Introduction to the festivals of the famous ethnic groups in southeastern Guizhou
Miao New Year Festival
After the millet is harvested and put into the warehouse, it falls on the ninth, tenth or eleventh day of the lunar calendar. It is held on Chen (Dragon) day, Mao (Rabbit) day or Chou (Ox) day. In the first few days of the Miao Year, every household must clean the house and actively prepare New Year's goods, such as making glutinous rice cakes, brewing rice wine, making tofu, growing bean sprouts, and generally killing pigs or buying pork, etc. Wealthy families also make sausages and blood tofu, sew new clothes for their families, etc. On the night of the 30th day of the Miao New Year, the whole family will have New Year's dinner at home and stay up until midnight before opening the door and setting off firecrackers to welcome the dragon into the home. At dawn, the elders of each family preside over ancestor worship at home. After breakfast, young and middle-aged men go to their neighbors' houses to pay New Year greetings, which is called "donfniangx" (donfniangx) in Miao language to express their wishes for a happy New Year. In the first two days of the New Year, there are certain taboos at home, such as: no going out to fetch water, no going up the mountain to cut firewood or mowing grass; no sweeping the floor; women not doing needlework; in some areas, women do not cook and are replaced by men; Not going out to pick up excrement, etc. Men and women in Miao villages usually marry during the Miao New Year. Starting from the fourth day. Some elderly men and women are also carrying wine, meat, glutinous rice cakes, etc. to visit relatives and friends, or are busy receiving guests at home; some young men and women are playing the sheng and dancing in their respective villages, or dancing to the copper drum and bullfighting; or the young men are going to other places. At the "Youfang" tour in the village, men and women sing to each other and express their love. The activities before and after lasted about 9 days to end. This is the most solemn festival among the Miao people.
The Miao New Year Festival in Leishan County is the most grand in southeastern Guizhou. Over the years, Leishan Miao New Year has become a gold-plated business card of Leishan, forming a cultural brand in Guizhou and even the country. During the festival, 16 people in Leishan County Thousands of people dressed in festive costumes, singing and dancing, were extremely lively and joyful. The Miao Year is mainly concentrated in the first ten days of October of the lunar calendar each year. Tourists can arrive by bus at Kaili Bus Terminal, which takes 40 minutes. They can choose to eat and stay in Leishan County or return to Kaili.
Spring Festival
This is a traditional festival celebrated by the Han people and other ethnic minorities that begins on the first day of the first lunar month. The Miao people in southeastern Guizhou call the Spring Festival "Han Year" (niangx diel) to coexist with the traditional "Miao Year" (niangx hmub), and celebrate it with other ethnic groups, especially those in Miao areas that do not celebrate the Miao Year. Mainly celebrating the Spring Festival, but it is not as grand as the Miao people celebrating the Miao New Year. The Miao people who know Chinese characters also post some couplets, door gods and the like. The rest is the same as the Miao New Year, that is, bullfighting, horse racing, visiting relatives and friends, and "touring" for young men and women are added. ", antiphonal songs and other national characteristics. In some families, the wedding of men and women is also held during the Spring Festival.
The Qiandongnan Spring Festival activities are held from the first to the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year. The time, location and content of the activities held in Danzhai and Leishan are different. The Leishan Festival is held from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year in Yongle, In Gongtong, Taojiang, and Kaitun, there will be activities such as playing bronze drums, playing Lusheng, horse racing, bullfighting, and partying. Danzhai is held from the first to the seventeenth day of the lunar month. The activities are held at Pai Diao, Wulipu, Changqing and Xingren, the activities during the period include Lusheng dancing, bronze drum playing, bullfighting, dragon lantern playing, singing folk songs, horse racing, lion dancing, etc. Liping's storytelling and Taijiang's Dragon Hush activities are all unique. Visitors can take a bus from Kaili Bus Station to the corresponding county and then transfer to another bus. The journey takes 40 minutes. Tourists can choose to eat special farm food at the farmhouse, stay in the farmhouse wooden house, or return to the county for food and accommodation. In the county, they can taste the Miao sour soup series (fish in sour soup, beef in sour soup, pig's feet in sour soup, etc.), spicy series, Farmhouse series and other special dishes.
