A few days ago, CCTV-4 30° Northern Latitude • Travel in China program presented Wonderful Tour in Guang’an. “Huaying Mountain Carrying Yaomei with Huagan” activity, with strong northern Sichuan folk flavor, expressed the colorful folk tourism culture of Huaying Mountain to the whole world through TV screen. “Huagan” is a special kind of litter which serves as a means of transport in mountainous areas.

　　Every third month of the lunar calendar, “Carrying Yaomei with Huagan” activity is held in Huaying Mountain. Local folks refer to young and beautiful un-married girls as “Yaomei”. And “huagan”, made of two mottled bamboo poles and a bamboo chair, is a means of transport for “Yaomei” to get through rugged mountain road. In the activity, each village will choose one or two beautiful young girls who are good at singing and dancing and two strong young men to carry the “huagan” up to the mountain top where singing and dancing competition is held. Young fellows and girls will sing folk songs together, praying for love, good weather for the crops and happy life.  

　　The legend goes that the most classical view in Huaying Mountain Stone Forest Scenic Area –“A Thousand-year Kiss”, is the fossil of Ba Erge and Yaomei, which symbolizes eternal love.

　　It is said that the tradition of “Carrying Yaomei with Huagan” dates back to Zhide period of Tang Dynasty (756-758). In recent years, Huaying city is making full use of this special folk event to build “Huaying Mountain Carrying Yaomei with Huagan” cultural brand. So far, “China • Sichuan Huaying Yaomei Festival” has been held for seven times and each festival attracted tens of thousands tourists and over 300-mln yuan investment. With the holding of this festival, tourism in Huaying city is growing rapidly. In 2012, Huaying received 3.64-mln tourists with 2.512-bln yuan tourism revenue. “Huaying Mountain Carrying Yaomei with Huagan” has won the gold award of national folk sports activities and ranks among the first batch of Sichuan provincial intangible cultural relics. “Huaying Yaomei Festival” is selected “Ten Major Local Festivals in Sichuan”.