The Splendour of the Maolong Festival of the Yilao Ethnic Group in Guizhou

Shiqian – The Maolong Festival is a traditional activity for the Yilao ethnic group to celebrate the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, and was designated as a Chinese national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. The main attraction of this festival is the Maolong, or “feathered dragon,” which can only be found in Shiqian.

An aerial drone photograph shows the opening ceremony of the Maolong Festival of the Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, on 17 February 2026. The Maolong Festival is a folk activity for people of the Yilao ethnic group to mark the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, registered as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. The centrepiece of this festival is the Maolong, or “feathered dragon,” found only in Shiqian.

People attend the parade during the Maolong Festival of the Yilao ethnic group in Shiqian County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China, on 27 February 2026. The Maolong Festival is a folk activity for people of the Yilao ethnic group to mark the Spring Festival and Lantern Festival, registered as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2006. The centrepiece of this festival is the Maolong, or “feathered dragon,” found only in Shiqian.