Eating New Festival
Every year in the sixth and seventh lunar months, when the rice is heading in the fields, every household in the Miao village celebrates "on Mao day (sometimes on noon day or Chen day)" Eat new festivals”.
At that time, each family will have cooked glutinous rice, a bowl of fish, a bowl of meat, etc., put them all on the ground (some on the table), and pick 7-9 rice buds from their own rice fields to put on the glutinous rice. Next to the rice bowl, incense and paper are burned, and the elder pinches a little bit of fish and glutinous rice and throws it on the ground, adding a few drops of wine to express sacrifice and pray for a good harvest. Then the elders tear open the picked rice buds and hang two On the shrine, the rest was torn open and eaten by the children, and the whole family happily enjoyed a delicious meal. The next day, men, women, old and young from all villages came to watch the Lusheng Festival, participate in the Lusheng Dance Festival, and participate in the Lusheng Dance; some brought horses to the racecourse for horse racing, and some brought water bulls to the bullring for bullfighting. The period is usually 2 days.
The New Eating Festival is mainly concentrated in Kaili, Leishan, Shibing, Taijiang, Jianhe and other counties and cities. The Kaili area starts from Ermaohou and is held at Jiuzhaigou and Diwu in Kaili. , Wanshui, Wengxiang, Kaihuai, Panghai and other places, during which there are activities such as reed playing, bullfighting, horse racing, and swimming. Leishan is held on the first ten days of the month at the locations of Leishan Lianhua, Qiaogang, and Gaoyan. During the period, there are activities such as bronze drum dancing, reed pipe dancing, bullfighting, and party excursions. Shibing is held in Zhongji (three days) and is held in Pingxin and Xincheng. Activities include bullfighting, horse racing, sheng playing, singing competitions, and party excursions. Visitors can transfer from Kaili and arrive by bus from the corresponding county or city. The time spent during the period is 40 minutes from Kaili, 1.5 hours from Leishan, and 2 hours from Shibing. Visitors can choose to eat special farm food at the farmhouse and stay there. You can also stay in the farmhouse wooden house and return to the county town for food and accommodation. In the county town, you can taste the Miao sour soup series (fish in sour soup, beef in sour soup, pig's feet in sour soup, etc.), spicy series, farmhouse series and other special dishes.
Lusheng Festival
It is popular in the Zhouxi area at the junction of Kaili, Majiang and Danzhai counties in Guizhou. The festival dates are not uniform in various places, but are generally held in the first, second or third month of the lunar calendar; in some areas, they are held in July. It is mainly used to worship ancestors and celebrate the harvest. Generally, a ceremony is held before the festival. First, a respected old man from a certain village presides over the ancestor worship. At the same time, each family worships their ancestors at home. Then the girls from each village dress up in costumes and silver ornaments, and the boys They all brought their own reeds and came to the reed playing field from all directions. The young men and women from each village formed a circle, played the reeds and danced for four or five days. The atmosphere was very warm and it was a kind of integration of singing, dancing and fun. mass literary and artistic activities.
The Lusheng Festival in southeastern Guizhou can be roughly divided into the Miao Lusheng Festival and the Dong Lusheng Festival. Among them, the Miao Lusheng Festival is held in Kaili, Majiang, Leishan, and Huangping. The Dong Lusheng Festival is held in Congjiang and Liping is the representative, and it is held throughout the year. The Miao people mainly focus on the first month, and the Dong people on August 15th. The Miao people include reed dancing, bullfighting, horse racing, stepping on bronze drums, and reed blowing. The Dong people include antiphonal singing, reed playing, fighting, and competitions. Play Lusheng and sing Dong opera. Kaili, Majiang, Leishan, and Huangping can all be reached by transferring from Kaili. The time is 0.5 hour, 40 minutes, 1 hour, and 1.5 hours respectively. Huangping can also be transferred from Huangping Airport, and tourists can choose to eat at the farmhouse. Specialty farm food, stay in farm wooden houses, or you can return to the county for food and accommodation. In the county, you can taste the Miao sour soup series (fish in sour soup, beef in sour soup, pig's feet in sour soup, etc.), spicy series, farm series and other special dishes.
