A colorful water dragon parade was held in Shiqian County of southwest China's Guizhou Province on Saturday to celebrate the traditional local Water Dragon Festival, drawing tens of thousands of participants.

The parade featured 13 dragons made of bamboo strips and willow branches, which were carried through streets as onlookers showered them with water, praying for blessing.
As the water dragons snaked through the ancient streets, people also splashed water on each other, using everything from water guns to buckets, turning the blessing into a lively water fight.
"You can really feel the deep cultural vibe in this parade, and everyone is so warm," said Feng Xingting, a tourist from Guangdong.
The tradition began during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). According to legend, a dragon once ended a severe drought in the area. Ever since, villagers have created green dragons every year and sprinkled water to ask for timely rains and bountiful harvests.
The water dragon celebration in Shiqian has been listed as a municipal intangible cultural heritage of Tongren.
"We wish to better keep our cultural heritage alive, and we also hope that traditional culture could energize our tourism. By blending culture with tourism, we wish to produce more new business forms and facilitate highquality growth of the sector," said Rao Li, an official with the county's culture and tourism bureau.