Most of the 348.000 Wa people live in Cangyuan and Ximeng Wa Autonomous Counties in the Awa Mountain areas on the southwest frontiers of Yunnan Province.
Most Wa festivals are heavily religion-loaded, as the Wa people are primitive religion believers.
Lamu Drum Festival, the most typical Wa festival, is usually observed before the harvest season in the 12th lunar month, to honor the God of Drum.
A huge one-tree drum is made and moved from the mountain by the villagers. Cows are sacrified. Priests chant incantations, praying for bumper harvest. Young people sing and dance around, to the rhythmic beating of the drum.
