Zhanjiang

Zhanjiang: opera and crafts of the peninsula

Leizhou songs and opera, Wuchuan piaose and Suixi lion dancing belong to different parts of Zhanjiang. Coastal settlements, villages and old towns have their own rhythms; begin with one place rather than expecting everything on one visit.

• Recognise the setting in which culture actually occurs — In Leizhou, compare the ears, mouths and proportions of stone dogs. At an opera performance, notice how singing and movement work together. Museum objects, village customs and staged performances call for different ways…
• Participate only where the setting clearly allows it — Ask about fillings and ingredients before trying local food such as yedabing. Check actual venues and dates for Leizhou opera, lion dancing or piaose; festival events are not attractions operating every day.
• Separate residents’ lives, ritual and performance — Stone dogs in villages or temple grounds may remain part of residents’ customs: do not move or sit on them, or rearrange offerings. Keep procession routes open and ask before photographing performers or residents.

City sources

Use the original publishers to verify city context, local culture and scope.

• Leizhou Sanyuan Pagoda Park — Zhanjiang Municipal Government Office
• Overview of Zhanjiang — Zhanjiang Municipal Government Office
• Intangible heritage and everyday life in Leizhou’s old town — China Media Group, CCTV.com
• New Year in Leizhou: opera and western Guangdong traditions — China News Service
• Report on Guangdong museums, 2021 — Guangdong Department of Culture and Tourism / Guangdong Museum

Understand the city

Zhanjiang: opera and crafts of the peninsula

Region: Guangdong

Places to visit

• Leizhou Sanyuan Pagoda Park — Sanyuan Pagoda Park stands on Qu Street in Leizhou, the city administered by Zhanjiang. A historic pagoda, pond, commemorative sh…

Related industries and journeys

• Western Guangdong Qiaoxiang Coast — Travel from Guangzhou through Foshan, Kaiping, Taishan, Yangjiang and Maoming to Zhanjiang.