The eyo masquerade parade, the climax of the Eyo Festival, took place at Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island, Lagos on April 25th, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Wei Xiangnan]

By Wei Xiangnan, CRI West Africa Correspondent

Have you ever heard of the Eyo Festival? Probably not, unless you live in Nigeria. But even though only the Yoruba people of the southern Nigerian city of Lagos observe it, the festival is a huge event and a fascinating sight to see!

But a kind warning if you do attend this festival: obey the traditional rules, or you might regret it!

I was lucky to witness the Eyo Festival this year, because it only happens in celebration of an important figure who has died. This year the festival was organized to honor a major chief in Lagos, TOS Benson, who passed away.

Eyo in the Yoruba language means "person in a white mask," so masquerade parades along with other traditional cultural events are the heart of this week-long festival. The climax comes on the last day of the week, usually Saturday, when Yoruba people in Lagos gather at Tafawa Balewa Square on Lagos Island to watch the masquerade parade.

On April 25, the day of the parade, I came to the square early in the morning. Only those who are invited to the event were allowed to drive into the square area. The police stopped us as we drove to the entrance because we didn't have an invitation letter, but let us in when we said we were reporters.

The Lagos government sent free buses to pick up ordinary people who don't have a car so no one would miss the event. Masses of people had to elbow their way into the square's only entrance, and even with police and volunteers present, the crowd still seemed barely under control.

But when we finally entered the square, we found everything was in order. People waited calmly in their seats for the eyos to come and photographers like me snapped pictures. My attention went straight to the splendid costumes the Nigerian women wore. Models who weren't shy about showing off what they've got wore colorful dresses and intricate towering hairstyles in a fashion show displaying traditional Nigerian clothes. Snapshots!

The whole crowd burst with exhilaration when the eyos filed into the square around noon. The eyo masqueraders, all wearing white robes and masks, chanted and danced through the square. The mask is actually a piece of cloth with holes in it for seeing and breathing. Eyos wear hats to keep the mask on their heads and hold long bamboo sticks painted with traditional patterns. The bamboo stick has two seemingly contradictory functions: to beat people or to pray for people. It may seem strange but it's an important part of the tradition.

The festival has very strict protocol: when the eyo masquerader comes toward you, you must take off your shoes and stop immediately if you are riding a motorcycle. You can't photograph the eyos, smoke, wear a hat or hold umbrellas, even if it's raining. Women must wear skirts instead of pants, and you can't weave in front of eyos. If you break any of the rules, the eyos will beat you up with the bamboo stick. No kidding! But if you obeyed the rules, the eyos would use the same bamboo stick to pray for you. There has been violence at the festival before, and some residents were even scared when talking about it.

After hearing this, I called the organizer a day before the eyo masquerade parade to ask about our safety. A staff member reassured me that I wouldn't be beaten even if I did break one of the rules, but I still felt a bit nervous. But the next day was indeed violence-free. I was running around the square taking pictures and talking to people, all with my shoes on. Nothing happened. I noticed that even some local people were wearing shoes. Maybe eyos want to attract more foreigners to make the festival an international event so they have become more tolerant. But one staunch traditionalist did ask me quite sternly, "why are you wearing shoes?" I wanted to make my job easier, I thought to myself, but I didn't respond to him. In his eyes, I have offended his culture. But if even local people want to shun the eyos for fear of being beaten for wearing shoes, maybe loosening the rules a bit would be a good thing!

Anyway, the eyo masquerade is really fantastic! Take a look at these pictures and I think you will agree.