The drab grey morning is fractured by swirls of color as the Mongolian ethnic people of Beichang City in northwest Jilin Province of China raise their voices and spin in energetic dance. It is harvest ceremony time, known as daji daobao, in the hills outside the city bordering the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region. The large group of animated worshipping farmers lay out a table of sacrificial offerings. A whole sheep, used because it is regarded as clean animal and only eats grass, alcohol, rice and grain samples are laid out, along with incense and candles. The ritual requires that they make sacrifice to the heavenly god, earthly god and the ancestors. Chants, songs and dance all call for a bountiful harvest season - and farmers hope their voices, offerings and rainbow colored costumes will attract the eyes and ears of those above and below. The ceremony is held in March, June and September each year as Mongolians take three, six and nine to be auspicious numbers. Mongolian culture is intrinsically linked with environmental awareness and protection of the vast area of precious wetlands that characterize this part of China and the ceremony is also seen by this ethnic group as a token of gratitude to the gods for the ongoing gift of the natural wonders that surround them.