 went viral online, local media outlets reported.

The lively and festive celebrations soon won the attention of local residents, as they usually regarded the festival as a day for She ethnic minorities, but few know that it also a day for Han ethnic groups in Xinye ancient village and has been observed for over 800 years.

Residents of Xinye regard Shangsi Festival, also known as the Double Third Festival, as the biggest day of the year and much more important than Mid-Autumn Festival and Spring Festival. They usually celebrate it on the third day of the third lunar month, which fell on April 14 this year.

Members of the Zhuang, Miao, and Yao ethnic groups in China also observed the day, following traditional activities to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters.

Performers stage a shrimp dance, a traditional art form originating from Meicheng town, Jiande in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The shrimp lanterns have different sizes, with the large ones representing bravery and smaller ones representing agility and lightness. [Photo/WeChat account: dskb-dhz]

Kunqu Opera is another intangible cultural heritage of Xinye ancient village that has a history of over 200 years. [Photo/WeChat account: dskb-dhz]