Water-Splashing Festival: Fusion of tradition and tourism ignites cultural excitement
The Water-Splashing Festival in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province has gained widespread attention after videos of participants joyfully splashing water at each other.
Amid the laughter and joy of this festival, many participants “lost” their sandals in the chaos, some even hilariously ended up wearing them as ankle “bracelets.” These scenes not only bring joy but also illustrate the festival’s unique interactive nature.
Netizens have flooded social media with comments, with the hashtag “Those who can bring sandals home are impressive” becoming a trending topic as people shared various amusing and sincere moments and stories.
This is a traditional festival for the Dai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. Part of the Dai New Year, it is a festival to send off the old and greet the new. Lasting for three or four days, it is held during the sixth month of the Dai calendar, usually falling in mid-April of the Gregorian calendar. The Water Splashing Festival is also known as the Festival for Bathing the Buddha. It is also one of the first events to become a national intangible cultural heritage in China.
During the festival, people of all ages dress in festive attire, while women carry clean water to wash Buddha statues and seek blessings. After the “bathing of the Buddha,” people begin to splash water at each other, expressing blessings and hopes to wash away diseases and disaster and usher in a life of happiness and prosperity.
The Water-Splashing Festival in Yunnan Province is generally divided into “civil splashing” and “martial splashing,” with the former using branches dipped in water for more controlled splashing, while the latter involves unrestrained splashing, drenching everyone among laughter and joy. People use various containers to hold water, flooding the streets and alleys, chasing and playing with each other, splashing water at anyone they meet.
As night falls, the sound of drums and music fills the villages, and people revel in singing and dancing. Throughout the festival, in addition to traditional entertainment activities such as dragon boat races, releasing sky lanterns, water splashing, and throwing bags, there are also new activities such as releasing balloons and park carnivals.
It is said that during the festival, the more water one is splashed with, the more blessings they receive. This year’s Water-Splashing Festival has attracted attention as some celebrities have been participating in various water splashing events across Yunnan Province.
Media has reported that Taiwan singer Kenji Wu was seen fleeing after being heavily splashed during the festival in Xishuangbanna. Former member of South KoreanChinese boy band EXO Huang Zitao was also drenched and “begged for mercy” during the water splashing festival in Yunnan Province’s Mangshi.
As Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, and other countries also celebrate the Water-Splashing Festival, Yunnan’s festival also attracts tourists from neighboring countries.