Villagers in traditional Daur attire tie colorful ribbons on a tree for blessings and good fortune at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday. [Photo by Yan Xinyao/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The 10th Kumule Festival kicked off on Saturday in Kunhe Daur-Manchu township, Heihe city, Heilongjiang province, drawing people from Daur, Manchu, Han and other ethnic communities.
The Daur people are one of China's oldest ethnic minorities. The name Kumule comes from a wild herb, which once helped their ancestors survive a crisis, according to legend.
Villagers in traditional Daur attire welcome visitors at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday. [Photo by Li Jiajia/For chinadaily.com.cn]
The two-day event featured traditional songs and dances, local food, and a rural-style fashion show with Daur ethnic costumes.
On the grasslands, visitors enjoyed a prairie concert, ethnic sports competitions and interactive games, offering a close-up look at borderland traditions. Sports such as wrestling, yajia (tug-of-war), and lagun (stick pulling) drew enthusiastic participation.
Villagers in traditional Daur attire perform in the Daur's signature folk singing style at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday. [Photo by Wang Kemiao/For chinadaily.com.cn]
"The games are shared childhood memories for kids in the borderlands," said Guan Fei, a Manchu participant. "We competed with strength and connected through friendship."
As a multi-ethnic area, Kunhe highlights cultural integration.
Visitors enjoy the traditional Daur stick-pulling game at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday.[Photo by Yan Xinyao/For chinadaily.com.cn]
"The border's stability depends on unity," said Zhang Shaodan, Party secretary of Kunhe. "The festival shows our strong community bond like tightly packed pomegranate seeds".
Liu Simai, Xie Dan, Gao Ziming and Li Jiajia contributed to the story.
Participants compete in a traditional tug-of-war match at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday. [Photo by Yan Xinyao/For chinadaily.com.cn]
Young performers present a traditional Daur dance at the 10th Kumule Festival on Sunday. [Photo by Yan Xinyao/For chinadaily.com.cn]
