A centuries-old folk tradition from Shanghai took center stage last week at La Merce Festival, one of Barcelona's biggest cultural celebrations, as performers carrying giant bamboo lanterns rolled, spun and danced their way through the Spanish city.

The Fengxian Rolling Lantern, with a history of more than 700 years, brought a distinctive taste of Shanghai to the festival, combining dance, acrobatics and feats of physical strength.

"It brings the real Shanghai. It brings the rooted culture and history of Shanghai to the most traditional festival in Barcelona," said Esteve Carames, director of cultural programs at the Barcelona Institute of Culture, the municipal body responsible for organizing La Merce.

For Carames, the performance also offered audiences an opportunity to discover a side of Shanghai that can be less familiar internationally.

"They explain to us how the people in Shanghai are and what the traditions in Shanghai are," he said. "This is very valuable for us."

The spectacle quickly won over festivalgoers, many of whom were encountering the tradition for the first time.

Barcelona resident Diana said she was struck by the performers' expressions and their control of the lanterns.

"I was amazed," she said, recalling one performer manipulating a large lantern using his mouth. "I was not expecting that."

Australian tourist Daniel, who plans to visit Shanghai next April, described the performance as "absolutely amazing and spectacular", highlighting the costumes, choreography, music and fireworks.

"It's definitely added to my excitement about going to Shanghai," he said, describing the performance as "one of a kind".

A tradition born by the water

The Fengxian Rolling Lantern originated in what is now Shanghai's Fengxian district, along the northern shore of Hangzhou Bay. In ancient times, when the coastal area was frequently affected by flooding, local communities performed with rolling lanterns as part of rituals seeking protection from water-related disasters.

Over generations, the practice gradually moved beyond its ritual origins and became a popular form of entertainment during festivals and harvest celebrations.

Made primarily from bamboo, the lantern consists of inner and outer spherical structures, allowing it to roll and rotate while maintaining its shape. Its large size traditionally caused crowds to make way as performers approached, earning it the popular descriptions "king of lanterns".

The folk art blends intricate movements with considerable strength and control. One of its most challenging techniques is "Spider Spinning Silk", in which a performer grips a strip of cloth with their teeth to control the lantern, while rotating their body in sync with it.

The Fengxian Rolling Lantern was added to China's national list of intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

A dialogue between traditions

Wang Jing, an official with the Fengxian District Culture and Tourism Bureau, said La Merce was a particularly fitting setting because the Barcelona celebration and the rolling lantern both have deep roots in popular festivities.

"This is not a one-way cultural showcase, but a dialogue between folk traditions on an equal footing," Wang said.

The performance was specially adapted for Barcelona, she added, incorporating elements intended to connect with the atmosphere and traditions of the local festival.

For Wang, taking the rolling lantern overseas is also a way of showing that Shanghai's identity extends beyond its familiar image as a modern metropolis.

"Modernization and traditional culture are not opposites in Shanghai. They coexist," she said. "Modernization is Shanghai's face, while intangible cultural heritage and folk traditions are its underlying character."

The reaction on Barcelona's streets appeared to underline that ability of folk culture to travel across borders.

Trang Bui, a tourist from Vietnam, said the performance allowed her to "feel the spirit of Chinese people", while British newlyweds Vince and Amanda from Folkestone, who came across the festivities during their honeymoon, described the rolling lantern as colorful, unexpected and "absolutely amazing".

Carames said that despite their geographical distance and different traditions, Shanghai and Barcelona share characteristics as major coastal cities, and both attach importance to culture.

"We feel like we are close in our traditions and our ideas of how important culture is," he said.