A festival celebrating falcon culture and local heritage drew travelers from across the country to Akqi County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region this weekend with cultural parades and traditional performances.
Akqi County is widely known as a homeland of falconry, as well as a key site for preserving and passing down the falconry techniques of the local Kyrgyz ethnic group.
Held from Saturday to Monday, the festival launched the fourth Falcon Culture and Tourism Season.
The opening ceremony featured a parade of 13 themed contingents, each showcasing a different aspect of local culture. Some participants marched in traditional attire displaying local embroidery, while others on animals to highlight the season's traditional equestrian and camel competitions.
A mass rendition of the local heroic epic "Manas" was also staged, as well as live music and storytelling accompanied by local instruments -- in particular, the Kumuz, a three-stringed wooden lute.
The performances, in addition to local hospitality, left a profound impression on out-of-town guests.
"People here are warm and welcoming, and the performance is truly spectacular," said Luo Xinpeng, a visitor from south China's Guangdong Province.
Throughout the three-day celebrations, attendees also enjoyed intangible cultural heritage demonstrations, hands-on folk experiences and sports competitions.
High-spirited falcon culture festival kicks off tourism season in Kirgiz county
