Costume competition festival held in Yunnan

Villagers attend a local costume competition festival in Yongren county, Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Saizhuang Jie, or the "costume competition festival", is held in Yongren county of Chuxiong Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province each year on the 15th day of the first lunar month. It originated in Zhiju. The young people of a remote village in Southwest China's Yunnan province attended a local mass-dating event, following a tradition that dates back about 1,350 years. The festival is not only an occasion to celebrate，but also a chance for single people to meet each other.