Sanyuesan Festival in Baoting: Food Feast

Featuring an amazing abundance of events and activities, this year's Hainan's "Sanyuesan Festival" - a Li and Miao ethnic minority holiday which falls on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar - will be held in Baoting Li and Miao Autonomous County and Wuzhishan's Shuiman Village from April 11 to 13. Of the unique holidays and festivals celebrated by the Li and Miao, Sanyuesan is the most colorful, most beautiful, and most interesting. Other than the activities, there is so much more to explore in Baoting… especially the local food feast.

Pan-fried Mud Carp

Zaling Chicken

Baoting is rich in gastronomic resources. Basically, every township has a representative dish or three including Zaling Chicken, Maogan Beef, Maogan Duck, Liugong Goose, and Reservoir Fish. In addition to a mind-boggling variety of wild vegetables, other popular local ingredients, like "five-legged pig" (a cross between domestic pigs and wild boars, the sagging pot belly looks like a fifth foot) and mud carp (which requires high-quality water and can only be found in pure, unpolluted mountain streams) can be found throughout the county.

Stewed Beef

Chopped Five-Legged Pig

Liugong Goose

Gourmands visiting Baoting can enjoy more than just the cooking. Fruit picking (particularly of rambutan) is a popular activity. This highly nutritious tropical fruit is well-suited for large-scale cultivation in Baoting's mountainous rainforest climate.

Photo: Xu Huan