Lunar March 3 Festival

People in traditional costume celebrate the March 3rd Festival in Yunyan District of Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province.

Girls in traditional costume celebrate the March 3rd Festival in Yunyan District of Guiyang, capital of southwest China's Guizhou province.

Ethinic Li people:

On lunar March 3 every year, ethnic Li people in Hainan Province hold various shows and contests in celebration of their future harvest. They sing and dance, row dragon boats and hold camp fire parties. Meanwhile, young men and women are free to date on this day. In the morning, the girls wear beautiful clothes and get together to wait for the young men who have gone hunting earlier. After returning to the village, the young men tell the girls about their hunting experiences, describe their braveness and hope to win the girls’ hearts.

Nowadays, the traditional activities have been upgraded to an international coconut festival including trade, investment fairs and tourism business.

Ethnic Zhuang People:

The day of March 3 is a traditional singing festival for the Zhuang ethnic group in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is also called “Song Festival on March 3,” or “Song Fair Festival in March.” During the year there are several regular folk song fairs for the Zhuang people, such as the song fair on January 15, March 3, April 8, and August 15, and of them, the song fair on March 3 is the most celebrated. On this day, Zhuang people cook five-color glutinous rice and red shell eggs to have a hospitable ceremonious treat for their relatives and good friends. The Song Fair usually lasts two or three days, and the antiphonal singing is sung mainly by single young men and women. Boys and girls get to know each other by singing songs together, and if they find each other congenial, they will exchange keepsakes as a sign of promise. Also, there are other interesting activities like throwing embroidered balls, and colliding colored eggs.

By: Ding Yujie

Editor:Wang Nan