2025 Spring Festival: China's ethnic minorities celebrate Spring Festival
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As the Chinese New Year approaches, traditions are coming alive across the country. Each region is celebrating the holiday with unique customs. Tao Yuan visits an ancient Qiang village in Southwest China's Sichuan Province. 

Rituals to pay respect to Heaven and Earth ahead of the Chinese New Year. 

The Qiang people are one of China's oldest ethnic groups. 

This village called Taoping in southwest China's Sichuan Province keeps alive one of the country's most intact ancient Qiang culture. 

At the heart of their religious world is a spiritual leader called a "Shibi."

MENG ZICHENG Shibi "When this sacred staff is raised, it invokes the favor of the heavens. When struck down, it crushes all demons, evil spirits, and misfortunes."

The Qiang has their own New Year, which falls on each October on the Lunar calendar. 

But the Spring Festival is also celebrated with devotion and care. 

MENG ZICHENG Shibi "The Qiang New Year is our most important festival. But the Spring Festival is the 'Grand New Year' celebrated by the whole nation, and so it's also very important. We've had good weather and smooth seasons this year, and pray for the same blessings in the year to come."

For the locals here, the Spring Festival this year carries special meaning. 

HAN HAILIN Blessing Ceremony Organizer and Team Leader "Last year, the Spring Festival was inscribed as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage. Also, Taoping Qiang Village was selected as one of the 'Best Tourism Villages in the World' by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Additionally, the Qiang New Year was moved from UNESCO's list of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity."

These stone towers are a Qiang cultural icon. 

They used to serve as defensive structures. Now they are a symbol of warmth and reunion, carrying the hopes and traditions of Qiang families. 

Jia Yiyang is making a traditional festival snack called pounded rice crisps. 

JIA YIYANG Taoping Villager "My fondest childhood memory is tied to this treat. As a kid, I always looked forward to the Spring Festival. Every time the Spring Festival approached, I'd watch my mom and grandma making these pastries, and I'd sit nearby, practically drooling in anticipation."

She and her two daughters now live in a nearby city for better education for the children. But they say they still feel more at home in the village where they grew up. 

And the Spring Festival is their most anticipated time of the year. 

CHEN YILAN "I feel free here. And the scenery is beautiful."

CHEN YIHAN "Coming back to experience all this makes us feel connected to our own culture. It fills us with confidence and a sense of pride."

A traditional Sichuan-style "Ba Ba Yan," meaning an outdoor community banquet. 

And songs and dances to welcome the New Year. 

Sichuan Province is an ethnic melting pot. And the people here are increasingly embracing their cultural roots. 

ZHOU ZHIWEI Tibetan Audience Member "The Spring Festival is a significant and grand celebration not just for us Tibetans or the Qiang people, but for all 56 ethnic groups in China. The atmosphere is truly fantastic."

TAO YUAN Taoping Village, Lixian County, Sichuan "This is truly a moment that connects the past and present. For the locals here. The Han, the Qiang, and the Tibetans alike, it's not just a celebration of the new year, but an expression of their history, culture, and hopes for the future. Tao Yuan, CGTN, in Taoping Qiang Village, Sichuan Province."