13. My Fairyland Village

Our village hosts The Children's Theatre Fayre

The International Children’s Book Illustration exhibition is held over the Town Hall offices and the flag of each country participating is set out.

The name of my village probably means nothing to the millions of Chinese living in China, however, around here it’s known as “The Fairyland Village” because its walls are painted with murals of fairy tales. But that is only one of the reasons- it is also so famed because every winter an international exhibition of children books illustrators place their originals on show and people come from all over the world to see it. Alongside this exhibition, on the last Sunday of November and the first of December, the streets that lead to the centre are closed because this is when the village takes on the semblance of fairyland and hordes of children, far more than those from “The Piper of Hamilen” throng every street, alley way, back yard, garden, path, trail and lane, taking part in the activities set up in every corner.

These days are called the “The Children’s Theatre Fayre”, so named because throughout this winter period there is a children’s theatre set up beside the church under a huge tent where hundreds of children come to see the shows from all the schools around and beyond. Walking through the village centre on any school morning during winter one can hear the roars of children as they are entertained by the theatre people. And all this began because a group of us locals got together and set up the whole thing more than a score of years back… and now we are famous, at least around here we are, which, after all, is what matters since each one of us can create a kingdom of our own.