Since the Spring Festival this year, tourists who have visited Qianhu Miao Village in Xijiang, Leishan County, Guizhou Province, in addition to enjoying the scenery of Miao Village, also have the opportunity to watch a basketball game with novel rules and full of fun: female players wear costumes with national characteristics, hold the ball and run all over the court, or attack by themselves, or pass the ball to teammates with better chances......
On May 1, the players of the Anshun City team were in the game. On the same day, the first "Aunt" Basketball Invitational Tournament in Guizhou Province in 2024 came to an end in the Qianhu Miao Village Scenic Area of Xijiang, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, with a total of 10 "Aunt" basketball teams participating. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin
This is a special sports activity created by local minority women, and it was originally named "aunt basketball" because the participants mainly married women who returned to their hometowns (locally called "aunts"). The sport has a specific set of rules of the game: there are no walking violations, and players can run with the ball; As long as it is not an intentional foul, in principle, the penalty will not be blown; At the end of regular time, when the scores are the same, the winner is decided by penalty shoots.
On March 8 this year, the first "Auntie" Basketball Invitational Tournament in Qiandongnan Prefecture was held in Qianhu Miao Village, Xijiang. That night, Ms. Liu and her family, who had driven from Shenzhen to Guizhou, were attracted by the warm atmosphere and interesting scenes on the court, and the family found an open space behind the basketball hoop to sit down and watch the game, and took photos with their mobile phones from time to time. "We didn't know there was this competition before we came, but we thought it was funny, and the aunts were very loving and united." Ms. Liu said.
On March 8, the players of the Xijiang Village team of Leishan County (right) and the players of the Kaili City team in the game. From March 8th to 10th, the first "Aunt" Basketball Invitational Tournament in Qiandongnan Prefecture in 2024 was held in Qianhu Miao Village, Xijiang Town, Leishan County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Wenbin
Yu Yang, a tourist from Beijing, shared the same sentiment as Ms. Liu, who had watched a video of his aunt's basketball game on the Internet and thought it was fun, but it was even more obvious when he came to the scene, "I smiled and watched them finish the game." Mr. Li, a tourist from Zhejiang, said that he was surprised by the "aunt" basketball game, "The basketball can still be played like this, it is so interesting."
The "Auntie" basketball game is also a big booth for ethnic minority culture. On the one hand, players from different nationalities or different branches of the same nationality compete on the pitch while also showing their respective national cultures; On the other hand, during the break between the games, the audience can enjoy the unique cultural performances of the ethnic characteristics of southeast Guizhou, such as wood drums, copper drums, reed sheng dances, and Dong songs, and the prizes of the event are also silver jewelry products with national characteristics.
On May 1, the actor performed at the closing ceremony of the first "Aunt" Basketball Invitational Tournament in Guizhou Province. Xinhua News Agency (photo by Zhang Ping)
In the parade of the first "Aunt" Basketball Invitational Tournament in Guizhou Province in 2024, which ended in early May, the 60-meter long skirt brought by the Tongren City team amazed the audience, and the tourists praised it again and again.
Li Zhenghua, deputy general manager of Guizhou Xijiang Qianhu Miaozhai Cultural Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd., introduced that in order to enhance the experience and participation of tourists, the organizers will also organize tourists to sign up for the competition on the spot during the competition. Up to now, more than 10 "aunt" basketball games have been organized, with a total of more than 300 tourists participating.
Ms. Jiang, a tourist from Guiyang, experienced it once. After changing into the national costume provided by the tournament organizers, she and her teammates entered the game, and after a few rounds, their faces were covered with beads of sweat. "The rules of this competition are simple, the threshold is very low, everyone can participate, but it is also very tiring to fight, the competition is intense, but it is very fun and fun." She said.
"The holding of the 'aunt' basketball game enriches the format and cultural connotation of the scenic spot, and tourists can experience and understand the traditional culture of the Miao people more deeply." Li Zhenghua said.
(Source: Xinhuanet)