✨ Have you ever seen a dragon dance? In Shiqian, a town in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, the Gelao ethnic group celebrates the Maolong Festival with amazing dragon dances to welcome the Lantern Festival! 🐉🏮
The Lantern Festival is a traditional Chinese celebration that happens on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese calendar. It’s a time when families get together, light colorful lanterns, and enjoy sweet rice balls called tangyuan. Yum! 🍡
The Maolong Festival is extra special because it’s a national intangible cultural heritage—that means it’s an important tradition that needs to be preserved. This festival started over 1,000 years ago during the Tang Dynasty! 😮
During the festival, local people from 68 different teams perform dragon dances. Imagine more than 10,000 spectators watching as the dragons weave and dance through the streets! The dragon dances are meant to bring good luck and wish for a great harvest in the coming year. 🌾
The Gelao people love to share their culture, and the Maolong Festival is a fantastic way to experience it. If you ever visit China during the Lantern Festival, don’t miss the chance to see these incredible performances! 🎉
Reference(s):
Maolong Festival of Gelao ethnic group greets Lantern Festival
cgtn.com