Dragon Boat Festival
This is a traditional festival for the Miao people to compete on the water. It is popular on both sides of the Qingshui River at the junction of Taijiang and Shibing counties in Guizhou. The two sides of the Taijiang Bala River in Duanhe are called "Ha Yangyong" (qab niangx vongx) in the Miao language of eastern Guizhou. Each of the sixty or seventy Miao villages here, including Pingzhai and Liaodong, has one or two dragon boats for rowing competitions. Every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, or the five days from the 24th to the 27th, the Miao people living on both sides of the river take turns to hold a grand and grand dragon boat race. Dragon boat racing is also popular in Fenghuang, Luxi, Jishou, Baojing, Huayuan and other places in western Hunan, and competitions are divided into men's teams, women's teams, and mixed men's and women's teams, and the scene is very lively.
Although the Dragon Boat Festival of the Miao people is a festival with dragon boat racing as its main content, it is also a festival for national cultural entertainment and social activities for young men and women. The middle-aged and elderly people visit relatives and friends, and talk about their past and production experiences. Visitors can choose to visit Kaifa. It takes 30 minutes to transfer to Taijiang and 1.5 hours to Shibing. You can participate in and watch activities such as dragon boat racing, duck grabbing, shooting, drumming, horse racing, and swimming. Afterwards, you can taste local specialties and stay in special hotels. .
April 8th
The eighth day of April in the lunar calendar every year is a traditional festival for the Miao people in Guiyang, Huangping, Songtao, Guizhou Province and Xiangxi, Hunan. During every festival, the Miao compatriots will steam glutinous rice and gather in a fixed place to play the sheng, dance or sing love songs.
April 8th is particularly popular in Huangping County, Tianzhu County, Sansui County and Rongjiang County in southeastern Guizhou. On the eighth day of the lunar calendar, they will hold various activities, such as Huangping horse racing, playing Lusheng, Fighting birds, worshiping ancestors, antiphonal singing at the Tianzhu gathering, worshiping the Ox King Bodhisattva with three spikes, making black rice in Rongjiang, etc. Convenient transportation conditions also provide tourists with a good travel environment. Currently, it takes 1.5 hours from Kaili, the seat of the state capital, to Huangping (Yukai Expressway opened at the end of June 2015, and you can reach Huangping in 20 minutes after opening), Tianzhu 2 Hours, Sansui 1 hour, Rongjiang 3 hours. In the evening, tourists can eat and stay in the county, and taste the Miao sour soup series (fish in sour soup, beef in sour soup, pig's feet in sour soup, etc.), spicy series, farmhouse series and other specialties Dishes and enjoy a stay at an ethnic boutique hotel.
The Drum Step Festival
It is popular in the Miao areas of Kaili, Danzhai, Leishan and other counties in Guizhou. On the first pig farm day of the second lunar month every year, young men and women of the Miao ethnic group automatically gather at the local singing field to play drums. This kind of drum is made of hollowed-out solid nanmu wood with cowhide stretched on both ends. At that time, a prestigious old man will move the nanmu drum and drum stand placed in his home into the drum field, and beat the drum vigorously. People will hear the sound and come to dance. Young people will take the opportunity to choose a spouse; old people will also wear new clothes. Wear clothes and sing ancient songs around the nanmu drum. After the dance, the girls took out the flower ribbons they had knitted by themselves and presented them on the nanmu drum to express their gratitude to the nanmu drum. People sang happily and did not leave the drum field until dark. Finally, the drum master carries the nanmu drum home and places it upstairs. During festivals, fish and meat are also offered as sacrifices to nanmu drums.
