Miao Sisters Festival held in SW China's Guizhou

Aerial photo shows formations in a parade for the Miao Sisters Festival in Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province. (People's Daily Online/Yang Qian)

The annual Miao Sisters Festival began in Taijiang county, southwest China's Guizhou Province on April 21.

Over 10,000 people of the Miao ethnic group donning traditional attire attended the parade. Marching in 19 formations, the participants showcased the splendid culture and beautiful costumes of Taijiang.

The Miao Sisters Festival is mainly about the romance of young men and women of the Miao ethnic group. It features such activities as singing, dancing to the sounds of wooden drums and the lusheng, a traditional Chinese folk musical instrument made of bamboo pipes, exchanging tokens, and getting engaged. It is known as the oldest version of Valentine's Day in the world. It is one of the most culturally significant, romantic, and grand traditional ethnic festivals in Guizhou.