Universal Rejoicing on the March 3rd Festival

There is little doubt that every ethnic group has its own unique culture that changes over the centuries. If you are a first-time tourist， when you hear the word “Sanyuesan”， the first thing that comes into your mind may be the“Zhuang people”. Indulging in the Zhuang’s March 3rd Festival， you may get lost in the bustling crowds or the fair-sounding love songs. However， if you stop for a moment and get close to other ethnic groups in Guangxi， you may still be able to find more， for the March 3rd Festival carries different meanings among different nationalities. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month， people of Dong， Miao， She and Yao will observe this event by holding various folk activities， which will definitely amaze you once again.

Caitang Dance brightens Miao villages

Undoubtly， the March 3rd Festival is considered as one of the biggest festivals in Miao villages. Since the Qin Dynasty （221-206 BC）， Miao people have once celebrated this festival as a blessing. Nowadays， it has become a combination of tradition， entertainment and tourism， providing a perfect chance for you to experience the varied activities with strong ethnic characteristics.

For the Miao people， Caitang Dance is popular on March 3rd by the lunar calendar and every Miao youth learns the Caitang Dance from childhood. Caitang Dance often takes place in empty space with a group of three people walking in front and three to nine people as guiders. Young men play Lusheng （a kind of reed-pipe instrument） when they sing songs and touch the ground with feet. Around those handsome men， a team of local Miao girls are in charming costumes embroidered with a variety of precision patterns and decorated with the most beautiful silver ornaments. During the performance， youngsters can express their love to girls. Whether you are a man or woman， you will be deeply impressed by the ancient Chinese music and their pure love between Miao youth.

But beyond that， the campfire party is an interesting part of the festival. In the evening， young men and women sit around the campfire and perform the Firewood-Cutting Dance， the Hunting Dance and the Rice-Pounding Dance， reflecting scenes from their daily lives. The local Miao people would treat guests very amicably， especially who have come from afar. Sometimes， the locals will invite you to dance， sing songs and barbecue with them. Immersed in those sweet songs， happy dances and delicious meals， you will fall into a world with cheerful chatting and laughing， which definitely deserves to be a memorable tour.

Other activities of the Miao people include a scramble for lucky firecrackers， bulls， horses and birds fighting， and dragon dancing. Being praised as “the Rugby in the East”， Grabbing Firecrackers has been considered as the most popular and the most exciting game during the festival. On that occassion， seas of people gather in an open space， waiting for the arrival of young players. They stare at the firecracker， then run， catch， jump and bump in accordance with the traditional rules of game. The young men and women around will sing and dance together until the game ends. Finally， the team who puts the firecrackers in the designated place is the winner.

Are you tired of the daily chores or burdened by your heavy workload？ Now please treat yourself with those exhilarating activities that will help you go back in time. For outdoor enthusiasts， there are definitely something that you wouldn’t want to miss！

A solemn pledge of love

Mainly settled in Hunan， Yunnan， Guizhou and Guangxi， Yao ethnic group holds their own unique activities in celebration of the March 3rd Festival， also known as the Ganba Festival in the area of Yao.

At daybreak， some Yao men get up early to go hunting in the mountains and the others go fishing in the river， while the Yao women prepare dinner such as Five-colored Glutinous Rice at home. At nightfall， the villagers return home and get together to divide the beasts and fish amongst themselves according to an average distribution system. In the evening， people sing and dance around a flaming fire， celebrating throughout the night. Of particular note is that， Yao people worship the goddess of rice， the ancestor Pangu， by holding dragon dance ceremony every year on that day， praying for bountiful harvest and property throughout the year.

Historically， the March 3rd Festival was a day to pray for a good harvest， and to offer sacrifice to our ancestors. However， we cannot throw a veil over the fact that it is also a day for young men and women to get to know each other and date. In celebration of the March 3rd Festival， Yao people hold various shows and contests that are often love-themed. Reputed as the “Festival of Love”， the March 3rd Festival provides unmarried Yao people with an opportunity to find their loved ones.

In order to win the women’s hearts， some young men begin to single out the young women they hope to marry someday and begin to sing for them， in an effusive manner. In the eyes of Yao， everyone in their nationality is the most beautiful. In order to win the favor of charming women， young men raise their voice and sing loudly and heartily. When their natural and rhythmic voice touches the heart of the women， the women would respond to them and test their sincerity and brightness.

If the woman is satisfied with her admirer and his music， she will give the man a token and promise to meet again next time， which means they are entering into a romantic relationship. After dating for several times， they may officially announce their engagement.

Their sweet voice adds luster to the valleys， matches pairs of loving couples and makes masters of folk songs. The unique beauty of Yao is beyond words’ power and spreads everywhere in the villages they live in.

In order to win the women’s hearts， some young men begin to single out the young women they hope to marry someday and begin to sing for them， in an effusive manner.

Wishing for a good harvest

“She” in Chinese means using knife and fire. For the She people， the March 3rd Festival is a fantastic opportunity to show their singing talents. In addition to this， they also choose this day to pay tribute to their forefathers. Speaking of She people， we cannot throw a veil over the Wufan （Black Rice） Festival celebrated on March 3rd by the lunar calendar， which has become an integral part of the former. To She people， Wufan Festival is a grand day as important as the Spring Festival. Every family collects the leaves of Wuren Tree （a wild plant in the mountains）， boils leaves till its soup turns black， and then soaks selected glutinous rice into the soup. Because of the preservative effect of Wuren， black rice would not turn sour for several days in the cool and ventilated place. Eating black rice has the symbolic meaning of preparing for the spring sowing and wishing for a good harvest.

The preparatory work for the March 3rd Festival has to be made half a month in advance. Men go to the mountains to hunt and women pound rice at home， and make cakes for the festival. Young women make pretty costumes and gifts for their future lovers. When that day comes， young men and women from neighboring villages get together to date. In the morning， the women wear bright and attractive clothing and wait for the young men who have gone hunting earlier. After returning to the village， the young men tell about their hunting experiences and show their braveness to the women.

She ethnic group still perform strictly their endogamous marriage system till today， while they absolutely prohibit consanguineous marriage. The main purpose is to adhere to the custom their ancestors left and maintain their pure tradition. For thousands of years， She people have been living an isolated life， which partly accounts for the long existence of endogamous marriage system.