Chinese minority celebrates own Valentine's Day

Beijing, April 6 (IANS) An ethnic minority community in China, called the Miao, has its own form of Valentine's Day -- a three-day dating festival for young people to find their Mr. or Miss Right.

The "Sisters Festival" in southwest Guizhou province kicked off Thursday to the sound of "Lusheng", a reed-pipe wind instrument, Xinhua reported.

However, the festival is celebrated by more than just hopeful singles.

Wu Li, a 34-year-old mother of two kids, says she is very excited about the occasion. She stays in the province's Taijiang county and woke up at 5 a.m. to put on make-up and get ready for a parade.

"Our ethnic costumes and the silver accessories on the head weigh over 5 kg, but they look so beautiful and I have fun dancing in them," Wu said.

Besides a parade, there is also the "Sisters Meal".

Young women make flower-shaped rice dumplings with gifts wrapped inside and serve them to the men they like.

Because the dumplings are shaped like flowers, the festival is also known as the "Festival hidden in Flowers".

Taijiang county is home to 159,000 people, of which more than 90 percent are Miao.