Miao ethnic group celebrates Chiyou Festival in Guizhou

Danzhai's Chiyou Festival is a feast of Miao culture. [Photo/colorful Guizhou network]

The 2024 Danzhai Chiyou Festival's folk cultural activities kicked off on Nov 21 in Danzhai county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. Activities included bullfighting, traditional games, an ethnic medicine culture exhibition, and song and dance dramas.

Danzhai is located in the western part of Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture. Its cool climate, rich natural resources, unique geographical location, and abundant products make it an ideal vacation destination. Its profound historical heritage has also nurtured a diverse ethnic culture.

The county boasts eight national-level, 22 provincial-level, and 41 prefectural-level intangible cultural heritage items, such as Miao batik, papermaking, and the Miao Jinji Dance.

Every year, on the second Ox Day of the tenth lunar month, representatives of the Miao ethnic group in Danzhai dress in festive attire and gather at the Chiyou Temple in Yangsong village, Yangwu town.

They conduct sacrificial activities following millennia-old traditions to express their love for nature, reverence for their ancestors, and prayers for health and well-being.

To allow tourists to experience the Chiyou activities, Danzhai has moved the grand ceremony to the more populated Danzhai Wanda Town. This effort aims to bring their ethnic culture to more people, enhance the influence of the Chiyou activities, and promote Miao traditional culture.

Danzhai has preserved many historical relics and traditional villages and is rich in intangible cultural heritage. It has integrated its unique culture with tourism, allowing visitors to enjoy a diverse travel experience.