People participating in the Zougushi parade run in the water. [Photo provided to gofujian.com]

To celebrate the Chinese Lantern Festival, Liancheng county in the city of Longyan in East China's Fujian province, had arranged a series of traditional folk activities, including a Zougushi parade and a dragon dance parade.

The Zougushi parade, held in Luofang town, Liancheng county on the morning of Feb 24, featured children in traditional Chinese opera costumes and makeup on a sedan carried by young men. This folk entertainment activity was a cherished part of the Chinese Lantern Festival.

The parade not only entailed spirited land racing but also racing against water currents. Through competitions on both land and water, it honored the pioneering spirit of people's ancestors and their determination to forge ahead and inspired and educated future generations.

Later in the day, villagers participated in a dragon dance parade in Gutian town, Liancheng county. The dragon, spanning 18 sections and exceeding 500 meters in length, was paraded during the Chinese Lantern Festival to pray for favorable weather, peace, and prosperity.