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The Jingpos mostly reside in the mountainous regions in various counties of the Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province, Southwest China.
"Munao" is from the Jingpo dialect, and means singing and dancing together. It is the singing and dancing entertainment of the Jingpos in this area. It is also the grandest traditional festival of the Jingpos, to drive away evil, promote goodness, greet luck and, and celebrate the bumper harvest. It is usually held on January 15 of the lunar calendar year and lasts 2-3 days.
Boys will dress themselves in black clothes and wear black head coverings and girls put on black Chinese-style jacket with buttons down the front or short jackets with buttons down the left side, colorful aprons or woolen leg wrappingsdecorated with silver jewelry and chains. They use handkerchiefs in many different patterns, and the elders carry Tongpa (satchels) embroidered with traditional patterns, and carry bamboo tubes containing rice wine on their shoulders. People beat drums and gongs and shoot and set off firecrackers. They gather in crowds from near and far to the site of the Munao Singing Party.
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