Jianhe will be held on the sixth day of the first lunar month, Kaili will be held on the first day of the second lunar month, and Danzhai will be held three days after the first pig farm starts working in the second lunar month. During this period, there will be wood knocking. Activities such as playing drums, playing bronze drums, playing reeds, playing wooden drums, making noise, bullfighting, and partying are all very lively. Starting from Kaili, you can reach Jianhe in 40 minutes by taking the Shanghai-Kunming Expressway, or 40 minutes by taking the Kaiyang Expressway. You can arrive in Danzhai. After the activity is over, tourists can eat and stay in farmhouses, or return to Kaili. Alternatively, in Danzhai they can go to Danzhai Danzhai Stone Bridge Ancient Papermaking Cultural Tourism Scenic Area, Danzhai Longquan Chiyou Cultural Park, and in Jianhe You can go to Jianhe Hot Spring.
Hill Climbing Festival
On the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, the main activities are held in Leishan, Taijiang, Danzhai, Kaili and other counties and cities. The event locations are Kaili Chongban It was held in Xizhai, Leishan Xinlian, Niujiaopo, Wucha Road, Shuobianzhai, Mangypsophila, and Dongshan Pinglangde. It is held at Leidapo in Longchang, Majiang from the eighth to tenth day of the fourth lunar month. At the end of the sixth lunar month, the Xianglu Mountain Climbing Festival is even more lively. Climb high and call, and everyone will respond. During the period, activities such as hill climbing, antiphonal singing, bullfighting, horse racing, Lusheng dancing, swimming, mountain playing, and horse racing will be held. It takes 1 hour from Kaili to reach Banxi Village, 40 minutes to Leishan, and 30 minutes to Majiang. After participating in the activities, tourists can visit Kaili Ethnic Customs Park, Yungu Pastoral Ecological Agricultural Tourism Complex, and Kaili Bullfighting City. Complex, Xiasi Ancient Town tourist attraction, Leishan Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Leigongshan original ecological Miao cultural tourism area, Mahjong Blueberry Ecological Tourism Area, eat and stay in farmhouses, or choose county-specific hotels and dishes.
Youfang Festival
"Youfang", also known as "Youfang", is a social and entertainment event for young Miao men and women in Kaili, Leishan, Taijiang, Jianhe and other counties and cities. a form of. Miao boys and girls often make friends, find partners or express love through such activities.
In order to choose a satisfactory lifelong partner, some young men often have to climb mountains and wade to villages that are more than ten, dozens or even hundreds of miles away. Tours usually take place during the off-farm seasons (for example, from the end of autumn harvest to before transplanting rice seedlings in the second year) and traditional festivals (for example, Miao Year, New Eating Festival, Lusheng Festival, Bullfighting Festival, Climbing Festival, Drumming Festival, and Spring Festival). , antiphonal festival, etc.) and festival days. In Miao village tours, there are usually fixed "youfangchang", "youfangpo" or "youfangpeng". These places are either under the trees near the bridge in front of or behind the village, or on the gentle grassy slopes around the village. In order to participate in the party, the girls dressed up in costumes, wore silver jewelry on their heads, put a few flowers on their heads, put silver collars around their necks, and silver bracelets on their hands. They use this to show their wealth and talents, and their beautiful appearance and figure to attract the admiration of young men. After participating in the activities, tourists can visit Kaili Ethnic Customs Park, Yungu Pastoral Ecological Agricultural Tourism Complex, Kaili Bullfighting City Tourism Complex, and Xiasi Ancient Town tourist attractions. In the evening, tourists can eat and sleep in the city and taste Miao sour soup. A series of special dishes (fish in sour soup, beef in sour soup, pig's feet in sour soup, etc.), spicy series, farmhouse series, etc., and enjoy a hotel with ethnic characteristics.
