Guanyin's birthday is a festival to commemorate the birthday of Guanyin. In Baoxu Township, Daxin County, Chongzuo City, Guangxi, this festival is not only lively but also rich in content. Guanyin, also known as Guanshiyin, is regarded as a Bodhisattva with great compassion, who saves people from suffering and responds to requests in Buddhism and the folk. Because she once vowed that anyone who encounters any disaster will be saved by her as long as they recite the holy name of Guanshiyin Bodhisattva with one heart and one mind, "all those who watch her voice will be liberated", so she is named Guanyin. In Chinese temples and folk, Guanyin's statues and images are mostly female. The female Guanyin began in the Southern and Northern Dynasties and flourished after the Tang Dynasty. Folk women worshipped "Guanyin who gives children" the most. Women who prayed for fertility often burned incense and candles for her. Because Guanyin Bodhisattva has a very high reputation among the people, the days for celebrating Guanyin's birthday in different places are also different. Generally, there are three: February 19th of the lunar calendar is Guanyin's birthday; June 19th of the lunar calendar is the day when Guanyin becomes enlightened; September 19th of the lunar calendar is Guanyin's nirvana day. The Guanyin Festival in Baoxu is held on February 19th of the lunar calendar every year. The activities mainly include Guanyin's parade, dragon dance performances, art performances, folk song competitions, basketball games, sugarcane carrying competitions, cockfighting, dog fighting, bird fighting, etc. On the day of Guanyin's birthday, Baoxu Township, Leiping Town, Shuolong Town, Xialei Town in Daxin County, Zhubu Township, Jinlong Town in Longzhou County and nearby Vietnamese border residents will come to burn incense and offer sacrifices. Some even go with their families, young and old, and the festival atmosphere is very warm. In the early morning of the festival, people will go to Biyun Cave to worship the Bodhisattva. Although Biyun Cave, where the Guanyin statue is enshrined, is far away on the hillside, it is still very popular, and there is an endless stream of devout believers who come to worship on that day. Then Guanyin will go on a parade. The event was held on the lighted court in the village, with four girls in gorgeous clothes carrying the Guanyin statue, followed by a dragon dance team, a waist drum team, etc. The team paraded along the edge of the court, praying for the safety of the people in the whole township. Some neighbors walked back and forth under the dancing golden dragon to pray for their families. On the lighted court, art performances, dragon dances, folk song competitions, and basketball games took turns to attract many people to stop and watch. The entire square was crowded with people and cheers. The dragon dance team performed with superb skills, which was amazing; the basketball game was intense and exciting, and the onlookers burst into cheers from time to time. Visitors who couldn't squeeze in had to hold their mobile phones and cameras to take pictures outside. Cockfighting, dogfighting, and birdfighting were held in the fields at the entrance of the village. Dogfighting was not only intense and exciting, but also full of twists and turns, and people rushed to watch. The sugarcane carrying competition was full of rural flavor. Several bundles of sugarcane of the same weight were prepared for the competition. The contestants carried the sugarcane from the beginning to the end of the street, competing in both physical strength and speed. The winning contestant won a special prize: a bundle of sugarcane. Roasting pigs is a major festival feature of the Guanyin Festival in Baoxu. The villagers skewered the whole pig on an iron stick, smeared it with spices, and slowly smoked it to cook festive delicacies. The roasted pig is golden in color and fragrant, making people salivate. The activities of Guanyin's birthday are basically held by the masses with their own funds. The purpose is to have a festive and lively atmosphere, and also to express their piety and respect for Guanyin Bodhisattva. During the festival, every household will roast pigs, prepare fine wine, and hold a banquet to entertain relatives and friends. Regardless of whether the tourists know each other or not, everyone is a guest. As soon as they enter the door, they can drink big bowls of wine and eat big mouthfuls of meat, which shows the warm and hospitable customs of Zhuang Township. With rich folk customs, winding border scenery, lively festive atmosphere, delicious food and wine, Baoxu Guanyin's birthday attracts visitors from all directions. The Guanyin's birthday festival not only enlivens the cultural life of the people in the border mountainous areas, enhances national unity and friendship, but also carries forward the spirit of saving the world and doing good in Guanyin culture. This may be the secret of the long-lasting prosperity of Baoxu Guanyin's birthday. Information source: Guangxi Festival Chronicle (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) Information source: Guangxi Festival Chronicle (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)