Xiaowan Town Festivals and Events
Xiaowan is an ethnic minority town with a multi-ethnic population living together. There are eight ethnic minorities including Yi, Bai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Dai, Wa, Lahu, among them Yi minority has the largest population. Xiaowan Town is mainly rural, entertainment there is less. Here below are several festival and activities related to Xiaowan Town.
Festival in Xiaowan Town
As for ethnic festivals in Xiaowan Town, in addition to the traditional festivals of Han nationality like Spring Festival, the Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival and Tomb Sweeping Festival, etc, the main ethnic minority festival is the Torch Festival.
Torch Festival火把节
The torch festival is an ancient traditional festival of the minorities like Yi(彝族), Bai(白族), Naxi(纳西), Jinuo(基诺族), Lahu(拉祜族). It has profound folk culture connotation and it is called "Oriental carnival". Different ethnic groups hold the torch festival at different times, but mostly on the 24th of the 6th lunar month. The main activities are bullfighting, sheep fighting, cockfighting, horse racing, wrestling, singing and dancing, beauty contest and so on. In Xiaowan Town, the torch festival is not held grandly, students don't have a holiday at this day. Usually, friends and relatives get together and eat a meal to spend the day.
Activities in Xiaowan Town
1. Go to Market
There are several markets in Xiaowan Town. Every morning, vegetable growers go to the market to sell vegetable. It is more hilarious in the morning than afternoon. However, because Xiaowan Town has a small population, coupled with the economy develops slowly, the range of goods sold is not complete. People prefer to go to market in the county seat of Fengqing.
2. Tea Festival
Tea Festival is not held in Xiaowan Town, but in the county seat. Xiaowan Town is not far from Fengqing. In order to strengthen the communication of tea culture and the exchange of economy and trade, Fengqing county holds tea festival every year in May, which has a history of more than 20 years. The tea festival provides a platform for communication, advertising the tea culture of Fengqing, developing tourism resources and promoting economic exchanges and mutual assistance.
3. Visit Ancient Tea Tree and Taste Tea
Xiangzhuqing(香竹箐) of Jinxiu Village has the oldest tea tree with a history of 3200 years. You can visit ancient tea tree there. There is also a small mountain house, you can taste and buy tea picked from the ancient tea tree.