Sisters Festival
The Miao traditional festival "Sisters Festival", also known as "Sisters Festival", is a unique social festival gathering of Miao youth along the middle reaches of Qingshui River. Some villages celebrate it on the lunar calendar The 15th day of the second lunar month is celebrated in some villages, and the Shidong area in Taijiang is the most unique. During the festival, every family will prepare a lot of "sister rice" made of red, yellow, white, black and green glutinous rice mixed together to entertain guests and friends. During the day, there are crowds of people along the river, on the roadside, on the beach, and on the grass. At night, on the beach and on the grass along the river, high-pitched flying songs, rich and simple singing and love songs are intertwined, reaching far and wide in the quiet night. Far, far away. Every spring, the Miao women there celebrate a "Sisters' Festival" and eat a "Sisters' Meal". On the morning of the festival, the girls in the village go to the fields to catch fish and prepare "sister rice". No matter which field they go to catch fish, they will be welcomed. After the women finished eating the "sisters' rice", they each brought the colored glutinous rice prepared in advance and went to Youfangchang to sing to the young men. If a young man wants to eat glutinous rice, he must win the antiphonal song. In addition to antiphonal singing, women can participate in various entertainment activities at will. Married girls also have to go back to their parents' home to celebrate "Sisters' Day". Taijiang can be reached in 30 minutes from Kaili.
The Guzang Festival
is an important ancestor worship activity of the Miao people. A cow is sacrificed once every 13 years. Each term lasts three years. "Guzang Festival" is the most distinctive festival that best embodies the Miao national culture. It has distinct national traditional cultural connotations and is a display of the Miao people's life values. They remember their ancestors, respect the old and love the young, live in harmony, be diligent and frugal, and be wealthy and healthy. Waiting is the prayer theme of the Guzang Festival. The Miao Guzang Festival is an encyclopedia for studying the history and culture of the Miao people and is of great value. On May 20, 2006, this folk custom was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. Leishan Guzang Festival has attracted many domestic and foreign tourists. During the festival, Leishan County is very lively. The convenient transportation and beautiful environment make tourists linger. It can be reached in 40 minutes from Kaili. Tourists can choose to experience farm food at a farmhouse. , taste farm rice wine, stay in farm hotels, and experience farm life. You can also experience Miao special dishes and ethnic characteristic hotels in the county.
Dragon Lantern Festival
On the night of the first lunar month, the streets of Kelou Township are bustling with gongs and drums, firecrackers are blasting, and the red lanterns and dragon lantern dancing teams complement each other, making everything full of festivals. In the joy and peace of the city, thousands of villagers participated in and watched the traditional folk dragon lantern dance activities and enjoyed the first "national cultural feast" in the New Year of the Snake. The "Dragon Dance Troupe" walked through the streets and alleys, and there was a sea of ??people and excitement along the way. Every household has carefully prepared firecrackers, candies, etc. to welcome the arrival of the dragon dance team, which heralds happiness and good fortune in the new year.
The dragon lantern festivals at Shuiwei, Tianma and Longtian in Cengong are unique. They attract many tourists from the fourth to the fifteenth night of the first lunar month. During this period, tourists can see dragon lantern dances, New Year greetings and other activities. It can be reached in 1.2 hours from Kaili. Cengong It has beautiful mountains and clear waters, rich ethnic customs, numerous cultural relics and historic sites, and rich tourism resources. There is the Longao River Scenic Area, a provincial scenic spot known as "Heaven on Earth", the Luojiantang Tujia Customs Tourist Village with beautiful scenery and rich folk customs, and the famous Pingzhuang Ten Thousand Buddhas Corridor Cave. There are also many famous natural and cultural landscapes such as Yangsi Temple in Longtian, Zhumulin in Xujiawan, the ruins of the ancient Zhongmuzhao Manor, the Guanyin Pavilion at the county gate, the Yu Palace, and the Tian's ancient buildings in Zhuxi Yayuan. .
