Dong Ethnic Group Celebrates Guhun Festival in Guizhou

Members of the Dong ethnic group stand in a field, celebrating Guhun Festival on July 8 in Liping county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo by Yang Daifu/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the Dong ethnic group gathered to celebrate Guhun Festival on July 8, in Liping county, Southwest China's Guizhou province.

Guhun, which literally means rice ghost, is the festival marking the first sprout of rice in the paddy fields, which comes around one month after planting rice seedlings.

It falls on the sixth day of the sixth month in the Chinese traditional lunar calendar. The festival has run for more than 800 years.

A series of events was held in hope of a good harvest.

Women dressed in traditional Dong costume sing with pipas, a string instrument, as Guhun Festival is celebrated on July 8 in Liping county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo by Yang Daifu/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Women of Dong ethnic group walk along the field as part of sacrificial ceremony of Guhun Festiva on July 8 in Liping county, southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo by Yang Daifu/for chinadaily.com.cn]

Members of the Dong ethnic group celebrate Guhun Festival on July 8 in Liping county, Southwest China's Guizhou province. [Photo by Yang Daifu/for chinadaily.com.cn]