Dong community treats tourists to feast

Tourists enjoy the baijiayan (the collective feast) in Linxi of Sanjiang Dong autonomous county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, May 31, 2012. [Photo / Xinhua]

The traditional baijiayan (collective feasts) of the Dong minority group has become a profitable tourism product for people in Linxi of Sanjiang Dong autonomous county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The local Dong people have attracted 110,000 tourists with their feasts, which bring 6 million yuan ($ 947,747.52) in returns.

Also known as "gather-up feast" and "long-table feast", baijiayan is a unique custom of the Dong minority, where local residents gather together to treat guests with a collective feast. For Dongs, it is the most honorable rite of hospitality, which dates back hundreds of years.