Residents and tourists gather at Sanya Dongtian Park in Hainan province on March 17 for the five-day Dragon King folk custom event, featuring traditional rituals and cultural markets to celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　Residents and tourists gather at Sanya Dongtian Park in Hainan province on March 17 for the five-day Dragon King folk custom event, featuring traditional rituals and cultural markets to celebrate the Dragon Head Raising Day. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

　　A Dragon King Market opened on Tuesday, offering traditional Li ethnic practices, including pottery making, spinning, dyeing, and rattan weaving. Also on offer are sections for cultural products, souvenirs, and local cuisine, like sour noodles, pork ribs, seafood, dragon-shaped sugar paintings, and sugar-coated haws.

　　Following the ritual, attendees joined a hike to collect stamps at cultural sites. Visitors also took part in haircutting customs, interactive games, and Q&A sessions with performers dressed as characters from dragon folklore.

　　The Dragon King worship tradition, recognized as Sanya"s municipal-level intangible cultural heritage, reflects Hainan"s historical relationship with the sea. The event represents efforts to integrate cultural preservation with tourism development following the island-wide special customs operations launched in December.