Large crowds of visitors enjoyed moments of splashing water on each other and playing water games at Qixian Square in Baoting Li and Miao autonomous county on Aug 7, as the annual Water Splashing Festival kicked off in the county.
Every year on the Qixi Festival, also known as China's Valentine's Day, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese lunar calendar, Baoting's Qixian Square is packed with visitors for this traditional water-themed celebration.
The opening ceremony of the Water Splashing Festival is held in Qixian Square of Baoting Li and Miao autonomous county on Aug 7. [Photo/hinews.com]
Since 2000, Baoting has successfully held 18 Water Splashing Festivals. The event has become the most popular cultural calling card of the county and is a platform to showcase Baoting's tourism resources, Li and Miao ethnic cultures, as well as local economic development.
This year's event features a special ceremony to "fetch the holy water", an opening ceremony, a singing and dance gala, a splashing water activity, an event promoting exchanges between ethnic groups in Taiwan and Hainan, sports competitions, as well as an intangible cultural heritages exhibition. In addition, a special sales exhibition of local distinctive products was also arranged at the festival.
The event focuses on spreading Li and Miao ethnic cultures, as well as boosting cultural and people-to-people exchanges between Hainan and outside of the province. It strives to improve Baoting's image while contributing to the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Zone and Free Trade Port with Chinese characteristics, according to officials from Baoting Li and Miao autonomous county.
People splash water onto each other as a blessing. [Photo/hinews.cn]
Members of the Li and Miao ethnic groups perform a distinctive traditional dance at the festival on Aug 7. [Photo/hinews.cn]
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