In celebration of the 3rd of March, members of the Yao and Zhuang ethnic groups in Ningming County, in Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, have laid out the Hundred-family banquet, also known as the "long table dinner". The banquet is their ultimate way of entertaining.

The Hundred-family banquet, also known as the "long table dinner", is a reunion for people from the same ethnic group.

A banquet prepared and attended by more than one hundred families. Each family cooks some dishes and sets them out on tables in an outdoor square to entertain diners.

The Hundred-family banquet usually is a reunion for people from the same ethnic group. But this banquet brings together the Yao people and the Zhuang people.

"It's the first time that the two ethnic groups are holding the Hundred-family banquet together and it feels great. It's like a big family; we should do this more often," a local resident said.

The Hundred-family banquet has been a tradition for centuries among ethnic minorities in Southwest China. They regard it as a time for family reunions, and they discuss family affairs, ask for blessings and pray for peace. Diners will also be entertained with folk songs and dances.

In 2007, the "Hundred-family banquet" was listed as a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

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