Red envelopes holding money, auspicious blessings and souvenir-like ancient currency fall from the sky like confetti as hundreds of hands reach up to grab a piece of luck.

This has been a daily sight during the Spring Festival holiday at the south gate watchtower of Heping ancient town in Shaowu, Fujian province.

Over the holiday, the town transforms into a living stage that brings together tradition, tourism, and everyday local life.

Zhang Long has spent months planning a series of folk performances. This year, he made a risky bet that leans hard into China's intangible cultural heritage, but presents it in ways that prove captivating for modern audiences.

"We can't just repeat the same shows every year, so we have to evolve," says Zhang, who designed the shows for the town's Spring Festival last year.

His gamble paid off. By day, lion dancers and a colorful "god of wealth" procession wander through cobblestone alleys, posing for selfies with visitors. A comedy skit based on a folktale draws laughing crowds into the old opera house.

When darkness falls, the lights cut out completely, and a hush falls over the crowd packed into the square. Then, fire appears.

The "fire pot" performers take the stage with nothing but metal cages of burning charcoal suspended on chains. They swing them in accelerating arcs, creating ember spirals that illuminate the ancient trees and the masked faces of nuo dancers waiting in the wings.

With the performers' complete mastery in controlling the flames, their direction and intensity set off the crowd with gasps and cheers, phones rising in unison.

Nearby, the Thousand Lanterns Fair casts a warm glow over the old streets, and a bonfire draws visitors into a spontaneous dance circle.

A five-minute walk from the performance square, down an alley barely wide enough for three people to pass at once, a different kind of living tradition unfolds before dawn.

Huang Donghua, in his 40s, is already at work by 6 am inside his nearly 200-year-old family tofu shop. Steam rises from a wood-fired cauldron as he prepares the day's first batch of Heping's famous youjiang (stirred-curd) tofu.

For decades, he has stuck to the traditional way of making tofu, without any gypsum, brine, or coagulants. Instead, he uses an aged fermented soy milk starter that has been passed down in his family for eight generations. Whatever starter he uses in a day's production, he replenishes — sustaining the culture inside that wooden vat.

During Spring Festival, Huang works 15-hour days alongside his wife, parents, and occasionally his child. They sell about 5,000 yuan ($725) worth of tofu, soy milk and tofu pudding daily — most of it to visitors who've come specifically to taste the legendary delicacy.

"Why work through the holiday?" Huang repeats the question, wiping his brow near the fire.

"Some people come all this way specifically looking for our tofu. If we weren't here, they'd be disappointed," he says, adding that it's also about carrying on the tradition.

On the first day of the Spring Festival holiday alone, Heping welcomed more than 10,000 visitors, a 5.2 percent increase over the 2025 festival, according to Chen Zhengnan, the town's deputy Party secretary.

"When we talk about a 'living ancient town', this is what we mean," Chen says as he watches the crowd of visitors with a satisfied smile.

"The coexisting residents, the passing down of folk traditions, and the visitor experience have ensured the ancient town maintains its historical depth, as well as the warmth of daily life," he adds.

Chen notes that the mix of old and new has appealed to visitors of all ages.

"Young people love the interactive stuff while older visitors appreciate the heritage performances," he says.

As the bonfire crackles and the fire pot paints spirals of light against the night sky, Zhang Long is thinking about next year.

"I hope we can make it even better," says the performance director.