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Summary The tradition of building castells -human towers- at festivals in Catalonia has a long history.
More than 200 “castell” practitioners from Catalonia, a region of Spain, presented a human tower spectacle at Central Square on Nanjing Road. It was the China debut of the group “La Colla Vella de Valls” and also a part of the start of Catalonia Week at the Expo.The tradition of building castells -human towers- at festivals in Catalonia has a history of more than 300 years. The group is the oldest among the six major castell groups in Catalonia.A castell is a human tower traditionally built during festivals in many places in Catalonia, Spain. At these festivals, several teams meet and try to build the most impressive towers they can.A castell is considered a success when everyone has climbed into place, the enxaneta (the last one) climbs up to the top, raises one hand (with four fingers erect, said to symbolize the stripes of the Catalan flag), climbs down the other side of the castell, and then everyone else comes down safely.Besides the people who actually climb, many are also needed to form the pinya (the base of the castell). They help sustain the weight and act as a sort of safety net.Besides the people who actually climb, many are also needed to form the pinya. They help sustain the weight and act as a sort of safety net.
