Mojiang International Twins’ Festival

There have been six sessions of China Mojiang Tropic of Cancer International Twins’ Festivals since 2005. There have been twins from countries like the US, Canada, Russia, Singapore etc for this Mojiang Tropic of Cancer International Twins’ Festival, and there have been new international participants every year. China Mojiang Tropic of Cancer International Twins’ Festival and Hani Solar Festival has become a well-known tourism name card for Yunnan culture. There have been millions of people for this festival so far.

BY2, spokespersons for the 5th Mojiang International Twins’ Festival

During the International Twins’ Festival, tourists from home and abroad can experience Hani traditions, visit one-thousand-twin parade and twins’ generations, join in Hani charcoal rubbing carnival, watch twins’ competition, have twin-serial activities (pilgrimage to the twins’ well, revisit twins’ forest, bind twins’ locks), and share activities like wedding on the tropic of cancer, Hani long-street purple-rice buffet, twins’ cultural exhibition, and water games. Besides the traditional events, there will be a series of activities of twins for both the humane meanings and social economic value for twins’ culture in the 7th twins’ festival.

Scientifically, twin is a special physiological phenomenon with a rate of 1‰ in human reproduction. But in Mojinag in south Yunnan province through which the tropic of cancer cuts, the chance is as high as 6‰， So Mojiang is also known as where the sun turns, and the hometown of twins.

Yunnan Mojiang Hani Autonomous County is the only Hani autonomous county in China. The tropic of cancer cuts through the county. It is estimated that there are more than 1000 pairs of twins among the 350,000 people, so it is also called the hometown of twins.

There is a twins’ well in Hexi village in the county which draws mystery upon the county. It is said that the well water can bring pregnancy with twins. Many people believe that after drinking the water and praying there, they can have twins. These mystical phenomenon and legend have attracted more and more tourists from home and abroad, making the twins’ culture richer. Some scientists say that the high rate of twins may be related to the local geological location, climate, and genes. But the reason still remains as a mystery.