A dragon dance is performed at a festival in Dongsha Ancient Town in Zhoushan, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

A festival showcasing Zhejiang culture was recently held in Dongsha Ancient Town in Zhoushan, an island city in Zhejiang province.

More than 1,000 local residents and visitors enjoyed local cuisines and folk performances.

Artworks of every kind were displayed, showcasing the unique craftsmanship in the province's many different cities, including Longquan's famous celadons and Daishan county's famous fishing nets. 

"The traditional craftsmanship we inherited from our ancestors should not be lost, so we have to try our best to protect and promote it," said Wang Guoding, who makes traditional fishing rope knots in Daishan county.

Wang Guoding makes a fishing rope knot, a well-known traditional handicraft in Daishan county. [Photo/zj.zjol.com]

Wang now has a decorative fishing-rope store in Dongsha. He also offers a class teaching youngsters about the craft.

Dongsha was once a famous fishing port in Zhoushan, and its prosperous fishing trade led to the formation of a strong fishing culture.

"Daishan is currently working to organize various cultural and tourist activities related to local culture, hoping to build Dongsha into a themed culture town," said Chen Yuyan, deputy director of the county's tourism administration.

Statistics shows that Dongsha has attracted around 115,000 visitors this year, up 15 percent year on year, generating tourism revenue of 28.75 million yuan ($4.18 million), up 13.2 percent year on year.

The town's tourism development model was selected as being among China's top 10 practices for integrating tourism and culture in 2019.