Chongqing- With just one week remaining before the upcoming Spring Festival in 2023, iChongqing and Bridging News reporter James Alexander joined up once again with Gerald Xu from CGTN to experience the delights of traditional sugar painting with the inheritor Li Mei and welcomed the new year together in style at the Bayu Folk Culture Village, set amidst the serene environment of Bijin Park.

Sugar painting is traditional Chinese folk art with a rich history. The basic process involves heating malt sugar on a small stove, then delicately pouring the syrup onto a marble surface to create artistic patterns such as zodiac signs or even unusual requests from children like assault weapons. The sugar then hardens almost immediately, and a stick is finally attached for the lucky recipient to carry away.

The sixth-generation inheritor Li Mei is only in her thirties, yet she has worked as a sugar painter for 19 years and learned the art form directly from her elders based in Longxing Ancient Town, where her family lives. In 2017, her Li Family Sugar Painting was included among the sixth batch of intangible cultural heritage items in the Yubei District.

Bijin Park is a gem hidden away nearby Jiangbei International Airport, with emerald lake waters, gently swaying willows, elegant pagodas, serene pathways, and places of interest such as the Bayu Folk Culture Village built with stunning traditional designs, and home to magnificent exhibits recently adorned with new year decorations including lanterns and paper cuttings.

As the Chinese New Year approaches, come and experience the unique culture and festive atmosphere with the popular inheritor Li Mei, Gerald from CGTN, and James from iChongqing and Bridging News.