Time: April 13-15 every year.
Venue: Jinghong, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province.
Origin: Legend has it that there once lived a demon king who was wreaking havoc in Xishuangbanna by taking seven young women as his wives against their will. The women finally rose in rebellion and killed the demon king, thereby ridding the area of a scourge. However, the chopped head of the demon king kept rolling, causing fire in its trail, and the fire could be put out only when one of the women held it in her arms. Thus the seven women took turns holding the demon head once a year. When one woman’s turn was over, the local people would splash water on her, so as to rinse her of the blood and expel the evil spirits out of her; the gesture was also an expression of gratitude for the women for keeping the local people from harm’s way. With the passing of time, the demon king’s head was finally burned to ashes. Splashing water on each other, however, has gradually evolved into part of local custom.
What’s On: Dragon boat races, the firing of indigenous missiles, dances to the accompaniment of the beating of drums on a pedestal shaped like an elephant’s legs, peacock dances, sightseeing, country fairs, and water-splashing festivities. During the festival pouches are tossed between unmarried men and women as tokens of love.
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