On the afternoon of August 8, the 2015 Suzhou Luzhi Water Town Women’s Costume Show and Luzhi Lianxiang Dance Competition, hosted by the Luzhi Town People’s Government and organized by the Luzhi Town Party Committee’s Publicity Office, the Town Cultural and Sports Center, and the Town Women’s Federation, was solemnly held in the auditorium of Suzhou Ye Shengtao Experimental Primary School. Xu Hong, a member of the Luzhi Town Party Committee, delivered a speech at the event.

At the event, 312 women from 29 performing troupes—representing the town’s two communities and 16 administrative villages—participated enthusiastically, showcasing their grace and charm. Dressed in the vibrant, captivating attire of Luzhi’s water-town women, they moved to the lively rhythm of the music, spinning colorful lanterns with nimble, agile movements and perfectly synchronized steps, savoring every moment on stage. In the end, after rigorous scoring by a panel of expert judges, five awards were presented: Best Performance, Best Elegance, Best Creativity, Best Heritage, and Most Vibrant.

Since 2005, the annual Luzhi Water‑Town Women’s Costume Exhibition and Competition has been a cherished cultural highlight for the people of Luzhi, widely beloved by the community. It ingeniously blends the national intangible cultural heritage—Suzhou Luzhi Water‑Town Women’s Costume—with another Suzhou‑specific intangible heritage—the Luzhi Lianxiang Dance—creating a distinctive, signature cultural event. At the same time, this cultural brand has steadily expanded its reach, garnering widespread attention and acclaim from all sectors of society. In October 2006, at the invitation of China Central Television, the Chinese Musicians Association, and the Chinese Dancers Association, the Luzhi Lianxiang Dance took part in the CCTV‑2006 Chinese Ethnic and Folk Song and Dance Gala. Subsequently, it was invited four more times by CCTV to perform at major events such as the National Farmers’ Spring Festival Gala. Moreover, in 2008 and 2010, the dance was featured in public‑square performances at venues like the Beijing Olympics and the Shanghai World Expo, successfully showcasing Wu‑region culture rooted in the traditions of Luzhi’s water‑town women’s attire. In September 2012, the Luzhi Lianxiang Dance ventured beyond China, presenting its art in Germany and other locales, thereby spreading the rich and splendid heritage of Chinese folk culture. In June 2014, Luzhi Town hosted the “Colorful Lianxiang·Luzhi Soars” National Lianxiang Dance Invitational Competition; later that year, in September, both the Luzhi Water‑Town Women’s Costume and the Lianxiang Dance graced the stage of CCTV’s “Suzhou Moon·Chinese Sentiment” Mid‑Autumn Festival Gala.

The annual Luzhi‑style cultural event has not only helped to deepen the nationwide fitness movement but has also become a signature cultural brand of the ancient town of Luzhi. It has infused cultural vitality into Luzhi Town’s scientific development strategy of “simultaneous advancement in three sectors, parallel progress in three industries, and integrated tourism,” while adding an enchanting luster to the creation of a new Luzhi—one that is economically strong, prosperous for its people, environmentally beautiful, and socially civilized.