The opening ceremony
The annual Labor-Selling Festival kicks off at Dongkeng Township of Dongguan today.
In addition to the ever popular water shooting carnival, organizers have also programmed a fair for Dongguan's non-material cultural heritage, a large-scale job fair and a gourmet festival this year.
Origin of the Festival:
The festival dates back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Every February 2nd of the lunar year, the peasants from Dongkeng and nearby gathered under the big Banyan tree of Dongkeng Village and waited for the rich to hire them to plow or do other work. If chosen by the employer, the employee would be drenched with water; thus the term "water-pouring".
Eventually the practice matured into what was known as the "Labor-Selling Festival". After the Reform and Opening-up, people's living standard improved, and the "Labor-Selling Festival" evolved into the "Turning-Over Festival" and most recently has become known as the "Water-Pouring Festival" for celebrating a good and happy life.
