On February 25, the ninth day of the first lunar month, Dazhou celebrated its annual Yuanjiu Climbing Festival. Crowds flocked to Fenghuang Mountain, Cuiping Mountain, Zhenfo Mountain, and Huofeng Mountain, where residents of all ages climbed together in laughter and joy, embracing the charm of this traditional custom.

People reached the summit of Phoenix Mountain

The Yuanjiu climbing tradition in Dazhou dates back over 1,200 years. On the day Tang Dynasty poet Yuan Zhen departed from his post, local residents climbed hills to bid him farewell. Since then, every year on the ninth day of the first lunar month, people have ascended heights to gaze into the distance and express their longing. Over centuries of inheritance, this practice has gradually incorporated elements of praying for blessings, welcoming good fortune, spring outings, and leisurely strolls, becoming a distinctive cultural symbol of Dazhou. This year, the age-old custom has taken on renewed vitality. Around 9 a.m., crowds gathered at the Daba intersection and began their ascent along Mengziya Street toward the summit of Fenghuang Mountain. Despite light rain earlier that morning, enthusiasm remained undimmed.

Citizens and tourists played chess and Gomoku against robots

Fenghuang Mountain in Tongchuan District served as the primary climbing destination. The climb typically takes 2.5 hours, but many visitors this year paused midway at the Yuan Zhen Cultural Plaza—drawn by activities such as pitch-pot games, chess, the 'Climbing the Book Mountain: Tracing Clues in Verses' literary quest, witty Q&A sessions, and book fairs.

"There's so much fun!" said Chen Jinyan, a second-grade elementary student participating in the event for the first time. After trying pitch-pot and poetry quizzes at the plaza and receiving a bookmark as a prize, she said she would invite friends to join her next year. At the summit, Fenghuang Pavilion Square hosted an immersive experience zone titled 'Climbing Appointment, Five Blessings Joy,' featuring sections such as artistic blessings, playful fortune-seeking, market gatherings for blessings, and festive culinary delights. Dragon and lion dances, folk performances, fortune-character touching, and lantern riddles drew long queues of eager participants.

Large-scale intangible cultural heritage folk performance

Cuiping Mountain in Dachuan District presented seven themed experiences under the banner of 'Chinese Style + Intangible Cultural Heritage.' At 8 a.m., the provincial-level intangible heritage Famen Martial Arts performance commenced punctually. During the Chinese-style garden party, costumed NPCs engaged tourists in poetic exchanges and photo check-ins, while storytellers recounted tales of Yuan Zhen and Dazhou. A free camping area offered rest spots with panoramic views of springtime mountain scenery.

In Fushan Town of Dazhou Eastern Economic Development Zone, the Zhenfo Mountain scenic area launched the 'Filial Piety and Goodness, Climbing for Fortune' Spring Festival Cultural Tourism and Consumption Festival, featuring five thematic zones: 'Initiating Blessings through Filial Piety,' 'Gathering Fortune at the Ancient Market,' and more. Visitors who collected all five blessings could enter a lucky draw, solve lantern riddles, experience traditional Confucian etiquette, watch Chinese-style dance performances and teacher-student skits, and participate in interactive activities like cuju (ancient Chinese football), tossing copper coins, and sipping tea while reciting Yuan Zhen's poems.

According to preliminary estimates, more than 300,000 residents across the city participated in the climbing activities that day.

The festive atmosphere extended beyond the mountains. At 7:30 p.m., a grand intangible cultural heritage folk parade unfolded along Jinlong Avenue to the Bashan Grand Theatre. Under the night sky, floats adorned with Yuan Zhen-themed decorations rolled through the streets, followed by vibrant displays of flower lanterns, colorful boat processions, dragon and lion dances. The finale featured fire dragon dances and iron flower forging—a spectacular display offering citizens wishes for prosperity and peace.

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】