regular folk song fairs for Zhuang people, such as the song fair on January 15th, March 3rd, April 8th, and August 15th (all lunar calendar), and among these, the song fair on March 3rd is the most celebrated one, and the Mid-Autumn Festival is the best time for the autumn song fair.

Gexu is said to originate from the primitive sacrificial song and dance performances during the ancient clan periods. Now it has evolved into an entertainment and mainly features collective singing rather than dancing. This activity, with its strong cohesion, has great influence on each family in Zhuang.

At the song fairs, man and woman, young and old dress up, cook sticky rice, paint eggs, gather together in the appointed place, and sing songs ranging from old songs to love songs. A song fair usually lasts two or three days. The smaller singing field is filled with one or two thousand people and a larger singing field of up to ten thousand.

The antiphonal singing is done mainly by young, single men and women. Boys and girls get to know each other by singing songs together and if they like each other, they will exchange keepsakes as promises. Also, there are other interesting activities like throwing embroidered balls, coloring eggs, and Zhuang opera performances.

At the March 3rd Song Fair, the most exciting event is the bloom ball grab. Strong men from every village are organized into groups to take part in the competition. The so-called bloom ball is actually an iron ring with a diameter of about 5cm enveloped in red cloth, which is put on a device that shoots it into the sky. . When the bloom ball drops, every group rushes forward to grab it. It is also called the Rugby of the East.

The song fairs contribute greatly to the birth, prevalence and development of various Zhuang traditional folk songs. It is a treasure house of Zhuang folklore, valuable for the study of ancient social life of the Zhuang ethnic group.

Ⅰ. Story of Liu Sanjie and March 3rd

Liu Sanjie is a legendary figure in Zhuang folk stories. The earliest story about her can be found in the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279). Many legends and folk songs about her were created starting in the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. More can be found in Zhuang people's oral folk tales and ballads.