Local fishermen in Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, East China's Shandong province held a grand celebration on Feb 22 to honor the sea at the Dragon King Temple and pray for a good fishing harvest in the year.

In traditional Chinese culture, the Dragon King rules the seas and fishing, which are vital to fishermen. As a result, it is an important ritual to pray for safety and harvest. 

Dressed in costumes, fishermen go on a parade along with crowds of local villagers on Feb 22 in Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province. They waved colorful flags and beat gongs and drums all the way to the Dragon King Temple, which has over 1,000 years of history, where they held rituals paying tribute to the sea. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com] 

Local yangko performance team plays daganhao during the sacrificial practice in honor of the sea on Feb 22 in Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province. Daganhao, also known as a horn, is a copper-pipe musical instrument without valves or other pitch-altering devices. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]

Performers dressed in costumes pose for a photo during the sacred ritual in honor of the sea on Feb 22 in Laizhou, a county-level city in Yantai, Shandong province. [Photo by VCG/dzwww.com]