Working and Living by the Sun

Located beside Sanmen Bay in the east central part of Zhejiang Province, Sanmen County is known for its intertwined inland and marine cultures. People set store on education and family, the core values of traditional agricultural culture, and revere nature. The winter solstice sacrifice is just a salient example of the coexistence of different cultures.

In Sanmen County, people of the same clan usually live together, forming natural villages. People previously built grand temples for the clan to worship their ancestors. The temples gradually became public venues for clan meetings and activities, such as performances and gatherings. The complicated and grand ceremony of the winter solstice sacrifice in Sanmen reflects people’s reverence of nature and family. It was listed on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2014.