Rural Wudang celebrates ethnic festival

A folk singing competition is staged at the Sanyuesan folk culture festival in Xinbao Bouyei township in Wudang district on April 22. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

Ethnic groups in Xinbao Bouyei township in Wudang district, Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, celebrated the Sanyuesan folk culture festival on April 22 with romantic songs, dances and traditional feasts.

The Sanyuesan or Shangsi Festival is celebrated on the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar and fell on April 22 this year. 

Boys and girls perform a traditional dance at the opening ceremony of the Sanyuesan folk culture festival. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

The traditional Chinese festival, particularly popular in gathering areas of Bouyei, Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong and Mulao ethnic groups in Southwest China, is when the Bouyei ethnic group worships ancestors and prays for a good harvest and peaceful life. 

The festival included a series of activities such as a folk singing competition, a balance bike competition, a village basketball game, a spring market, and an evening gala, immersing visitors in the local culture.

Women dressed in traditional ethnic clothes perform during the Sanyuesan folk culture festival. [Photo/Guiyang news network]

On the same day, several scenic spots in the township also launched a series of activities revolving around Shangsi Festival customs, such as a feast of pork cuisines at long table at the Maple Leaf Valley scenic area. 

The township in Wudang district aimed to use the festival as an opportunity to promote its culture and enhance its overall influence and reputation.