Zoupo Festival of Mulam Ethnic Group

Zoupo ("Walking on the Slopes") Festival is a traditional social festival for the youth of the Mulam ethnic group. The festival can be dated back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when Mulao people would celebrate it in the first and the eighth months of the lunar calendar every year.

During the festival, boys and girls of the Mulam ethnic group, dressed in their traditional clothing, will come to the scheduled slopes in knots and sing folk songs in an antiphonal style. There, they can make new friends and find their partners.

Nowadays, the Zoupo Festival of the Mulam people talks not only about love and romance, but also about national unity and happy living. Activities like ball games and chess playing are also carried out at the same time.

The Zoupo Festival of the Mulam ethnic group is an intangible cultural heritage at the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region level.

The youth of the Mulam ethnic group take part in the Zoupo Festival at the Zoupo Square in Luocheng Mulao autonomous county, Hechi, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Jan 6, 2016. [Photo by Liao Guangfu/gxnews.com.cn]