The Baisha sub-venue of the 2026 Hainan “Sanyuesan” festival officially opened Sunday morning at the county’s cultural park with a grand parade blending Li and Miao traditions and festive celebration.

For this year’s festival, local authorities in Baisha Li Autonomous County have prepared a diverse program that combines ethnic charm with modern vitality, offering visitors a chance to experience the region’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

The opening ceremony began with resounding drumbeats and traditional Li dances marked by vigorous movements and rich cultural symbolism. It was followed by a solemn harvest ceremony, during which troupes carrying traditional flags and banners performed rituals to honor ancestors and pray for prosperity, reflecting the local community’s hopes for a better life.

After the ceremony, a large-scale parade made up of 15 formations representing 11 townships, along with specialized teams of bamboo dancers and local performers, marched through the county’s main urban areas. The procession also featured interactive Hainan gibbon mascots and festive lion dances.

Thousands of residents and tourists lined the streets from the cultural park to the town center, cheering on the performers. The parade turned the streets into a shared celebration as marchers invited onlookers to join bamboo dances and sample local specialty wines, further strengthening bonds of ethnic unity.

“I heard from friends that ‘Sanyuesan’ in Baisha is especially lively and strong in ethnic flavor,” said Ms. Lu, a visitor from Chengmai County in the north of Hainan who wore traditional Li attire for the occasion. “I wanted to experience the charm of this cultural heritage firsthand with my son.”