Tens of thousands of tourists and people from the Miao ethnic group participated in a folk culture carnival on Monday in Xiangxi Tujia and Miao autonomous prefecture, Hunan province.

In Heku town, Miao people dressed up for a parade while performers danced, sang, and demonstrated martial arts. It's an event to offer blessings as prayers for favorable weather, national prosperity, peace, and abundant harvests.

The carnival runs to July 5. It features additional events like basketball games, drum competitions, and cultural performances.

In Luochaojing town, the celebration was alive with leaping lion dances, Miao dances, and the blend of tinkling silver ornaments and mountain songs.

Young Miao people expressed affection with leaf whistles and courtship through folk songs, while a lively hundred-person fish-catching competition in the rice paddies became the highlight of the event.