Dong ethnic group honors ancestors with Sama Festival in Guizhou

Sanbaodong village in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province, celebrated Sama Festival on March 15.

Thousands of people from the Dong ethnic group performed rituals to worship the ancestral spirits through a dance called duoye. They covered themselves in straw and danced with a straw dragon.

Sama originates from the Dong language, meaning "great grandmother". It embodies the common ancestor revered by the Dong people. Sama Festival was included on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006.

Luo Siyang contributed to this story.