HAIKOU /China/, April 1. /TASS/. Residents of the southern Chinese province of Hainan celebrated a series of cultural and recreational events on the occasion of the Double Third Festival - the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, which fell on March 31 this year, Hainan Daily reported.
According to the paper, dragon boat competitions were held in the resort city of Sanya in the south of the island, and national fashion shows were held in Wuzhishan in the central part of the region. The Li People (an autochthonous population that settled in Hainan more than 3,000 years ago) organized festive processions, dance shows and brocade embroidery competitions in various districts of the province.
Baisha Li Autonomous County in western Hainan threw a feast for 1,000 people on the occasion of the Double Third Festival. Locals and tourists tasted local cuisine and a traditional alcoholic drink made from a special type of sticky rice (called mountain orchid wine). It is usually served on special ceremonial occasions.
A conference to promote investment was also held in the same part of the island, where participants signed five agreements worth 836 million yuan ($116 million at the current exchange rate). Hainan also held festive exhibitions in support of agriculture to promote the sales of local agricultural products. Thus, the cultural flavor became a successful complement to the economic activities.
Originally, the Double Third Festival was dedicated to successful hunting and a bountiful harvest, and according to tradition, it was also a time to make romantic acquaintances. In May 2006, China's State Council added the festival to its list of intangible cultural relics as part of the government's active policy to protect and preserve national culture. In the past, it was mostly celebrated by people living in central and southern Hainan, where most of the small ethnic groups are concentrated. In recent years, however, it has become popular with other residents of the province and is of great interest to visiting tourists.