People of the Dong ethnic group celebrate their New Year in Yunhe county, Lishui, Zhejiang province, on Jan 7. [Photo/WeChat account: wxlishui]

The Dong Year, the traditional New Year for the Dong ethnic group, spans from Nov 21 to 23 in the lunar calendar. This year, the Dong people living in Yunhe county, Lishui, Zhejiang province, celebrated their festival on Jan 7.

At 4 am in the morning, the young Dong men got up early, cleaned the front yards of their houses, then proceeded to prepare pigs and cows for the feast.

Wooden tables were filled with cured fish, cured meat, pickled Chinese cabbage, and more. The delectable spread, complemented by home-brewed rice wine, was served to guests from the Miao, Shui, She, and Han ethnic groups, who came to join in the festivities.

Dong girls, clad in traditional costumes and adorned with various silver ornaments, toasted guests in pairs or groups of 10, serenading them with songs.

The girls had all risen before dawn to dress themselves in the traditional Dong costumes, featuring exquisite and colorful patterns sewn by female embroiders of the Dong ethnic group. The patterns of flowers, birds, fish, butterflies, and phoenixes are blended with their feelings toward life, making the clothes unique and special.

As the Dong people cherish the art of singing, the Dong Year is naturally celebrated with music. Toasting songs rang out at the feast, followed by a gathering of people forming a large circle, singing songs accompanied by the pipa and blowing the lusheng, a reed-pipe flute.

In the evening, girls and boys dressed in Dong costumes held hands, singing and dancing around the campfire until around half past eleven.

Reluctantly, the crowds eventually dispersed. With happiness lingering in their hearts, the Dong people anticipated the joy of celebrating together again next year.