Masks take center stage during the feast of Santo Santiago
Updated 2019.07.26 20:08 GMT+8
CGTN
Dancers wearing masks participate in the "Tastoanes," an indigenous pre-Columbian word for "leaders," a Catholic celebration in veneration of Santo Santiago, in Tonala, Mexico, on July 25, 2019. /VCG Photo
The Dance of the Tastoanes embodies more than three centuries of tradition in the villages of western Mexico. It commemorates an indigenous battle against the Spanish during the Spanish invasion of the area. /VCG Photo
Bizarre masks are a primary element in this annual festival. /VCG Photo
The masks depict human faces deformed by smallpox and sores or animal of the region where the battle between the Spanish and indigenous people took place. /VCG Photo