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Dragon dance is an important Chinese New Year’s ritual in Deqing.
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There was a time when pork was a treat worthy of a year’s wait in China’s countryside; individuals raised small numbers of pigs, and butchering a hog was a big deal.
And in Deqing County of Zhejiang province, having pork at lunar year’s end was then a meal that was taken seriously. The pig butchered during Chinese New Year’s was called “year pig” (nian zhu 年猪), and the meal that included dishes made from that pork was called the “year pig meal” (nian zhu fan 年猪饭).
People living in the mountainous Deqing, a drive of about two hours from Shanghai, retain their custom of the “year pig meal,” with 12 courses, including seven with pork.
“Butchering a pig was part of the ceremony of celebrating Chinese New Year,” says Jin Yaying, who lives in Houwu Village of Deqing.
Even today, the farmers “never buy pork to make the meal, but butcher pigs they feed,” says Jin. Also, the fresh vegetables served in the meal are for the most part raised by the farmers themselves.
As the custom still exists in mountain enclaves like Houwu and Miaoqian villages in Deqing, the local tourism bureau has developed packages — from now till February — that include the ceremony and the “year pig meal.”
The packages also include related and nearby activities, such as making local round dumplings, touring Mogan Mountain and visiting local hot springs.
The “year pig meal” includes Mogan-style pork braised in soy sauce, a classical pork dish; pork braised with preserved vegetables; braised pig intestines; soup of tofu and pig blood pudding; broth of pig tails; and several vegetable dishes.
The local government has regulated the menu of the “year pig meal” in uniformity among all restaurants in Deqing, both in courses and prices, so travelers can freely choose any restaurant.
Making round dumplings is a tradition in many rural villages in south China. The round dumplings, made from flour and glutinous rice powder, usually are green because vegetables are added to the mix.
While many other places use herbs to add the color, Deqing villagers use ground pumpkin leaves to dye the dough green and add fresh flavor.
“It’s because we grow many pumpkins,” says villager Ding Yue. “Pumpkin leaf is refreshing but not very watery, so it’s easy to blend in the dough.”
Tourists are encouraged to make their own dumplings with villagers’ help, blending flour, glutinous rice powder and ground pumpkin leaves to make the dough, then pinching off a piece, kneading it flat, and adding stuffing — which can be sweet if using red bean paste or salty if using minced bamboos and preserved vegetables. The last step is to knead it into a round dumpling and then steam it.
Those who visit often tour Mogan Mountain during the day. The mountain is a scenic area renowned for its lofty bamboo and scenic views. Tourists can hike or bike among the hills.
There are also a lot of “happy farmer houses,” or nong jia le. These simple accommodations are usually run by farmers. The dozens of hotels that dot the mountain are often called by locals “fancy farmer houses” which have sprung up as Deqing’s countryside tourism economy has grown. They are situated in rustic areas but have high-quality service. Unlike standard luxury hotels, they provide a close-to-nature experience and a cozy home-like atmosphere.
Some tourism packages include a stay at a happy farmer house.
But there are also many other activities for tourists, such as pork barbecue feasts at “fancy farmer houses,” campfire parties held on the square of Houwu Village, making rice cake at happy farmer houses and the “year pig” ceremony.
Also, the bicycle-themed restaurant/café/bar called Share provides Western food, and Qingjing Cultural Park provides a Taiwan-style Chinese New Year’s meal that’s a good option for groups. They both are in Moganshan Village.
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