The 2026 Guangdong Water-Splashing Festival of the Zhuang ethnic group and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Folk Culture Series kicked off in Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County, Qingyuan, on August 19.
This year's event retained its traditional elements while introducing new features such as creative activities, new media promotion, nighttime experiences and cultural tourism programs. The event has also been enhanced in five areas: visual presentation, opening ceremony programming, water activities, food offerings and online promotion.
The Water Worship Ceremony opened with a solemn declaration. Forty wolf-tooth flags stood in formation as dancers wearing camphor-wood Nuo masks performed traditional Nuo steps.
At the altar, the shigong, or ritual master, performed the traditional rituals of inviting, dancing with and worshipping the water. Seven sacred maidens received the "holy water" in pottery bowls before splashing it over the guests and into the river.
Following the ceremony, the original folk dance drama Ballad of Auspicious Water: Qiyuexiang (《吉水谣·七月香》) took the stage, tracing the origins of the tradition and how it has been passed down through generations.
As the performance ended, hundreds of drones took to the sky in formation, while petals fell onto the river, adding to the festive Qixi atmosphere and conveying blessings to visitors.
As the show concluded, the riverside plaza came alive with electronic music as a professional DJ performed, with the beats echoing along the river.
The specialty market, which opened alongside the event, runs from August 18 to 23, with around 250 booths along the river. The market features four sections: local snacks, agricultural specialties, intangible cultural heritage crafts and parent-child activities. Local dishes such as Zhuang-style water-soaked sticky rice cakes, pan-fried stuffed rice-field carp and Yao-style braised beef hooves are on offer. Geographical indication products such as Lianshan rice are also on display, while Zhuang brocade and Yao embroidery workshops have attracted large crowds.
Coinciding with the Qixi Festival, the event has also attracted couples from outside Lianshan who traveled there to register their marriages through the nationwide online marriage registration service.
Author | Liu Yue
Photos | Nanfang Plus
