Hainan QiXian Hot Spring Water Festival

The Water Festival is an annual grand folk traditional celebration of the Li and Miao ethnic groups [...]

The Water Festival is an annual grand folk traditional celebration of the Li and Miao ethnic groups in Baoting. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which is a good day for the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl to meet on the Magpie Bridge, it is now known as China’s Valentine’s Day. In Baoting County, a place inhabited by ethnic minorities in Hainan, people splash their beloved with hot springs, expressing their sweet love to the fullest. The 2024 Hainan QiXian Hot Spring Water Festival will be held from August 9th to 11th, with the theme of ‘Romantic QiXi, Fairy Comes to Baoting’, and will mainly carry out 8 major activities. First, the ‘Search for the Seven Fairies’ activity. In mid-July, the ‘Search for the Seven Fairies’ activity was launched on online platforms, selecting publicly from society, and through online preliminary selection, offline training camps, and offline finals, 7 representatives of Baoting’s ‘QiXian’ culture, the ‘Seven Fairies’, were selected to participate in various series of Water Festival activities. Second, the Holy Water Ceremony. On the morning of August 9th, according to traditional customs, the Seven Fairies and elders will go to the QiXian Yaochi Holy Spring to conduct the Holy Water Ceremony according to Li customs. Third, the Li Style Miao Charm Welcome Night. On the evening of August 9th, a unique Li and Miao cultural characteristic, strong mass participation interactive evening party will be held at Baoting QiXian Cultural Square, welcoming guests from afar with enthusiastic ethnic songs and dances, and sharing a wonderful cultural feast with everyone. Fourth, the opening ceremony of the Water Festival. On the morning of August 10th, a grand opening ceremony of the Water Festival will be held at Baoting QiXian Cultural Square, carrying out the welcoming holy water blessing ceremony and song and dance performances, presenting a visual feast with strong Li and Miao characteristics. Fifth, the Joyful Grand Parade. After the opening ceremony on August 10th, there will be 20 parade formations composed of different cultural themes and different performance forms by townships, government agencies, and tourism enterprises in the main streets of the county town to carry out the Joyful Grand Parade, interacting with the public, splashing water, and celebrating the traditional ethnic festival together. Sixth, the traditional folk water splashing carnival. After the Joyful Grand Parade, each parade formation will return to QiXian Cultural Square to immerse in the new way of ‘Li Music + Electronic Music + Water Splashing’ with all tourists and the public, splashing water and reveling together, praying for good weather, auspiciousness, and health in the coming year. In addition, on the second day, that is, the afternoon of August 11th, the ‘Li Village Water Show’ in the Betel Nut Valley Li and Miao Cultural Tourism Area will continue the passion of water splashing and the joy of the carnival. Seventh, the Ethnic Minority Water Sports Carnival. On the afternoon of August 10th, a series of ethnic water sports and fun water competition activities such as three-person dragon boats, water bicycles, bamboo drifting, single paddleboards, water wind fire wheels, and double hand paddle floats will be carried out on Baoting QiXian River, and citizens and tourists can participate in it, fully feeling the fun of water sports.

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The eighth is the ‘Seven Fairies Gathering’ trendy bazaar. From August 9th to 11th in the evening, a trendy bazaar will be set up in Aibaoting Food Culture City. Special booths for delicacies, cultural and creative products, brand promotion, leisure and entertainment will be set up. And the activity of ‘fairies descending to the mortal world’ will appear in the bazaar to create a nighttime activity atmosphere and enrich the consumption formats of nighttime economy.

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