The bathing festival of the Lisus

It's a gathering of the Lisu ethnic people by bathing in natural hotsprings to welcome in the new year. With a history of over 200 years, the tradition has been annually carried out during lunar 2-6 January since 1980 when the local government of Lushui County sponsored to clean the origins of natural hotsprings to cater to locals' demand.

When the day comes, all the families get packed, prepare foods, and travel to the vicinity of the natural hotsprings for camping. During the festival, it is a bustling scene near these hotsprings, where dressed-up Lisu ethnic members (especially youths), vendors, makeshift stalls, and eateries make up a small trade fair.

All the bathers at the festival behave courteous to each other, especially between the genders. Usually, the elder generation enjoy the bath first, and then the younger. In addition to the three or five times of bathing one day during the festival, the relatives and friends from different villages will get together, exchanging what happened to them or they have experienced in the past year.

Singing dialogue

The festival also creates good opportunities for those Lisu ethnic members who have nice throats and those who are smartly capable of composing extemporaneous songs.

For Lisu youths, singing is a way to seek love. Through singing dialogues, they can know each other, understand each other, and express love to each other.