Every year on the ninth day of March, it is the "Fish Killing Festival" for the Miao people living in Longli, Guiding, Fuquan and other places in Guizhou. On this day, people come to the river, fork a fresh fish from the river, set up an iron pot, light a bonfire, cook the fish in the river water, drink rice wine, pray for rain, and wish for good weather and a good harvest. There is also a legend about this day.
A long time ago, the King of Heaven had a very beautiful princess. She was smart and talented. The King of Heaven loves me like the apple of his eye. One day, the princess suddenly fell ill. The King of Heaven was very anxious and sent heavenly soldiers and generals to bring elixirs from Heavenly Palace, ganoderma lucidum from Kunlun Mountains, ginseng babies from Changbai Mountains, and pearls from the sea. But none of these medicines cured the princess's illness. Seeing that the princess's condition was getting worse day by day, the king was so anxious that he didn't even think about food and drinks. Later, when the King of Heaven heard that "a hundred fishes in the rivers of the human world can cure all diseases," he immediately sent the gods down to the mortal world, caught a hundred kinds of fish from the rivers, lakes and seas, boiled them into soup, and served it to the princess. After the princess ate it, she recovered from her illness within a few days. In order to thank the fish for saving their lives, the King of Heaven ordered the protection of fish in rivers, lakes and seas, and they were not allowed to be harmed at will. The King of Heaven also ordered the Rain God to rain all the rain into the rivers, lakes and seas, and not to give a drop to humans.
At this time, there was a severe drought, and the Miao family was very worried. So the villagers killed pigs and cows and offered sacrifices to the sky to pray for rain. However, the King of Heaven still does not give a drop of water to humans. Finally, all the pigs and cattle were slaughtered. On the ninth day of March, the villagers caught some carp, silver carp, salmon, crucian carp and salamander from the rivers and lakes to replace the pigs and cattle as offerings to pray for rain. Unexpectedly, when the King of Heaven saw his favored fish that had been killed in order to survive in the human world, and thought of the fish's life-saving grace to his daughter, he couldn't help crying sadly. He cried for three days and three nights, causing dark clouds to roll, strong winds to blow, and lightning to thunder. The tears of the Lord of Heaven turned into heavy rain and fell from the sky. It rained for three days and three nights, and water flowed everywhere, filling the farmland and nourishing the vegetation.
Until now, with the flat slopes of Jiuli and the brightness of Guiding, the Miao people of Xinan Village in Fuquan go to the river to kill fish on the ninth day of March every year.
Related traditions
Rain or entertainment
The Fish Killing Festival is also called the Rain-seeking Festival by the locals. According to legend, in ancient times, an evil dragon turned into a fish and came to the world because he was dissatisfied with the Miao family's diligent farming and weaving and their full grain and warehouses. He cast a spell to make the world dry and dry, causing the Miao family to leave their homes one after another. On the way to escape, the villagers received advice from an old man: "If you want it to rain heavily, you must defeat the evil dragon." A young man named Gu Bing volunteered to settle the score with the evil dragon. Finally, the evil dragon was subdued, and Gu Bing also passed away due to his serious injuries. In order to commemorate the hero Gu Bing, the Miao family decided to hold a fish killing festival every year. Of course, today's Fish Killing Festival is no longer a battle with the evil dragon. People who participate in the fish killing only need to collect some Chinese herbal medicines such as "Hua Xiang Ye", "Zhong Paul", and "Bitter Sandalwood" and hand them over to the "fisherman" in the village. ”, he became qualified to kill fish. The "fish head" is usually a respected elder in the village, who presides over the various ceremonies of the fish killing festival. The father of Wang Yue, director of the Guangzhong Village Committee, is a former fisherman. As the son inherited his father's business, and his own superb fish-killing skills, Wang Yue was naturally recognized by the villagers. The harpoon used to catch fish is like a witness to history. Harpoons are made of iron or bamboo. There are two types of iron harpoons: four-pronged and six-pronged, with sharp teeth and barbs. The fishing rod is about 2-3 meters long, and a 20-30-meter string is tied to the handle of the fishing rod. The harpoon rod made in Hsinchu has good toughness.
The Fish Killing Festival is actually an entertainment activity for local people. The purpose of the fish killing festival is not to catch fish, but to take the opportunity to sing, dance, and visit relatives and friends.
Fish medicine
Use fish medicine to help when fishing. It is said that the fish medicine was collected by the old Miao King at the risk of his life. The degree of anesthesia of the fish medicine must be effective but not too harmful to the fry. "Fragrant leaves" can make fish comatose, but the fish sink to the bottom of the river after being comatose. If you can't see the fish, you can't kill the fish. Therefore, the Miao people added "Zhongbao", an herb that can treat fish eyes, to "Hua Xiang Ye". After the fish is eaten, it will keep jumping to the surface of the water. It is much more convenient for people to kill the fish with a harpoon. The preparation of fish medicine is not complicated. The collected "Huaxiang leaves" and "Zhongbao" must be chopped and dried first, then ground into powder, and the fish medicine is prepared according to a certain proportion. "Bitter Tanzi" is highly toxic and is generally not used.
