The Sanyuesan Festival of Li and Miao nationalities in Hainan

（People's Daily Online）  08:50, April 17, 2013  

Edited and translated by Wang Lili, People's Daily Online

The Sanyuesan Festival is a local Li and Miao festival. It is celebrated in spring, on March 3rd （the lunar calendar）, and provides unmarried young people an opportunity to find their loved ones. I had the pleasure to visit Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County and had a good time with Li and Miao people.

Qiongzhong Li and Miao Autonomous County is located in the middle of QiongDao. The terrain is high in southwest and low in northeast and tilts from southwest to northeast. Within the territory, there are 52 mountains at an altitude more than 1,000 meters. It is home to the Wuzhishan Mountain, the Yinggeling Mountain, the Diaoluoshan Mountain, the Limuling Mountain and the Baimaling Mountain.

Li is the most populous nationality which makes up approximately a half of the population in Qiongzhong. Li people celebrate the festival on on March 3rd to pay homage to ancestors and pray for a better life.

On that day, young boys and girls from nearby settlements get together in bright and attractive clothing. They hold hands and sing songs, do bamboo pole dancing, and have their dates in houses that are shaped like boats. At the break of dawn, they give each other a token, and promise to meet again next year.

What a beautiful tradition.

You can feel the unique mountainous ethnic and strong festival atmosphere, expansive national amorous feelings and sweet happiness feelings here.