Ethnic minority group marks tribal festival in China’s southwest

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In southwest China's Yunnan Province, the Naxi ethnic group got together on Sunday for the start of the Sanduo Festival. In Yulong county, the town square was filled with thousands of people, singing, dancing, and honoring the patron deity of their tribes.

The Sanduo Festival dates back more 1,200 years, with origins in the Sanduo God, who is believed to watch over the Yulong Snow Mountain and all its human and animal inhabitants. In his lifetime, Sanduo had been a remarkable warrior and defender and benefactor of his people.

Throughout the centuries, the celebrations have evolved into the most significant annual occasion for the Naxi people to worship their heroes, ancestors, and Mother Nature. Besides worship rituals, the festival also features singing and group dancing from the hunting-gathering days of the Naxi people.

The Sanduo Festival used to fall in the early spring, just ahead of the local sowing season. Since the 1980's, it has been held on the eighth day of the second month, according to China's lunar calendar. The celebrations, including temple fairs and picnics, usually last about a week.

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