A close look at traditional temple fair of China's Dong ethnic group

A temple fair was held at Helisanwang Palace in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region on Friday.

At the temple fair, the Dong people worshiped ancestors and performed Dong operas with unique ethnic customs.

Helisanwang Palace is a major historical and cultural site protected at national level in China.

The building was built in the Jiajing period (1522-66) of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was initially called Sanwang Temple. Yelang was a political entity established by the ethnic minorities in southwest China in ancient times. According to a legend, the King of Yelang and his three sons advocated innovation and practiced benevolent policies in these areas. Therefore, the Dong people built the Sanwang Palace to commemorate the king and his three sons.