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Feb 24 marked the official commencement of the Taibo Temple Fair, Wuxi's first temple fair of the Year of Dog. [Photo/WeChat account: meicunrizhi]

Feb 24 marked the official commencement of the Taibo Temple Fair, Wuxi's first temple fair of the Year of Dog.

The temple fair commemorates Wu Taibo, the founder of Wu culture, who is praised for his nobility and humility in giving away his crown to his younger brother. Wu culture is immensely popular in Wuxi and throughout Jiangsu province.

The event attracted almost 180,000 people, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent. The square parade, the fair's most anticipated activity, made its debut after the Taibo Temple Fair was listed as one of China's national intangible cultural heritage programs in September 2014.

The parade features 22 performance troupes, and performances will include the lion dance, waist drum, stilt walking and other local folk art shows. The folk parade stretched 2.5 kilometers around Meili town, Xinwu district, Wuxi.

During the opening ceremony, Meili town announced its plans to cooperate with Zhouzhuang town and Bacheng town in Kunshan, Jiangsu province to develop "all-for-one" tourism.[Photo/wxrb.com]

During the opening ceremony, Meili town announced its plans to cooperate with Zhouzhuang town and Bacheng town in Kunshan, Jiangsu province to develop "all-for-one" tourism. The three ancient towns share a mutual connection through Wu culture.

Xinwu district, Wuxi also signed an agreement with famous online travel agent Tongcheng Tourism, aiming to further develop "all-for-one" tourism through the use of modern technology. Tourists can use Tongcheng's website to look up information on scenic spots and special activities, as well as order tourism itineraries.

The eight-day event will last until the Lantern Festival, and will feature traditional trading fairs, demonstrations of intangible cultural heritages and folk art, and public cultural activities.