The days and weeks leading up to the Chinese New Year are extremely busy for most people; the house needs to be cleaned, food prepared and decorations set up. But for 150 Yao people in Datong village, Hechi, Guangxi, this year will be their busiest – the group are moving into new houses, bidding a farewell to their traditional thatched cottages.

Yao ethnic group member, Lan Guiquan, is one of these lucky people. On Jan 29, the construction of his new house was completed. According to the Yao ethnic traditional custom, Yao friends should wear festival costumes and carry red-dyed eggs on their shoulders to express their congratulations. On the day of the move, they gathered together to perform folk songs, Yao dances, bronze drum beats and suona horn music to show their happiness.

Yao people carry gifts and blow the suona horn to express their congratulations to Lan Guiquan. [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/Xinhua]

Prior to 2013, the six family members of Lan Guiquan were living in a shabby thatched cottage but with the advent of the local government’s dilapidated house transforming project to improve poor living condition of local residents, their situation soon changed. Lan Guiquan received a house building fund from the government and after two years’ efforts, with the help of friends’ money and assistance, he finally built an 80-square-meter cement bungalow.

A comparison of Lan Guiquan’s old house and new house [Photo by Gao Dongfeng/Xinhua]

Edited by Jake Hooson