Huguo Suiliang Wang Temple Fair

The fair grew up around worship at the Temple of the Grain-Protecting King in old Xitang, whose deity is said to guard the land and ensure bountiful harvests; the gathering has continued for centuries and entered the fourth Zhejiang provincial ICH list in June 2012.

During the fair the deity is carried in procession through the town amid rites and folk performances, the lanes lined with stalls and alive with noise as villagers and visitors celebrate together, the finest display of Xitang's urban folklore and festive spirit.

The fair carries the water-country's faith in an agricultural god, its commercial folk life and street culture, and is an important window onto the folk belief and festival tradition of the Hangzhou-Jiaxing-Huzhou region.

The fair is held at the Temple of the Grain-Protecting King and along the lanes of old Xitang.