Lusheng Festival
The Lusheng Festival is the most common and grandest traditional festival in the Miao area. It is a festival with the main activities of reed playing in the hall and competing with reeds. The Lusheng Festival is usually named after the Pohui (such as Shisanpo, Gulongpo). The timing of the Lusheng Festival varies from place to place. The reason is that some are derived from auspicious days according to ancient laws, some are derived from harvest celebrations, and some are derived from myths and legends. Generally, a ceremony is held before the festival. First, a respected old man from a certain village presides over the ancestor worship. At the same time, each family worships their ancestors at home. Then the girls from each village dress up in costumes and silver ornaments, and the boys The Lusheng and Lusheng players all brought their Lushengs and came to the Lusheng venue from all directions. The young men and women from each village formed a circle, played the Sheng and danced for four or five days. The atmosphere was very warm, a kind of fusion of singing and dancing. , and enjoy collective cultural and artistic activities. During the first lunar month, Lusheng festivals will be held in the townships and towns of Kaili, Zhenyuan, Majiang, and Leishan. During this period, there will be activities such as Lusheng dancing, bronze drum playing, horse racing, bullfighting, antiphonal singing, and horse racing. Zhenyuan can be reached in 1.2 hours from Kaili. It takes 30 minutes to arrive at Majiang and 40 minutes to reach Leishan. At the end of the activity, tourists can eat and live in farmhouses and experience farm life. They can also visit Xijiang Qianhu Miao Village, Kaili Ethnic Customs Park, Yungu Pastoral Ecological Agricultural Tourism Complex, and Kaili Bullfighting City tourism complex and Xiasi ancient town tourist attraction.
Playing with dragon lanterns
Mainly popular in various towns and villages in Shibing County, it is one of the most lively traditional festival cultural activities during the Spring Festival in Shibing County. The ninth day of the first lunar month is the Dragon Lantern Day. All dragon lanterns are dispatched on this day and paraded in the streets to show the dragons to the people on the streets. On the 13th and 14th day of the first lunar month, the most grand scenes occur. The whole county is bustling with people, people are flowing in and out, artillery fires all over the city, gongs and drums are noisy, there are fireworks, and there is also the custom of exploding dragons. In addition to playing with dragon lanterns, there are stilts team, garland team, colorful flag team, waist drum team, reed pipe team, yangko team, song and dance team, as well as dragon boat riding, clam shell playing, lion playing, storytelling, archway carrying, flower fish carrying, etc. Shibing County is rich in tourism resources, including Shanmu River Scenic Area, one of the top ten national Wuyang River Scenic Areas, Yuntai Mountain, a world natural heritage site, and Heichong Scenic Area, as well as specialty products such as Pseudostellariae Radix Pseudostellariae and Kuding Tea. It takes 1.5 hours to reach Shibing from Kaili.
Thousand Three Happy Reunion Festival
Dimen is a good place. As long as you work hard, you don’t have to worry about food and clothing. The ancestors of the Dong village in Dimen who live here cut down trees and build houses, open up wasteland and plant crops. The land was settled and settled, and the population was prosperous. It soon grew to 1,300 households. There are many people and the village is large, so work has to be carried out far away, which is a lot of inconvenience. After discussion, the village elders decided to live in separate villages. In this way, 700 households will be allocated to Maogong, 200 households to Ladong, 100 households to Luoda, and 300 households will be retained in Dimeng. Each branch of the branch missed their homeland and often returned to Dimeng to worship their ancestors. However, the time was not consistent and they could only meet and reunite with people from Dimeng. It was difficult to meet people from other villages. After discussion, it was decided that every year from the 11th to 10th day of the first lunar month Fifth, it is a day for the villages to return to their hometown for reunion. Over time, this festival was formed. Liping County can be reached in 3 hours from Kaili, and Dimen Village can be reached in 1.5 hours by transfer from the county. During the Thousand Three Happy Reunion Festival, activities such as sacrificial rituals, singing halls, and bullfights will also be held. Visitors can choose to eat and live in farmhouses. You can return to the county town on the second day and visit Liping Zhaoxing Dong Village, Liping Conference Site, Tiansheng Bridge and other scenic spots.
Lantern Festival
The Lantern Festival is a traditional festival of the Miao people. However, this festival is not an independent festival. Instead, like New Year's Eve, it is an important part of the traditional Miao New Year Festival.
