On August 21, folk songs echoed through Chongmudang Village in Huxingshan Yao Ethnic Township, Longhui County. Taoliaogui, a traditional festival of Huayao people, was celebrated here, alongside the 7th "Greater Zhangjiajie  ·  Huayao on the Clouds" Intangible Cultural Heritage Concert. Yao people and tourists from across the country gathered in this ancient Huayao village to celebrate the thousand-year-old tradition.
 
Huayao girls danced gracefully on the paddy ridges, while Wuwa folk songs rang out in the ancient village. "Walking along the rice paddies into the ancient village, I was immersed in scenery and songs every step of the way—it was breathtaking!" exclaimed Ms. Chen, a tourist from Changsha.
  
Taoliaogui is a traditional festival of the Huayao people, honoring their ancestors and praying for happiness and well-being. Recognized as a Hunan Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage item in 2009, it is celebrated annually from the second to the fourth day of the seventh Chinese lunar month in Mao'ao Village, and from the eighth to the tenth in Chongmudang Village. This year's celebrations featured a series of events, including the "Huayao on the Clouds" Mao'ao Village Gala and the 2nd "Greater Zhangjiajie · Huayao on the Clouds" Qixi (Chinese Valentine's Day) Concert.

This article is from Hunan Provincial Government. www.enghunan.gov.cn.

Translator: Pang Yuehui

Chinese source: hunan.gov.cn