Carnival with Fenghuang people on Lunar April 8

(盛装打扮好. Dressed up in costumes.)

(姐妹来相邀. Sisters are inviting each other.)

(盛装亮相. Dressed up in costumes.)

(跳花咯! Dancing together.)

　　红网凤凰站5月22日讯(分站记者 施雨润苗)看银装素裹的苗族姑娘偏偏走来，听悠扬婉转的苗歌飘过沱江。5月20日，在凤凰县沱江镇杜田村沱江河中心岛上，盛装打扮的表演队伍，用激情的舞蹈为2015年中国·凤凰苗族“四月八”跳花节活动拉开了序幕。
　　
　　Rednet(Fenghuang/May 22) On May 20, on central island of Tuojiang river, tuojiang town, fenghuang county, girls of miao ethnic group dressed in costumes danced happily to announce the opening of the 2015 China·Fenghuang miao people’s dancing festival on Lunar April 8.
　　
　　上午8时30分，身着各色苗族盛装的苗家姑娘们将小岛装点得分外美丽，不少游客纷纷前来争相与苗家姑娘们合影留念。来自重庆的刘女士手里的相机、手机拍个不停，她高兴地说：“这里的苗族服装太漂亮了，我要多拍几张马上发给朋友圈，让他们羡慕一下。”
　　
　　At 8:30am, girls from miao ethnic group were dressed up in folk costumes, they attracted a lot of tourists to take photos with them. “Girls of miao ethnic group are so beautiful. I would like to take more photos and share in my wet-chat. My friends will be jealous.” Said a lady from Chongqing with a camera in her hands.
　　
　　农历4月8日，是苗族传统的“四月八”跳花节，又称“亚努节”。2011年入选第三批国家级非物质文化遗产名录。凤凰县民族风情浓郁，每年农历四月八，这里的苗族群众都要身着民族盛装，唱着山歌，跳着苗家舞蹈，欢度传统节日。如今，凤凰的“四月八”已成为凤凰县及其附近苗、土家族、汉族等各民族共同狂欢的节日，成为苗族同胞们最盛大的祭祖节、英雄节和联欢节，蕴涵着深厚的民族精神和民族文化。各民族男女青年还借此机会，通过自己饱含深情的舞姿与歌声寻找意中人，“四月八”也因此被称为“东方情人节”。
　　
　　Lunar April 8 is the traditional dancing festival of miao ethnic group, which is also called  “Yanu festival”. It is listed as the 3rd batch of national intangible cultural heritages. On lunar April 8 every year in fenghuang county, miao people are dressed in costumes, singing and dancing to celebrate the traditional festival. Nowadays, it has became a mutual carnival of miao, tujia, han people of fenghuang county nearby, which is the grandest festival for worshiping ancestors, commemorating heroes and celebrating friendship with profound national spirit and national culture. Young men and women from all ethnic groups are seeking their beloved ones by singing and dancing, so the lunar April 8 is also called “Oriental valentine's day”.

Translated by Zhou Qian.

Link: 农历“四月八”到凤凰与苗家人一起狂欢