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THE MEO FESTIVAL OF FLOWERY MOUNTAINS
The Miao nationality of Yunnan has a population of over 750,000 people, who mainly live in Wenshan, Honghe and Zhaotong prefectures in the southern and northeastern parts of Yunnan. Most men wear Chinese-style jackets and trousers. Miao women's clothes are brightly-colored and beautiful. Miao women are particularly skilled at wax printing and embroidering. "The Festival of treading the flowery mountains" is the Miao's most magnificent holiday.
This festival is observed by Miao people in northeast and south Yunnan on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. Legend has it that, in ancient times, Miao people were distressed about their present lives and about the prospects for the future. Once on this date, their ancestors made an appearance and told them not to be too distressed. Then, they cheered up and danced around a tree. Suddenly a flower dropped to the tree from heaven. That made them happier and they danced all the more merrily. That year they had a bumper harvest an occurrence which seemed to confirm the auspicious events that preceded it. This is the origin of the festival.
The celebration includes singing, reed-pipe dancing, bull fights, dragon dance performances and the climbing of the flower pole contest, in which the champion is awarded a pig head.
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