Sanyuesan: Guangxi celebrates grand ethnic festival with cultural heritage

Across China, ethnic communities burst into a riot of colour for the March 3 Festival, also known as Shangsi. Celebrated on the third day of the third month in the Chinese calendar (this year falling on April 19), this ancient holiday fills the air with singing, dancing and heartfelt good wishes.

For many ethnic groups, it is a day to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters. It is also linked to the traditional belief that the Yellow Emperor may have been born on this date, captured in the saying: "San yue san, Xuan Yuan sheng"—"On the third day of the third month, the Xuan Yuan (Yellow Emperor) was born."

In south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the celebrations are especially vibrant, with romantic songs, bamboo stick dances and five-colour glutinous rice lighting up the streets.

Recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage, Sanyuesan is a window into China's rich ethnic diversity—and a timely invitation for African friends to experience how China celebrates its many cultures. As 2026 marks the China–Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges, festivals like this highlight shared human values: togetherness, respect for ancestors, and hope for a prosperous year—building understanding one joyful tradition at a time.

Zhao Yijun of CGTN, Liao Mi, Chen Xiaopeng and Yang Xue of CMG Guangxi Bureau also contributed to the content.