The Hmong Sisters Festival, called "nongx gad liangl" in Hmong, sees young Hmong women invite lovers to courting ceremonies, have Sisters meals, give each other tokens, and make marriage contracts as its main activities. Some have dubbed it "the festival hidden in the heart" and "the oldest Valentine's Day of the East."
🔛 Time: Activities such as drum-stepping dances are usually held between March 15th to 17th of the lunar calendar. However, Hmong people may begin to organize social activities and courting ceremonies half a month or even a month earlier. In addition, the Sisters Festival is also the peak period for Hmong weddings!
🔛 Location: Laotun, Pianzhai and Yangjiazhai are the main center of the drum-stepping dance. Government-initiated parades are also held in Taijiang County.
🎈 As one of the originators of the Sisters Festival, the Hmong people in Shidong Town, Taijiang County hold a series of activities every year on the Sisters Festival, such as the large parades in formal dress, drum-stepping ceremonies, love song duet, courting ceremony experiences, bonfire parties, etc., allowing guests from all over the world to experience the infinite charm of "the world's oldest Valentine's Day" and immerse visitors in a romantic "sea of flowers." Enjoy the warm hospitality and strong cultural atmosphere brought by the Hmong Sisters Festival.
💖 For the Hmong women, the protagonists of this festival, participating in the Sisters Festival is very important. They will spend a year or more sewing a unique set of embroidered dresses for themselves, which they will wear to impress the audience at the festival. From this it becomes clear that the Hmong are incredibly dedicated to the beauty of life and the education of young people.
🎈 Catching ducks and fish:
Catching ducks and fish is a regular warm-up activity during the Sisters Festival. Villagers will find a rice paddy in advance, pump out most of the water, and then empty several baskets of fish and ducks into it. Then, all the people who want to participate will form a big circle in the paddy, and the "prey" will be surrounded in the middle. All at once, the people will rush forward, because everyone will get to keep what they catch. Bravery and initiative are the orders of the day. Often within three minutes, all the fish and ducks will be swept away, and the villagers will take the opportunity for a mud fight.
🎈 The Drum-stepping Dance:
The inheritance of the drum-stepping dance among Hmong people is mainly due to the practice of ancestor worship. According to legend, the lusheng (a type of woodwind instrument) and wooden drums used in the dance were all created by Hmong ancestors. With the sound of drumming in the air, people come forward to dance. The drum-stepping dance is an art form deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Hmong. It is one of the important ways for the Hmong to worship their ancestors and to inherit their culture.
🎈 Highlights:
✅ Immerse yourself in the Hmong drum-stepping dance and feel the unique charm of Hmong costumes and traditional dance combined
✅ Enjoy the Hmong long table banquet, taste authentic Hmong cuisine and rice wine, and feel the warm hospitality of the Hmong
✅ Witness the roaring bonfires by the Qingshui River, where people dance to the rhythm of the festive drums, and feel the vitality of life
✅ Go to the bustling Hmong market and shop for an array of Hmong handicrafts, and listen to the Hmong aunts tell stories when you are tired
✅ Participate in Hmong entertainment: catching fish, catching ducks, cockfighting, thrush-fighting, lively and impossible to stop!
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |