New Year Festival of Miao Ethnic People

The New Year Festival of the Miao nationality is a grand and boisterous festival in celebration of bumper harvest held by the Miao ethnic people in the southeast of Guizhou Province. People of the Miao nationality in different areas hold their New Year Festival in different times, mainly from the 9th month of the lunar year to the first month of the lunar year, which last 3, 5 or 15 days. The New Year Festival of the Miao nationality is the finish of farm work and the beginning of pleasure. Before the New Year Festival, people of the Miao nationality are busily preparing for the New Year Festival, especially for a very bumper dinner. Besides killing pigs and slaughtering sheep, they will prepare enough glutinous rice wine and sweet wine. In 2009, New Year Festival of the Miao nationality in Danzhai County of in the southeast of Guizhou is ranked into the second batch of national-level intangible cultural heritage protection list.

Miao Girl

Celebrating New Year Festival

Lovely Kid

The New Year Festival of the Miao nationality is famous in Kaili, Majiang, Leishan, Danzhai and Huangping. In Danzhai County, New Year Festival of the Miao nationality is popular in Nangao village in the north, Xingren Town in the northeast, Paitiao Town in the southeast, Yangwu village and Yahui village. During the festival, people of Miao nationality are in splendid attire and they hold a number of grand Lusheng meetings, playing reed-pipe wind instruments and drums to their hearts’ content. The main activities include killing pigs, making glutinous rice crust, worshipping ancestors, dancing Lusheng, bullfighting, birds fighting, shooting, rod-climbing and singing competition, which is boisterous and exciting.