The Girls Meeting is a traditional festival in Tu minority group. It falls on the day between the seventh day to the 12th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. It is a festival formed spontaneously by the young women and men in the pursuit of free marriage. It is regarded as the eastern Valentine's Day.
Originally, the girls in Tu minority group didn't go out of their houses except on the ninth day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. Therefore, the day was called the girls' meeting and on this day the young men and women could get together to show their love.
On the day, young men and women usually sing songs to each other to seek their lovers. Girls would wear their most beautiful clothes and best accessories. Also, the girls take their products to sell and wait for their lovers to buy. Then the boys wander in the street and go to talk with the girls who they have a crush on. If they feel comfortable and happy with each other, they would join the girls meeting and sing songs to each other.
It is said that the girls meeting has a history of more than 400 years and could go back to the late of Ming dynasty. It was prohibited during Qing dynasty and prevailed again after the Revolution of 1911. From the 1980s on, girls meetings have been held in Enshi, Hubei province every year. The festival has become the symbol of the Tu minority culture. The spirit of Tu people in the pursuit of happiness could be appreciated through the festival.
