The Miao Guzang Festival moves to the beat of the ethnic group’s past and present culture.

Considered the New Year of the Miao ethnic group, the Guzang Festival is a traditional festival which offers sacrifices to the Miao’s ancestors and to celebrate a bumper harvest during October in the Miao areas.

Miaowomen wear silver headwear in Xijiang Qianhu Miao village in Guizhou on Nov 10, 2011.

Leishan, located in the southwest of the Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in Guizhou province, is where most of the Miao ethnic group lives. Miao people will wear pounds of silver jewelry and take part in activities that date back thousands of years to celebrate this most ancient and spectacular Miao festival.

According to ancient Miao songs, the festival was celebrated by early Miao clans in the Xia Dynasty (c.21st century-16th century BC). It became even more popular after the Miao migrated to the Leigong Mountains in today’s Leishan county.

Gu literally means “drum”, and zang means “to bury”. Hence, guzang means “to bury the drum”.

The Guzang Festival is also known as the Gushe Festival, indicating the drum-burying activities often took place in communities of kindred clans named Gushe.

An elderly Miao man and his grandson play in the open air in Taoyao Miao village on Nov 10.

Ancient Miao songs also suggest their ancestors established the Guzang Festival to sacrifice to the Mother Butterfly, who created the world. Legend has it that Mother Butterfly was born out of a maple tree. Consequently, maple trees and Mother Butterfly are worshiped as the Miao’s most venerated gods.

Generally, the Guzang Festival is hosted once in a 13-year cycle, and related celebrations will lasts for four years, with a different theme each ritual each year.