Animmersive Chinese culture temple fair will be held at the Yuyuan Garden Malls from Wednesday to promote traditional art and skills.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

Street artists perform at the Yuyuan Garden Malls on Tuesday.

With the Dragon Boat Festival arriving on Thursday, residents and tourists are invited to experience the Chinoiserie andtraditional Chinese culture at theYuyuanGarden Malls.

Dining and shopping facilities near the historic garden, which originated from a prosperous market of the City God Temple some 140 years ago, will launch its firstimmersiveChinese culture temple fair to promote traditional art and skills.

Themed on the “Gods and Goddess of Flowers” who became popular in the mid-QingDynasty (1644-1911) through the famousYangliuqingNew Year Painting, the temple fair will be held during the holiday from Thursday and Saturday.

Time-honored eateries and brands inYuyuan, including theLaomiaoGold & Jewelry and Lu Bo Lang Restaurant, will offer discounts to attract customers to help the economy after the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The Ming andQingDynasty architecture at the malls have been decorated with flowers and illuminated by traditional lanterns at night. The bazaars with many small carts selling and exhibiting handicraft artworks have also been redesigned with colorful petals and twigs.

In traditional Chinese culture, famous historical figures and literary giants are ennobled as gods or goddess of a certain flower. There are a dozen gods and goddess for the 12 lunar months, but the figures vary in different times and regions.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A bazaar of small carts attracts customers at the Yuyuan Garden Malls.

YangYuhuan(719-756), one of the four great beauties of ancient China, for instance, is deemed the goddess of the apricot flower which blooms in February, while XiShi, another beauty, is the goddess of lotus for June. Famous poets such as LiBai(701-762),BaiJuyi(772-846) and TaoYuanming(365-427) are also listed as gods of flowers in some versions due to their popular poems about flowers.

Chinoiserieperformances will be held every day during the holiday. They include a warrior show with soldiers wearing armor, dancers in traditionalhanfu clothing and concerts featuring traditional instruments on the iconic Zigzag Bridge or a small boat on the lake.

Security guards at the malls will be wearing the costumes of Ming Dynasty guards.

Visitors are invited to experience traditional lifestyles during the Dragon Boat Festival, such as tastingzongzi, the traditional glutinous rice dumplings, and making perfume sachets to ward off evil spirits.

YuyuanGarden Malls launched its nightlife events in September last year, featuring lanterns, markets and shows to attract local citizens to the iconic landmark which is a magnet for tourists from outside Shanghai and abroad.

Over 2.17 million people have visited the malls since the city launched the Double Five Shopping Festival in May, saidHuJunjie, assistant president ofYuyuanInc, operator of the malls.

Ti Gong

A traditional warrior dance will be held for the Dragon Boat Festival at the Yuyuan Garden Malls.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A livestream broadcast hosted by Laomiao Gold & Jewelry.

A heritage skill master shows his skills at the Yuyuan Garden Malls.

Jiang Xiaowei / SHINE

A violinist performs at the Mid-Lake Pavilion near the Zigzag Bridge on Wednesday.