Colorful carnival celebrates diversity

Guizhou event showcases ethnic cultures and province's charming vibrancy

Moved by the cheerful rhythm of song and dressed in a traditional costume, Chen Chuanqian, along with many others from different ethnic groups, sang and danced in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province. At 9:30 am on May 18, thousands of people from various ethnic groups from all over Guizhou gathered and paraded in Guiyang. Wearing different costumes, they assembled on a parade square, playing a traditional musical instrument known as the lusheng (reed-pipe flute), banging gongs and drums, and singing and dancing.

The parade route stretched more than 2 kilometers in the downtown area and served as a "mobile grand stage" for showcasing the ethnic cultures' diversity.

Hu Xiaohua, a 56-year-old resident at the front of the crowd, enjoyed the show, saying that "I'm particularly impressed seeing such a grand event in the central urban area".