Culture
22:29, 20-Feb-2018
Pristine Yunnan: Celebrating Munao Zongge Festival with the Jingpo people
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The Munao Zongge Festival is an important festival for the Jingpo ethnic group, a people who largely reside in southwest China.
Dubbed the “dance of paradise,” the festival falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and is the most important music pageant for the Jingpo people. It was even listed as one of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritages in 2006.
Known as the home of the festival, Longchuan County has about 10,000 Jingpo people, accounting for one-third of the ethnic group's population in China.
Jingpo men perform sword dance at Jingpo Park in Longchuan County. /CGTN Photo
Jingpo men perform sword dance at Jingpo Park in Longchuan County. /CGTN Photo
Thousands take part in the festival each year, coming together to celebrate and pray for a good harvest.
The traditional Jingpo performance includes a sword dance, popular among the men.
Jingpo women perform Yinpao dance at Jingpo Park. /CGTN Photo
Jingpo women perform Yinpao dance at Jingpo Park. /CGTN Photo
Meanwhile, the Yinpao dance emphasizes the beauty of the Jingpo women and their unique costumes. The design symbolizes the scales of a dragon from Jingpo folklore.
The Jingpo have a rich cultural heritage through their own language, music, and folk customs. For instance, the song "Password of the Mountains," performed in the video by the Jingpo Boys, expresses their respect for nature.
2398km