Festivals and cultural activities

The Tiaogong Festival of the Yi people

The grandest traditional ethnic holiday for the Yi people is the Tiaogong festival, which is held from April 8 to 10 in the Chinese lunar calendar. On those days, all households steam glutinous rice, make rice wine and have a big feast with delicious pork, chicken and duck dishes. Yi people from all mountain strongholds dress themselves up and gather to dance around bamboo, attracting many others from different ethnic groups such as Zhuang, Han, Yao and Miao.

The Drying Clothes Festival in Longsheng of the Yao people

The Drying Clothes Festival kicks off in the Jinkeng village of the Longsheng county on June 6 of the lunar calendar. June 6 is said to be a day when the mythological dragon king dries his dragon robe. On that day, the Yao people will dry all the clothes worn in a year to sterilize viruses and bacteria and eliminate any bad luck from the past. They will also invite friends to their stockaded villages and dance together to celebrate the festival.

The Hajie Festival in Dongxing of the Jing ethnic group

The Hajie Festival is the most ceremonious event for the Jing ethnic group. The word "ha" is transliterated pinyin from the local language and means singing. The date of the festival varies according to different regions. The event opens at the golden beach of Dongxing County every year with a series of activities such as a singing contest, a food event, reunions for a big feast, a folk culture exhibition, an art evening show, and a competition for walking on stilts.

The Torch Festival of Yi people in Longlin

The Torch Festival falls on June 24 of the Chinese lunar calendar in Bake village of De'e Township in Longlin autonomous prefecture in Baise, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. On that day, villagers of the Yi community perform various activities such as singing ethnic songs, playing on the "Damoqiu", a thick bamboo trapeze, and making black faces. They will prepare dishes such as chicken and goose, worship their ancestors and release cuckoos into the environment. At night, the people of the Yi ethnic group gather to dance around a bonfire.

The Panwang Festival of Yao ethnic community

On the 16th day of the 10th month of the Chinese lunar calendar, Yao people -- clad in colorful layers with elaborate embroidery -- gather to sing and dance in celebration of the Panwang Festival, when they worship their mythological ancestor Pan Hu. On May 20, 2006, the Panwang Festival was listed as among the first national-level intangible cultural heritages by the State Council.