A special banquet featuring 11 lychee dishes was held in Panxi Restaurant in Liwan district, Guangzhou on July 18.

In addition to the banquet, a series of folk cultural activities were given which provided a great opportunity for Guangzhou residents and visitors to experience the Xiguan culture. Xiguan used to be a traditional area in Guangzhou, located west of the old walled city, and now forms most of the city's Liwan district. Over the years, it has developed a distinctive culture.

The special lychee-themed banquet shows the rich historical and regional characteristics of Liwan district. [Photo/Nanfang plus]

It has been a tradition for Liwan district to hold cultural activities to promote its Xiguan heritage on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month, which fell on July 18 this year.

This year's events were held jointly by Liwan's cultural business development center and Panxi Restaurant. Through repeated selection of lychee varieties and trials with other ingredients, the banquet offered special Hongyunyan with rich historical and regional characteristics, and invited people from all walks of life to enjoy the lychee taste and promote the lychee culture.

It's said that Liu Chang, a king of the Southern Han Dynasty (917-971), used to hold a banquet to entertain his ministers and concubines in Tangli Garden, Guangzhou's Liwan district, whenever lychee would ripen. Due to the vast swathes of the territory covered with red and sweet lychee, the feast got its name of Hongyunyan, literally meaning 'Red cloud feast'.   

People in ancient costumes enjoy the Hongyunyan banquet on July 18. [Photo/Nanfang plus]

A chef shows off a distinctive dish made for the banquet on July 18. [Photo/Nanfang plus]