Going up the mountain to collect herbs is the exclusive preserve of girls and boys. The medicinal season is also a good opportunity for young people to fall in love. Girls gather in small groups, all dressed in costumes and wearing jingle bells, singing to each other while collecting herbs. If both parties are in a good mood, the girl will take the initiative to invite the young man to eat fish and rice together during the Fish Killing Festival.
Fish taking medicine is like people drinking wine. The length of time a fish is anesthetized will depend on its size and species. Fish will wake up quickly in flowing river water. Those who kill fish need to have quick eyes and quick hands. In addition, despite the huge lineups on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, the actual fish killed in the fish killing festival total only a hundred pounds. Now, the water quality of Liangcha River is not as good as before, and there are fewer fish. No one is allowed to fish in the river section designated for fish killing. After the fish killing festival, it must be maintained for a period of time.
Men and Women
The morning of the Fish Killing Festival is the busiest time in the village. The strange thing is that all the people coming in and out are men, and there is no trace of women. According to local elders, the Fish Killing Festival is like a men's festival, and women generally do not participate in the preparations.
On the eve of the Fish Killing Festival, husband and wife cannot sleep together; before the fish killing begins, men and women cannot meet each other. If they meet by chance on the road, they should say some auspicious words to each other; when going to the river to kill fish, men go upstream and women go downstream. By the river, constraints are naturally lifted. If anyone breaks the rules, not only will he not be able to kill the fish, he will also not be able to go home.
The women were not idle, they were busy preparing fish and rice in the kitchen. During the Fish Killing Festival, the whole family goes to the river to have a meal. The fish rice is homemade bacon, salted eggs, sausages, and rice wine is of course indispensable. The villagers gathered together, punched and guessed the rules, which was very lively. If the person who brings fish and rice is an unmarried girl, there must be glutinous rice balls. Glutinous rice balls are a token of affection for girls and boys. If a young man likes a girl, he will ask for glutinous rice balls. Whoever finishes the rice ball indicates that the girl has many suitors, and the family will feel honored.
"Imperial Envoy"
At several intersections leading to the river, we met several sentries with serious faces. They were "Imperial Envoy" sent by "Yu Tou" ". Those who do not bring fish medicine are considered poachers and their harpoons will be confiscated or chopped. Regardless of the king, I can't get past the checkpoint without fish medicine. It is said that a local chief executive carried a harpoon to join in the fun, but the sentry did not allow him to go into the river and had to go back home.
If a villager stabs a fish with two forks at the same time, the "Imperial Envoy" will make a ruling based on different circumstances. If there is one person on the other side, cut the fish open and give each person half; if they are all on the same bank, cut the fish into two pieces and take half from each person. The old rules are established and the villagers will not argue because of them, but the "ministers" fulfill their responsibilities seriously. This job is all voluntary labor. If you want to eat fish, you have to rely on your own skills.
"It's been drugged! It's been drugged..." Wang Yue stood at the source of the Ercha River and issued an order. The news of "drugging" spread all the way downstream, and people's shouts echoed between the two forks of the river valley. Dozens of bags of fish medicine were poured into the river at the same time. The fish medicine created a huge white wave in the river water, rolling and rushing downstream. The river was filled with the fragrance of the fish medicine. Tens of thousands of people along both sides of the river suddenly became commotion. The men waiting on the shore were like alert hunters, staring nervously at the river, catching every tiny ripple on the water, and the harpoons in their hands were ready to go. The next step is to see who has bad eyesight and whose hands are fast.
Dinner: Clear water white fish
In the evening, women in costumes came to the shore carrying rice wine and bacon. Eating fish and rice by the river is like a large picnic. Women are waiting on the sandbank and grassland at the end of the Ercha River, setting out wine and food to welcome family and friends. The quality of fish and rice represents a woman's virtuousness. Whoever cooks well and has many guests are the most honorable things in the eyes of women. While they were inviting their own men to eat, they were staring at other people's fish baskets, showing off their men's achievements to each other.
At 11 o'clock in the evening, dinner was finally put on the table. Dinner is a catfish. Catfish is made into "clear water white fish" according to traditional customs. The preparation process is very simple. Cut the fish into large pieces. Water is the only "condiment" for this dish. Bring it to a boil. When serving, add a plate of chili peppers for dipping in water. There is no family in the village that makes a living from fishing, and it is not easy to eat fish. The fish on the Fish Killing Festival must be eaten on the same day, mainly because the fish is relatively fresh and the fish medicine is originally a Chinese herbal medicine and will not harm people.