Colorful Guizhou celebrates Spring Festival with unique traditions

"Rooster snatching at drum tower" is a wedding custom in Guizhou's Gantuan Dong village for unmarried young people. [Photo/WeChat account of Guizhou Department of Culture and Tourism]

According to the Chinese calendar, the Spring Festival falls on the first day of the first lunar month, marking the beginning of a new year. During the festival period, culturally rich activities are held in Southwest China's Guizhou province, especially in rural areas.

In the Gantuan Dong village of Congjiang county, an ancient wedding custom called "rooster snatching at drum tower" is held annually on the second day of the first lunar month. 

A bride-to-be, accompanied by her friends, carries a long shoulder pole with a rooster tied to one end and a rice basket hanging from the other. Her friends protect the pole with their hands, while the bride-to-be encourages young men interested in her to snatch the rooster.

During the Spring Festival, Miao people in Anshun's Guanling area gather to celebrate the Flower Tree Festival. This festival is believed to bring good fortune to the family and bring blessings to those who participate.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the Miao people of Guoli village in Longli county hold a grand cave jumping ceremony to worship and pray for the New Year. Regardless of region or clan, they gather in a cave to sing, dance, and play the lusheng, celebrating a good life and praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year.

Miao people worship the bridge during the Spring Festival. [Photo/WeChat account of Guizhou Department of Culture and Tourism]

The Bridge Worship Festival is one of the biggest festivals in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture. On this day, local Miao people dress in their finest clothes and prepare offerings to worship the bridge.

During the ceremony, it is considered an auspicious sign if they encounter passersby stepping on the bridge for the first time. The hosts will offer them wine and gifts of colored eggs and glutinous rice.