Drying Clothes Festival Will Be Celebrated in July 6

This year, the Drying Clothes Festival will be held from July 6 to July 7. The festival is annually held in the sixth day of the sixth month of the Chinese lunar calendar by the the Red Yao people, one of the most important groups of the Yao minority in China, who live in the Tiantou Village and Dazhai Village, where is embraced by the beautiful Jing Keng Terraced Rice Fields. By the time, many tourists and photographers will flock there to celebrate this special festival with the local Yao people.

According to the legend of the Yao people, the sixth day of the sixth month of the Chinese lunar calendar is the day when the Dragon King put his garments out in the sun. It is also the second important festival (the first one is Spring Festival) in the Jing Keng area in Multinational Autonomous County of Longsheng. During the day, every family put their beautiful red garments out in their windows, corridors and open courtyards to exterminate bacterium and get rid of the ill- fortune. The married-off daughters and matrilocal sons bring their children and take ducks, wine and some other gifts back their parents home to make Zongzi (sticky rice dumpling wrapped by the reed/bamboo leaves) and enjoy the family reunion dinner. The villagers singing, dancing, making sacrifices to their ancestors and the oldest rice terraced fields, or holding bonfire party to celebrate the festival. Tourists can see (or participate in) many interesting things, such as spinning show, embroidery show, combing long hair show, weave straw sandals, weaving show, Yao cuisine and culture displaying, the folk customs show of red Yao and the like.

Note: The Jing Keng area is commonly known as Jing Keng Terraced Rice Fields. It is the starting point for hiking to Ping'an Village (a Zhuang people's village, where is also embraced by breathtaking terraced rice fields). Tourists can take bus from Guilin (about 3 hours) to Dazhai to enjoy the festival and then hike to Ping'an Village in the next day.