Ethnic minority groups observe Water-Splashing Festival with tourists flocking in

Ethnic minority groups including the Dai and the De'ang in southwest China's Yunnan Province were in grand celebrations from Thursday to Sunday to observe the Water-Splashing Festival, feasting all participants including tourists from home and abroad with celebratory activities and delicacies full of local characteristics.

The Water-Splashing Festival, or the ethnic Dai calendar new year festival celebrated by some ethnic minority groups in China, is one of the most important festivals in the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan. This year, the festival fell on Sunday.

During the grand celebration, an indispensable traditional performance in the region is the peacock dance. As Dehong is known as the homeland of the ethnic dance, local performance teams had lots of final preparations before the annual Water Splashing Festival grand parade.

"We Dai people will make three curved movements of arms in performing the peacock dance,' which is to mimic peacocks walking," said Yue Lao, an inheritor to the ethnic Dai peacock dance, which is a national-level intangible cultural heritage in China.

In addition to the peacock dance, local people are also celebrating the festival with various other kinds of ethnic dances and performances, as well as a long-street banquet to entertain all participants including with local cuisines. In Mangshi City of Jingpo, the banquet consists of over 200 tables.

"The Water-Splashing Festival Glutinous Rice Cake is made with glutinous rice and brown sugar, and we wrap the dough with fresh Hardy banana leaves and steam it. This is a must-eat delicacy for our Water-Splashing Festival," said Yang Wen, deputy head of Dehong's Culture and Tourism Department.

To conclude the celebration on Sunday, a water-splashing carnival was held at the center square of Mangshi, engaging locals and tourists to splash water on everyone around to "dispel bad luck" and share best wishes. From basins to water guns, people were bringing all kinds of "weapons" to enjoy together the excitement and jolliness of the festival.

Ethnic minority groups observe Water-Splashing Festival with tourists flocking in

China attaches great importance to the development of China-Singapore relations, and is willing to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, promote practical cooperation in various fields, and enhance people-to-people exchanges with Singapore, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding talks with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan in Beijing.

Noting that over the past year, under the strategic guidance of leaders of the two countries and joint efforts of both sides, the all-round high-quality and future-oriented partnership between China and Singapore has maintained a good momentum, Wang urged the two countries to continue to enhance strategic communication, increase mutual trust, jointly address the ever-emerging global challenges at present, and safeguard the overall situation of regional peace and stability.

Wang said that maintaining the security of global industrial and supply chains and the smooth flow of maritime navigation is in the common interests of the international community, and China is willing to continue to make efforts to this end.

Noting that Singapore is an important ASEAN member and will assume ASEAN's rotating presidency next year, Wang said China expects the Singaporean side to continue playing an active role in promoting China-ASEAN cooperation.

Balakrishnan said Singapore highly values its relations with China, adheres to the one-China policy, and firmly opposes "Taiwan independence."

Singapore is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with China, promote practical cooperation in various fields, carry out key cooperation projects of both sides, and promote regional connectivity, he said.

Singapore is ready to promote greater progress in ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership, support the Global Development Initiative, and uphold multilateralism and free trade, and is willing to work with China to make joint efforts in promoting world peace, development and prosperity, he added.

China ready to promote practical cooperation with Singapore: Chinese FM