This week, the misty mountains of Baisha Li Autonomous County come alive with drumbeats and augmented reality displays as the 2025 La'aomen Festival kicks off. More than 3,000 Li villagers in handwoven brocade attire led ceremonial dances honoring shamans who've safeguarded agricultural wisdom for 3,000+ years 🎭.
At the heritage site, visitors tried hand-plowing terraced fields with water buffalo while elders demonstrated millet storage techniques used since the Song Dynasty. Meanwhile, the new 'Digital Li Valley' pavilion used motion-capture tech to transform traditional bamboo pole dances into interactive light projections 💡.
Free Trade Port Meets Folk Wisdom
As Hainan accelerates its role as China's tropical free trade hub, this festival strategically positions Li culture as both a living heritage and economic asset. The event's dual venues – one preserving ancestral farming methods, another showcasing AI-powered cultural archives – mirror the island's dual identity in 2025.
"We're not museum pieces," said local guide Huang Meili, 28, while demonstrating Li textile patterns now featured in Milan Fashion Week collections. "From our shanlan rice liquor to VR temple tours, every tradition has a future."
