Worshippers from the Nu ethnic minority group in Taohua (Peach Flower) Island, in the Nu-Drung Nu Autonomous County of  Gongshan in Southwest China’s Yunnan Province, prepare and carry an idol depicting a local animist goddess in a ritual  to dispel bad luck during their annual flower festival.

The ritual, which involves shamanic dances and chanting, lasts  for several hours before the idol is cast into the Nujiang River. Photos: Chen Heying/GT