Water Festival

KUNMING, April 17 ( tasteallchina ) -- When Cambodian student Tim Chivorn immersed himself in the just-concluded water-splashing festival in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, he was delighted to find the festive traditions there to be similar to those in his hometown. "The enthusiasm of Yunnan people makes me feel warm, and it reminded me of my hometown when I splashed water here," said Chivorn. The water-splashing festival is regarded as one of the most important festivals of ethnic groups in southwest China. During the festival, water is considered an auspicious symbol and people splash water on one another, thereby wishing happiness and good fortune. In Southeast Asia, many countries celebrate this kind of water festival. It is known as the Khmer New Year in Cambodia, while it is called the Songkran Festival in Thailand. Recently, the water-splashing festival in China's Yunnan and the Songkran Festival in Thailand attracted large numbers of foreign visitors, and celebrating such water festivals abroad has become a new trend for tourists from various countries and regions. According to the border checkpoint in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, Kunming Port handled about 57,000 inbound and outbound passengers during the water-splashing festival -- a…