Sisters' Meal Festival in Shidong

The Sister's Meal Festival is one of the most important Miao's festival, which usually held on the 15th and the 16th day of the third lunar month each year. For celebrating the festival, Miao people eat sister's meal, stepping on copper drums, and blowing lusheng. And many young villagers come from many remote mountain areas for searching a mate in Shidong. The clothes they wear with unique signature and their hairstyles with a never-ending fashion show.

Preparing for the ceremony

Many Miao people come from villages hidden in mountains near Shidong to jion in this biggest party in a year, Some come by boats or by trucks, while others come by foot. The families carry big baggages, inside with the silver ornaments and the beautiful Miao's unique clothes fro their girls. Because the dressing is too heavy to walk for a long time, they will dress their girls by the riverside when near Shidong. Befor the festival, the grandmothers, mothers and other female relatives will collect of silver neck rings, bracelets, anklets, earrings, hair pins and combs, rings and pendants, phoenix crowns and headpieces for their young courting-age girls.

Their beautiful skirts, blouses, aprons and jackets are decorated with many shining silver ornaments. Pretty necks are encircled with bands of silver and linking silver chains that support large shining lockets, glittering beads and hanging tassels. The girls proudly display their self-made costumes.

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The 1000 people singing and dancing ceremony

As the music and dancing begins, the riverside becomes lively and exciting. The lovely Miao girls walk and dance in the sun and their cheeks burn with excitement while they flirt with handsome young men, each of whom is searching for a beauty worthy of his strength and handsomeness. At the same time, you will find many elders are happily watching the the cock fighting competitions, trading at the daylong markets, etc.

Candle night party

At night, the elders continue to greet their friends, swapping stories and songs, sharing tobacco and wine. And the young lovers wander off as the moon rises high in the night sky. The mountain paths are busy with the sounds of tinkling footsteps and clear melodious voices singing gentle love songs to the tunes of Lusheng pipes. And the sky is full of love.

Visiting villages

In fact, it is the most important event for familes to dress up their teenage girls in Sisters Meal Festival, and it is a great honor for her beauty to be known to villages nearby. Only at this festival! That is the reason why local people packup all silver ornaments and beautiful dress, walk a long way to the party place.

You might following the locals to visit dozens of villages along the Qingshui River in the next 3-4 days, many of them have not been exlored and known to the outside world.

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