Maguai Festival in Donglan draws global attention

On March 11, the Maguai Festival took place in Baying village, Baochou town, Donglan county. The event attracted over 60,000 visitors to experience the mysterious folk culture and participate in the festive celebration.

The Maguai Festival, prevalent in the Hongshui River basin of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, was listed as a national-level intangible cultural heritage in 2006 and has now evolved into a grand folk festival. Residents hold activities during the festival yearly to pray for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, and prosperity.

Many visitors from different provinces and regions, such as Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Guizhou, and Sichuan, and a visiting group of 102 people from Taiwan participated in the celebration. Guo Tianming, an influencer from Northeast China, expressed his excitement about the festival and shared the experience with his followers through live streaming, which received an enthusiastic response.

International students from 11 countries, including the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Iran, Vietnam, Iraq, and Pakistan, also eagerly joined the festival. Adorned in traditional festival attire, they engaged in bamboo stick dance, sampled local delicacies, and performed dragon dance to send their best wishes to the locals.

Al Dulaimi Haneen Abdulraheem Jameel, an influencer from Iraq, expressed great honor in having the opportunity to experience the ethnic culture of Donglan and participate in the Maguai Festival. She found the event lively and unique and took numerous photos and videos to promote Donglan to the world, hoping that her friends and family would come to appreciate Chinese culture as much as she does.

Khan Niaz Muhammad, a student from Guilin University of Electronic Technology, shared his excitement of seeing their culture, exploring how they worship, and learning one Chinese song for Donglan at the Maguai Festival.

Over 20 domestic and international media outlets covered the event, with China Central Television's news channel broadcasting various festival segments.

Liao Kejiang, a representative inheritor of the Maguai Festival, expressed his delight at seeing Taiwan people, influencers from various regions, and international students visiting Baying village. He said that their visit and interactions would further promote the culture of Baying village.

Residents take selfies with foreign visitors at the Maguai Festival. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

Foreigners join the dragon dance at the Maguai Festival. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

Locals teach foreigners bamboo stick dance at the Maguai Festival. [Photo/Hechi Daily]