Hechi holds cultural event to celebrate harvest

A cultural event to celebrate bountiful harvests kicked off in Baying village, Baochou town, Donglan county, Hechi, on Nov 22, the 10th day of the 10th lunar month. 

That morning, people of the Zhuang ethnic group gathered in Baying village to showcase their ethnic costumes, sing and dance. The main activities included customs that celebrate the harvest with bronze drums and thank the ancestors.

Other activities that took place in Baying village included fun agricultural competitions, such as carrying loads, catching ducks while blindfolded, rolling pumpkins, catching fish, plowing the land, and spinning tops.

The purpose of this themed event was to promote the agricultural customs of the Zhuang ethnic group. It also aims to further highlight the brand effect of the Baochou town's agricultural tourism.

Baochou town is the birthplace of the Maguai Festival, a national intangible cultural heritage item, and it is the core area of the Bronze Drum Culture (Hechi) Ecological Protection Zone. The town has always had a strong folk culture atmosphere, and on market days and holidays, the villagers would spontaneously organize folk cultural activities, such as singing folk songs, playing bronze drums, and performing the Maguai dance.

Wei Defu, Party chief of Baochou town, introduced that in recent years, the town has relied on its profound ethnic cultural resources to continue the tradition of celebrating bountiful harvests on the 10th day of the 10th lunar month. This event has attracted about 300,000 domestic and international tourists, driving tourism consumption to reach 8 million yuan ($1.1 million) in total.

Locals play bronze drums to welcome tourists in Bachou town. [Photo/Guangxi Daily]