Colorful carnival celebrates diversity

Moved by the cheerful rhythm of song and dressed in a traditional costume, Chen Chuanqian, along with many others from different ethnic groups, sang and danced in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province. At 9:30 am on May 18, thousands of people from various ethnic groups from all over Guizhou gathered and paraded in Guiyang. Wearing different costumes, they assembled on a parade square, playing a traditional musical instrument known as the lusheng (reed-pipe flute), banging gongs and drums, and singing and dancing.

The parade route stretched more than 2 kilometers in the downtown area and served as a "mobile grand stage" for showcasing the ethnic cultures' diversity.

Hu Xiaohua, a 56-year-old resident at the front of the crowd, enjoyed the show, saying that "I'm particularly impressed seeing such a grand event in the central urban area".

The event's director, Tang Huang, says that, themed around ethnic unity and collective celebration, the carnival not only focused on showcasing the colorful ethnic cultures of Guizhou, but also aimed to let more people see the open, confident and vibrant side of Guizhou.