Local people perform dragon dance during the “Maolong Festival” of Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
SHIQIAN, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Maolong Festival, a folk activity for people of the Yilao ethnic group to mark the Spring Festival and the lantern festival, was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. The centerpiece of this festival is the Maolong, or "hairy dragon," found only in Shiqian.
People attend a parade during the “Maolong Festival” of Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
People attend a parade during the “Maolong Festival” of Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)
This aerial drone photo shows the opening ceremony of the “Maolong Festival” of Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 27, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)■