Each year, Quzhou in Zhejiang province marks Start of Spring, the first of China's 24 solar terms, with "Jiuhua's Start of Spring Ceremony", a millennia-old tradition rooted in Jiuhua township's Miaoyuan village.

On Feb 4, for this year's Start of Spring, the square in front of the Wutong Ancestral Hall in Miaoyuan village was bustling with visitors from home and abroad, as villagers gathered to welcome spring with traditional rituals, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests.

The festivities began with the temple bell chiming 24 times and drums hammering out 24 beats. The highlight of the ceremony, "whipping the spring ox", saw farmers symbolically sow seeds and whip an ox, marking the start of spring plowing.

Miaoyuan village in Quzhou, Zhejiang province hosts a traditional ceremony to welcome Start of Spring, the first of China's 24 solar terms. [Photo/Tide News]

Expat student Gao Yuan from Kazakhstan, who captured the event on his phone, said, "This experience is precious, and I plan to bring more friends next year."

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the inclusion of China's 24 solar terms, including representative folk activities such as "Jiuhua's Start of Spring Ceremony," on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Online and offline activities were also held to expand the festivities, including a two-month "Spring Comes" online cultural exchange and various local events such as a themed fair and a photo exhibition, creating a citywide Start of Spring celebration.