Maguan Caihuashan Festival

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Maguan is one of the dense area of the Miao in Wenshan area, and inb here the Caihuashan is the most popular festival for the people. I came for the pole climbing competition...oh sorry...just to watch, not participate! one need to climb with the body up-side-down, very interesting! an 10 feet pole had been erected in the middle of the square. when it begin...surprised to see all the participants stripped to the very short. "Why?" I asked, one local told me it would be impossible to climb with the cloth on as it will be too slippery, with bare skin the body might able to stick more with the pole, before climbing, they also need to rubbed honey on their body. "Why?" again I asked. they said it is for anti-infection as skin should be scratched...special remedy I guess! Well...the climbing wasn't an easy task, not everyone could made it to the top, in fact...only 2 man did it on that day and the faster one won the 6666 yuan prize!
There is also Lushen dance competition, Lushen as an music instrument is very popular in the Miao community. and they could performed it in many bizarre ways...jump, kick, somersault, rolling on the ground.... even fusion with Bollywood dance, you name it!
Festival is the best time to view minority's costume, but nowaday the dress of Miao more are come from the market, not much are made by themselve, so...they just pick whatever they fancy or whatever they could find or whatever they could afford, you could tell which subgroup they are belong by viewing their costume anymore, now...they are just an ethnic cladded in shiny multicolour material. As in today I saw they came with many forms, some even look like the kimono of the Japanese, some just inheritaged the silver head-gear of the Guizhou Miao. In between all these polyesther material only one woman dressed in totally indigo printed hemp material, said she is Hua-Miao. There also some Miao from Vietnam and they wear long skirt. Of course there also other minority group would showup although was overwhelmed by the heavy wave of Miao costume. I could see some Yi of Xiaobazi area, and the unique Tu Zhuang of Wenshan region.

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