Culture · Festivals
Sister's Meal Festival (Miao Sisters Festival)
When it is
The Sister's Meal Festival (姊妹节, Zǐ Mèi Jié), known in English as the Miao Sisters Festival, falls on the 15th and 16th days of the 3rd lunar month, typically in April. It is observed in the Miao communities of Taijiang County, Guizhou, principally in Shidong village and the surrounding area of the Qingshui River valley.
What it is
The festival is centred on young women and courtship. Young Miao women cook glutinous rice dyed in five colours — red (azalea flowers), yellow (heartleaf houttuynia), black (pine bark), purple (purple sticky rice), white (plain) — formed into round cakes called 'sisters' rice' (姊妹饭). They present these cakes to young men they favour; the objects hidden inside the package communicate the woman's interest:
- Pine needles: 'come and find me' — acceptance.
- Garlic: rejection.
- A chilli: complex feelings; perhaps.
- Two chopsticks: 'come together'.
The practice is regarded by some scholars as one of the oldest documented courtship traditions in China; local tourism marketing sometimes claims 'the world's oldest Valentine's Day', though the comparison is imprecise.
The silver costume display
The festival's visual centrepiece: Miao women dress in the full formal silver costume — the headdresses, collar rings, torque necklaces, breast plates and sleeve ornaments accumulated as family wealth. The combined weight of some costumes exceeds 15 kg. Photography is welcomed and the women take evident pleasure in displaying the silver.
Dancing and lusheng
Lusheng playing accompanies courtship dances in the village squares and on the hillsides. Young men play; young women dance in response.
Getting there
Taijiang County is 44 km east of Kaili, accessible by bus (45 minutes) or taxi. Shidong village requires a further 15 km by rural road. Accommodation in Kaili is the practical base; day trips are feasible. The festival period sees increased domestic tourists; Kaili hotels fill on festival weekend.
Travel impact
No national disruption. Kaili is accessible by high-speed rail from Guiyang in 45 minutes. The festival is listed in Guizhou tourism calendars; some tour operators run organised visits from Guiyang.