The 2022 Futian Walled Village Culture Season was held at Xiasha Square in Futian District on Dec. 21, 2022. People enjoyed intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, games and Chinese folk performances at the event. The annual event aims to showcase the cultural identities of villagers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao who share the same origin and encourage younger generations to learn about the walled village’s history. 

Photos by Liu Xudong, Liu Chaolin

The walled village, dating back to the 15th century in southern Guangdong, was a kind of traditional housing cluster completely surrounded by thick defense walls, protecting residents from attacks from wild animals and enemies. Usually, village inhabitants are families. Nowadays, old walled villages in Futian have become urban villages where locals and migrants from all over the world form unique urban customs and practices.