Miao ethnic culture comes to the Big Apple

By Yang Fan ( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2016-12-09

Miao woman in traditional costumes showcase ethnic dances at New York Times Square on Dec 2. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Tourists in New York’s famous Times Square got a glimpse of the colorful culture of the Miao ethnic group at a special performance there on Dec 2.

Adorned with traditional ornate silver headdresses, Miao girls in ethnic costumes attracted huge crowds while they danced to music played by Miao boys on Lusheng, a traditional wooden flute.

The Miao people were from Leishan county of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture. The county arranged a tourism culture promotion conference at New York from Dec 1 to 4 aimed at spreading Miao culture around the world and looking for cooperation partners.

A video about Leishan tourism was also played on a giant screen at Times Square from Dec 1 to 6, showcasing the county’s picturesque landscapes and unique ethnic culture.

Leishan is a major inhabited area of Miao people who accounts for more 80 percent of the county’s total 157,000 population. Honored as the home of tea culture and Miao people, the county receives as many as three million visitors every year.

A video promoting Leishan tourism is played at a big screen at New York Times Square. [Photo/xinhuanet.com]

Edited by Jacob Hooson