URUMQI, March 22 (Xinhua) -- People of various ethnic groups are celebrating the traditional Ay Noruz Festival - The Festival of Spring - in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which began Tuesday.

    In Shanshan County in Turpan, nearly 10,000 farmers and herdsmen of different ethnic groups gathered together in the central square to attend the grand celebration ceremony held by the local government.

    Artists from across the country also joined the local people to celebrate the festival. Beautiful songs and lively dances, performed by distinguished artists and common locals, conveyed their best wishes for the rest of the year.

    "Apricots will bloom after the festival," said Hobull Tohuto, alocal Uygur villager who took part in the performances, "and then it will be time to sow seeds, since the spring is finally coming."

    "Besides unique singing and dancing, we Uygur people also pass on our good wishes by bashing hard-boiled eggs against each other during the celebrations," he said.

    In Kashi in southern Xinjiang, many villages have not only prepared performances, but also organized many other sorts of celebrations for the festival, such as sports competitions and traditional food and handicraft exhibition.

    Meanwhile, Kazahk people in Burqin County of northern Xinjiang also have their own way of celebration.

    Cleaning the house, cooking the Noruz Rice (a special kind of rice made by millet, barley and cheese) and singing the Noruz songs are all activities that Kazahk people enjoy to celebrate the new year.

    The Noruz Festival, which has a history of over 3,000 years, isone of the most significant festivals shared by various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including Kazahk, Uygur, Kirgiz and Tajik. The festival usually starts from March 21 every year, and lasts for three to 15 days depending on different ethnic cultures. Enditem