Long Street Banquet of Hani Ethnic Minority in Yunnan

The Long Street Banquet (长街宴) is a blessing feast held during the Hani October New Year (哈尼十月年), an important traditional festival of the Hani ethnic group (哈尼族). It is regarded as both a communal celebration and a ritual of gratitude and prayer. People of different colors and nations gather each year as if on a pilgrimage, sharing dishes that symbolize health, longevity, and peace. Guests begin at the “dragon head” seat and move along the tables to the “dragon tail,” blessing each other with wishes for prosperity, harmony, and happiness.

Festival Origin and Customs

The Long Street Banquet (长街宴) is a traditional Hani custom associated with the Angmatu Festival (昂玛突节), when the Hani people worship the village guardian spirit and pray to the dragon for rain. It is also the grandest festival for the Hani farming community.

On this day, households prepare nearly 40 traditional dishes, such as yellow glutinous rice, three-colored eggs, pork, chicken, fish, duck, dried beef, dried muntjac, meat floss, peanuts, and especially the signature red rice dish called Huānxīn gǔwǔ hóng mǐfàn (欢心谷舞红米饭). Families carry their dishes and drinks to the village center, where they arrange tables one after another, forming a 700-meter-long banquet. Locals also call it the “Dragon Banquet” (长龙宴) or “Street Banquet” (街心酒). It is recognized as the longest banquet in China.

According to the Hani calendar, the first dragon day of the tenth lunar month marks the New Year, comparable to the first day of the Lunar New Year among the Han. On the fifth day, people hold the “Opening the New Year Gate” ceremony to welcome the new year. Families display their dishes at the village gate, forming a long communal banquet for both villagers and guests from afar.

Festival Celebration in Habuo Village (哈播村)

Each year, in early December (around the tenth day of the tenth lunar month), Habuo Village (哈播村) in Ezhaxiang (俄扎乡), Yuanyang County (元阳县), holds the Angmatu Festival (昂玛突节). With 450 households and 1,987 residents, all Hani people, the village lives primarily on terrace farming.

The three-day festival includes:

• Day 1: Setting up a new village gate, sealing the village, and inviting the guardian spirit Angma (昂玛).
• Day 2: Holding the Long Street Banquet (长街宴), with tables winding from the head to the end of the village like a dragon.
• Day 3: Music, dance, and prayers for peace, harmony, and a good harvest.

During the feast, the village leader, or “Dragon Head,” sits at the chief seat. Every household first presents its dishes to the Dragon Head, who tastes them and mixes portions together as a symbol of unity. Guests begin the meal by eating dragon pork, signifying the presence of the dragon spirit.

The atmosphere is festive: people eat, drink, sing, dance, and bless each other. About 4,000 participants—including villagers and tourists—join the feast every year. Young men and women sing, dance, and socialize into the night.

Annual Events and Records

Since 2004, Lüchun County (绿春县) has hosted the “China Lüchun Hani October New Year Long Street Ancient Banquet” (中国·绿春哈尼十月年长街古宴). It has been recognized by the Shanghai Great World Guinness Headquarters (上海大世界吉尼斯总部) as the “World’s Longest Banquet.”

In 2010, the banquet set a record with 3,050 tables stretching over 4,000 meters and more than 10,000 participants. The event has become a cultural highlight attracting both domestic and international visitors.

In 2015, during the Zhalete Festival (扎勒特) in Honghe County (红河县), Hani villagers laid out a banquet along the village roads that stretched for kilometers, once again showcasing the grandeur of this tradition.

Cultural Significance

The Long Street Banquet (长街宴) reflects the Hani people’s understanding of water, reverence for nature, and agricultural traditions. It embodies values of diligence, simplicity, unity, and mutual support. More than a feast, it is a cultural symbol of community, heritage, and harmony between humans and nature.