A city wall and memory lane

Light shows and heavy meals make Xi'an's Spring Festival special.

And ancient traditions in Shaanxi's capital - my hometown - have been upgraded by technology in ways that make them even more enjoyable.

I remember the light shows of my childhood, and enjoy them every year that I return for our annual family reunion.

The nearly 14-kilometer city wall is one of China's best-preserved fortifications.

It has attracted travelers from around the world, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 and former US first lady Michelle Obama in 2014.

Daytime visitors stroll or bike atop the bulwark to take in the views. The wall is lit at night, turning it into a golden ring.

Xi'an's main light show has been staged on the southern side of the wall since 1984, starting before the holiday and climaxing on the 15th day of the first lunar month.

When I was a child in the 1990s, my mother took me to see the myriad lanterns and solve the riddles printed on them.

But I discovered something new when nostalgia compelled me to return this year - nine big lanterns featured augmented reality.

You could download an app to "capture" the lantern, which then appears as an on-screen animation. You can then put it into photos with other backgrounds.

Also, a cartoon soldier from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) clad in bronze armor will jump out on your screen to present a riddle.

If you guess the correct answer, you can enter a lucky draw for small prizes.

"This is our first time using this AR technology," says Ma Xuechao, a member of the Xi'an City Wall Scenic Area Management Committee.

"It'll reduce overcrowding, since people won't need to squeeze in to get in front of the lanterns."

Last year, China Central Television used the wall as a backdrop for its Spring Festival Gala - one of the country's most-watched TV events.

Ma says managers had to limit admittance, since the south gate area can accommodate a maximum of 100,000 people.

Light shows have proliferated in the city in recent years, especially at top tourism sites like the plaza fountain in front of the iconic Big Goose Pagoda and in the 2011 Xi'an International Horticultural Exposition Park.

Xi'an also enjoys a dining advantage during the Spring Festival, given the primary role food plays in the celebrations.

While many small restaurants around the country are closed during the period, the Muslim quarter - known as Hui Fang - does brisk business, as the area's ethnic Hui don't observe the festival like the Han.

It has been a celebrated spot to dine during the celebrations for hundreds of years.

This neighborhood south of the drum tower in the city's center hosts hundreds if not thousands of eateries.

The fang in its name is a term for "administrative district" in the Tang Dynasty, when Xi'an - then known as Chang'an - served as the national capital and welcomed foreigners from Central Asia traversing the Silk Road.

Over the centuries, their descendants settled in the city, largely congregating in this neighborhood.

Perhaps the most iconic - and one of my favorite - local dishes is yangrou paomo, or bread crumbled into mutton stew.

Diners tear round unleavened loafs into chunks and then hand their bowls to cooks, who stew them into thick broth with mutton and noodles.

The involved preparation process makes the experience a great opportunity to talk with your tablemates.

My father has always advised me to rip the bread into as tiny of crumbs as I can.

This not only makes the meal tastier but also creates more time for chatting.

I couldn't agree more.

After all, family reunions are what Spring Festival is really about.

xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn

Top: The light show on Xi'an's city wall climaxes on Saturday's Lantern Festival. Above left: A Hui man grills kebabs in the Muslim quarter of Xi'an. Above right: Chicken hair clips have become a popular souvenir, as 2017 is the Year of the Rooster. Photos By Xing Yi / China Daily And Provided To China Daily