Plenty to do in city parks over Qingming

A variety of folk and tourist activities will be presented across the city during the three-day Qingming Festival holiday starting on Friday, Shanghai's tourism authorities announced on Thursday.

The Fengjing Ancient Town in Jinshan District has prepared free qingtuan (sweet green glutinous rice balls) for tourists.

Guangfulin Relics Park in Songjiang District will present traditional blessing ceremonies and stage folk music performances as well as hanfu (traditional Han Chinese dress) parades, according to the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

The Jinshanzui Fishing Village, the city’s only remaining fishing village in Jinshan District, will invite visitors to make qingtuan and learn about folk culture. 

Visitors are also invited to try local fish dishes and participate in fun orienteering activities in the countryside.

The Shanghai Tower and Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, both in the Pudong New Area, are hosting peach blossom-related activities as part of the ongoing Shanghai Peach Blossom Festival. The Shanghai Tower will feature interactive installations, while the Haichang Ocean Park has created peach blossom landscapes under water. Tourists can have free peach blossom makeup.

The Jinjiang Amusement Park in Minhang District will present a light-and-shadow show featuring 3D mapping architecture, a light-and-shadow tunnel and clown parades.

Laowaijie, or Foreigners Street, on Hongmei Road will stage a pet event on Sunday.

The Jinshan City Beach will host a sand sculpture exhibition through the holiday, while the Dongping National Forest Park on Chongming Island will invite visitors to dig up wild herbs and participate in runs.

In Fengxian District, tourists are able to appreciate rape flowers in full bloom, taste local snacks such as shaobing (baked flatbread) and zongzi (glutinous rice dumplings).

Craftsmen will display sugar painting, dough modeling and paper-cuts in Zhuanghang Town in Fengxian, as well as the intangible cultural heritage of the town such as tubu clothes (homespun clothes).

A tulip exhibition is underway at the Shanghai Flower Port in Pudong. Peonies are in full bloom at the Guyi Garden in Jiading.