Sui ethnic group celebrate Duan Festival in Guizhou

People in Guilan Sui township of Duyun, Guizhou province, perform Lusheng dance to cerebrate the annual Duan Festival. [Photo by Lu Xiaoshuang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

People in Guilan Sui township of Duyun, Guizhou province, gathered on Monday for a grand celebration of the Duan Festival which included folk-custom rituals, festival parade, bullfight and Lusheng (reed pipes) performances.

The Duan Festival starts during the twelfth month and ends during next year's second month of the Sui calendar, with a duration of 49 days. It is one of the longest festivals in China, one where the Sui people offer sacrifices to their ancestors and celebrate the harvest and the coming of the new year.

In 2006, the Duan Festival was added to the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Zhao Yandi contributed to this story.

Traditional Sui sacrifice ceremony is held during the Duan Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

People of Sui ethnic group perform Lusheng dance to celebrate the annual Duan Festival. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Villagers and tourists watch a bullfight on Sept 25. [Photo by Zhao Yunmei/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

People of Sui ethnic group perform Lusheng dance to celebrate the annual Duan Festival. [Photo by Xiao Wei/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A tourist enjoys lanmenjiu, a kind of local rice wine, in Guilan Sui township of Duyun, Guizhou province. [Photo by Lu Xiaoshuang/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]