In southeast China, people from the Miao ethnic group are celebrating their annual "Flower Leaping Festival." Opening last weekend, the celebrations have been gathering momentum in southwest China's Guizhou Province.

In the region of Liupanshui, a place name literally meaning "the Six Bends of Waters", the old and young of the Miao people are gussying up in their bold-colored costumes. Holding cups brimming with the local brew, they belt out age-old mountain songs, greeting guests and visitors from far and wide.

"The festival is not something staged for a show. It's so natural and organic, and all of us enjoy it," Liu Jianzhou, a tourist from the neighboring Yunnan Province, said. Since the festival got underway, more 50,000 people have arrived in Liupanshui to join the fun.

According to local customs, the springtime celebrations used to serve as an important occasion for the young people of the Miao ethnic group. In the midst of the dancing, singing, and drinking, the young adults would find their sweethearts.

Nowadays, the festival has shifted its stress onto celebration, and some adaptions have been made to cater to the growing influx of tourists. By its conclusion, the "Flower Leaping Festival" expects to entertain more than 100,000 visitors.