Qianzhou Spring Fair is a provincial-level intangible cultural heritage project that has been passed down since the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in Qianzhou, Jishou city, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hunan province.

The fair is a New Year ritual deeply ingrained in the blood of the people of Western Hunan. During the solemn spring worship ceremony, performers dance with Nuo masks and offer five grains, carrying a millennium-old wish for favorable weather. The art of crafting spring decorations involves using bamboo strips as the framework and colorful paper as the covering, transforming mythical stories into a mobile display.

The lively spring parade features leaping Miao lions and resounding drums, with people from various ethnic groups dressed in festive attire to celebrate the New Year together.

[Photo/Zhang Xuan]

[Photo/Zhang Xuan]