Li and Miao People's Village

Li and Miao People's Village (Licun Miaozhai), located on the outskirts of Sanya city, is miniature of Li and Miao people's folk custom and flavor. Aboriginal people, natural countryside, Li grils' singing and dancing feature the village.

Li tribes were firstly known by the name Liliao in the Sui Dynasty. They refer to themselves as the Hlai or Sai people presently. They settled down in Hainan 2000 years ago. It is said that a Li girl starts to live in her boudoir alone when she is sixteen yearr old. She is just waiting her fond lover to come to her house. There wooden drum, bow and arraows, pestle and mortar, a bamboo basket and shoulder pole, needlework and weaving tools figure out a peaceful life that men till the land and women weave cloth. The highly hanging heads of ox before a house show a glory of hunter's harvest. The unique folk dancing like 'Dance of Should Pole', 'Hunting Dance', 'Dance of seizing Ghosts', 'Dance of Pestling Rice', and acrobatic performance of climbing a hill of broadswords, playing with a fire reflect a concept of religion, culture and life in ancient time. 

Miao tribe, with people of approximately 60,000, moved to Hainan Island from Guangxi about 800 years ago. They primarily resided into the mountains near Baoting Country. For the past years, they live peacefully together with the Li people around Five Finger Mountain. They have their own spoken language. But they are different from the Miao People on the Mainland China in terms of spoken language, daily life and culture.

San Yue San is a special occasion in April each year for the unmarried young men and women of Li and Miao communities to celebrate new life and pray for love and happiness. Today it has become a public ceremony for all Li and Miao, to celebrate with songs, dances and sporting activities.