Guangxi villagers perform Spring Ox Dance to welcome spring

Villagers in Longsheng county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, marked the beginning of spring on Wednesday with the traditional Nao Chunniu, or Spring Ox Dance, a prayer for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest in the year ahead.

A centuries-old custom of the local Dong ethnic group, the ritual features a handmade spring ox crafted from bamboo, colored cloth, and straw. Two men guide the ox puppet at the head of a procession, followed by villagers carrying plows, harrows, and whips, reenacting farming activities to welcome spring and honor agrarian traditions.