Monihei Carnival 2025 in China
A story of how to get dirty and be okey with that
Dates: May 1–May 3
Monihei is all about getting as muddy as possible. It is the most amazing festival tradition among the Wa people, one of the 56 Chinese minorities. Held on 1st and 2nd of May in Yunnan, it is from an ancient tradition of exercising while wearing a kind of healthy paste on the face and body. Nowadays, this small custom grew into a giant festival: people smear black paste onto each other to wish all the best. And, of course, the more mud you have on you, the more health and fortune you'll be offered.
The Wa people believed that humans came from caves (Sigangli in their language). No surprise that Sigangli has been now set up as a place for the Wa people to pay respect to their myths and for tourists to learn the customs of another culture. It's a perfect chance for visitors to discover joyful atmosphere which is full of ethnic peculiarities, and discover the various beautiful and natural sceneries of Cangyuan.