A photo taken on March 1, 2024, shows a group of children buying perforated stones in Xiangyang Ancient City, Hubei Province. /CFP
A photo taken on March 1, 2024, shows a woman holding a perforated stone in Xiangyang Ancient City, Hubei Province. /CFP
A photo taken on March 1, 2024, shows a woman holding a perforated stone with a child in her arms in Xiangyang Ancient City, Hubei Province. /CFP
A photo taken on March 1, 2024 shows a closer look of a perforated stone in Xiangyang Ancient City, Hubei Province. /CFP
On March 1, the Chuantian Festival commenced in Xiangyang Ancient City, Hubei Province. On this day, people from Xiangyang gather by the Hanjiang River, picking up peculiar-shaped stones from the river's middle reaches on the beach. They thread them with silk threads and wear them to pray for auspiciousness and happiness. Nowadays, the Chuantian Festival has evolved into a large outdoor event for citizens to welcome spring, pray for blessings, and promote the protection of the Hanjiang River.