As night fell, rural areas in Suining and Nanchong, Sichuan Province, witnessed an ancient ritual. Adults and children carried 'Qima lanterns'—crafted from bamboo, red paper, and candles—through streets, alleys, and village paths, eventually placing the lanterns in fields or floating them down rivers to pray for peace, health, and a bountiful harvest in the new year.

The 'Song Qima' event at Chicheng Lake in Pengxi County

This is the provincial-level intangible cultural heritage folk activity known as 'Sending Off the Qima', held annually on the evening of the 14th day of the first lunar month in Suining and Nanchong. On the evening of March 2 (the 14th day of the first lunar month), synchronized events took place at Chicheng Lake in Pengxi County, Suining, and Lianchi Town in Xichong County, Nanchong, with tens of thousands of participants holding 'Qima lanterns'.

The 'Song Qima' event at Chicheng Lake in Pengxi County

'Qima' refers to frogs or toads. Legend has it that in ancient times, northern Sichuan villages often suffered outbreaks of 'Qima plague' in early spring, causing children's cheeks to swell and sometimes leading to death (now known to be mumps). Due to limited medical knowledge, people mistakenly believed they had angered the 'Frog God' and thus created 'Qima lanterns' resembling tadpoles to send away, symbolizing the expulsion of disease and pestilence. Over time, this custom evolved into a fixed annual tradition that continues to this day.

The 'Song Qima' event at Chicheng Lake in Pengxi County

Today, 'Sending Off the Qima' has become one of the region's most vibrant festivals, drawing large numbers of tourists. In 2025, the Jialing District of Nanchong hosted over 300,000 visitors during its 'Qima Festival'. Last year, Pengxi County concurrently held an intangible cultural heritage fair, agricultural product exhibitions, and food markets during the event, generating more than 1.6 million yuan in consumer spending.

The 'Song Qima' event at Chicheng Lake in Pengxi County

This year, Xichong County organized complementary activities including cultural performances, Qima lantern releases, intangible cultural heritage displays, and merchandise fairs. Pengxi County introduced distinctive programs such as a Qima-themed concert, an anime gathering, the 'Shake Young Bamboo, Send Blessings' ritual, and a traditional New Year folk parade.

【本文部分内容由AI辅助生成，特此声明。The author(s) generated part of the content in this work with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI), which is hereby declared.】