Chinese holidaymakers have flocked to Yunnan Province in southwest China to share the festive mood with local minority people amid vibrant song and dance performances and eye-opening local cuisines during the ongoing National Day holiday running from October 1 to 7.
Yunnan is home to 25 ethnic minority groups, 15 of which live only within the province. It is known for its diverse cultures and traditions.
A grand Munao Zongge festival -- a national intangible cultural heritage -- was held from Monday to Wednesday in the border county Yingjiang to mark the National Day.
Dubbed "dancing together," the Munao Zongge is the greatest traditional festival of the Jingpo ethnic group. It features brightly colored costumes, magnificent sound of gongs and drums, and dance teams moving like dragons winding and swinging.
The lively and cheerful atmosphere has drawn numerous visitors from all over the country.
"A few days ago, I heard there would be a Munao Zongge event in the beautiful Yingjiang County. So, we rushed here yesterday. I feel really excited at the sight of this astonishing scene," said Xie Deren, a tourist.
Meanwhile, an eye-popping long street banquet of local Hani people was held by the renowned Dianchi Lake in Kunming City.
The feast is a time-honored tradition of the Hani people to celebrate harvest and pray for auspiciousness.
More than 100 bamboo-woven tables were laid end to end without a gap along the street like a long dragon. Immersing themselves in the carnival atmosphere created by drumbeats, singing and dancing, visitors have the chance to taste a tableful of authentic Hani food.
One of the most important dishes at the banquet is the chicken served with Hani people's unique dipping sauce.
"The Hani dipping sauce is our Hani people's highest form of courtesy. It is made with up to 28 different ingredients. It's been passed down from our ancestors," said Bai Jie, a local resident.
In addition to the feast, tourists are offered with exhibitions featuring intangible heritage embroidery and characteristic agricultural products, where they can buy a great variety of exquisite handicrafts. They can also try their hand at making Baba, a special glutinous rice cake, and enjoy vigorous ethnic-style carnivals.
Chinese holidaymakers enjoy time-honored traditions of minority groups in Yunnan
Many tourists are enjoying themselves in a gastronomic adventure tasting regional specialties across China's diverse food map, while others are staying with their families or going out for fun in the week-long National Day holiday.
In Jilin City, nestled in the northeastern province of Jilin, the Wula Manchu Hotpot is drawing crowds of food enthusiasts, locals and tourists.
This traditional dish features a meticulously prepared chicken broth, enhanced with Chinese herbs such as ginseng, tall gastrodiae, and Chinese Angelica.
"It's been around for so many years, and it tastes just great," said Xia Xin, a diner.
"Wula Hotpot is a traditional kind of hotpot. For us northeasterners, it's warm and happy to have hot pot with the family. I've tried hot pots in many other places in China, but I never regret eating Wula Hotpot (as one of the best)," said Pei Mingcai, another diner.
The hot pot's enduring popularity speaks to its deep cultural roots -- the nice, cozy moments with literally heart-warming food and reunited family and friends in cooling autumn weather.
In Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China's northwestern corner, the iconic Xinjiang rice pilaf is getting a fruity makeover. While traditionally made with three key ingredients, namely lamb, onions, and carrots, innovative chefs are introducing new flavors to this classic dish.
Shieli Aymar, 28, has been a chef for almost six years. Standing at the forefront of this "culinary evolution", his specialty is cantaloupe pilaf.
"We need to pick the 'unmarried' young lamb because their fresh meat is soft and lean. This makes our rice pilaf delicious. The essence of making pilaf is to select the best ingredients," he said.
"We've been trying to take on a fruity pilaf flavor with the taste of fresh cantaloupe. It's a must to put in cantaloupe, it is a local special in Xinjiang," the chef said.
In Jingjiang, a county-level city in east China's Jiangsu Province, tourists are lining up for a taste of the region's famous crab soup dumplings.
This delicacy, recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Jiangsu, is drawing food pilgrims from across the country. Local soup dumpling restaurants are crowded with food pilgrims since very early morning.
"I've heard from my friends that you've got to 'open a window' and drink the soup in the dumpling first. I came to try the crab soup dumpling today, and it is so tasty," said Yang Ye, a tourist.
"Both the soup and the meat taste really good," said Diao Shuyun, a young tourist.
The popularity of these dumplings has local restaurants working overtime.
"Our daily sales of soup dumplings is about 600 to 800 steamer baskets. We have a total of eight chefs in the restaurant, who start the preparation at four o'clock in the morning, and keep working until 22:30," said Wang Kai, operator of a soup dumpling store.
With crab roe, crab meat and chicken soup inside, the local delicacy has captured the hearts and taste buds of food lovers nationwide.
"The Jingjiang soup dumpling features thin dough skin, heavy juicy filling with lots of crab meat. These are what make Jingjiang soup dumplings special," said Tao Jinliang, an inheritor of the culinary craftsmanship.
Data shows that about 30 million crab soup dumplings are consumed each year in Jingjiang.
People across China savor local culinary delights in National Day holiday