Every year on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Miao villages in the Rongshui Mountain area celebrate the Lantern Festival. The local Miao people call this festival "Nujiuzhuchui", "Nu" means eating and celebrating the festival, "Jiu" means glutinous rice cakes, and "Jiu" means "Zhuhui". "Chai" refers specifically to the fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month, which means the Miao family eat glutinous rice cakes on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month together. Every year during the Miao New Year Festival, the Miao people eat glutinous rice cake twice, once on New Year's Eve, which is called "nujiu worshiping the Lord", and "worshiping the Lord" refers specifically to New Year's Eve. Eating glutinous rice cakes on New Year's Eve symbolizes reunion and harmony; eating glutinous rice cakes on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month symbolizes the beginning of the year. After the whole family celebrates the Miao New Year Festival together, they are about to leave for a new journey. If "nujiu worships the Lord" is a glutinous rice cake for reunion, then "nujiu zhuzhui" is a farewell glutinous rice cake. It is the Miao family's sustenance and expectation for the new year. The Lantern Festival in Taijiang and Jianhe in the Miao ethnic minority areas is particularly grand. During the event, dragon lantern playing, bullfighting, and Lusheng dancing will also be held. Taijiang can be reached in 30 minutes from Kaili, and Jianhe can be reached in 40 minutes. Visitors can At Jiangyou Shidong Miao Cultural Tourism Complex, Jianhe hot springs, and local specialty hotels and restaurants are available for food and accommodation.
Sacrifice to “Grandma”
Zhaitou Village and Kouzhai Village, Guzhou Town, Rongjiang County, Qiandongnan Prefecture, Guizhou Province jointly held a ceremony to pay homage to the Dong ethnic minority’s common ancestral spirit “ Sama", celebrating the Dong traditional "Sama Festival". "Sama Festival" is an ancient traditional festival of the Dong people. "Sama" is the transliteration of Dong language, "Sa" means grandmother, "Ma" means big, and "Sama" means great grandmother. According to legend, in a matrilineal clan society, a brave and capable female leader of the Dong people repeatedly made military exploits in resisting the invasion of foreign enemies. Unfortunately, she died heroically in a battle against an enemy several times her size. The Dong people have great reverence for her and regard her as a deity who can bring peace and auspiciousness. They respectfully call her "Sama".
Dong villages choose auspicious days to worship Sama every year from the first month to February of the lunar calendar or after autumn. Some villages worship Sama alone, and some villages jointly worship Sama. This year, Kouzhai Village invited Zhaitou Village to worship Sa Ma together. On that day, the Dong compatriots from the two villages dressed in costumes and put mugwort in their hair, which symbolizes everlasting greenness. They went to the Sama Temple to offer incense and tea to Sama. Led by the old man holding a half-open black umbrella, the villagers walked around the village, and then held hands in a circle at Yeping, singing Yeh songs, praising Sama, and praying to Sama to bless the village with peace, good weather and good harvests. During the event, activities such as offering sacrifices, playing Lusheng, singing "Ye Song", and praising "Grandma" were also held. Tourists can reach Rongjiang River in 2.5 hours from Kaili to experience the festival customs of Dong people. Tourists can also visit Rongjiang Sanbao Dong Village, Spearman River Scenic Area.
Bullfighting Festival
Miao Bullfighting Festival: The Miao people love bullfighting and fight buffaloes. It is not about playing with buffaloes for fun, but using bullfighting to show the Miao family's respect and love for cattle. Characteristics of worshiping cows. In their love for the strong, mighty, and heroic bullfighting, the Miao family experienced the beauty of superiority. Under the influence of this emotion, the cattle that the Miao family worshiped were able to achieve the optimal breeding and evolution of bullfighting through continuous breeding. . Basically every festival has a bullfighting event, and after the autumn harvest every year, there is also a unique bullfighting festival. There are several types of bullfighting. One is the farming bull and the bullfighting bull. This kind of bull is relatively strong and plows the fields during the farming season, and is used to fight on festivals. The other is the professional bullfighting, which is selected based on various conditions. The cows, usually not cultivated, are owned by a village or a family, are raised by a selected expert with rich experience in raising cattle, and are taken to compete during festivals. Bullfighting in Miao areas is particularly popular in Kaili, Jianhe and Tianzhu. Kaili is held from the 14th to the 16th of the seventh lunar month, Kaitang and Kaishao are held on the 23rd, and Tianzhu Water Cave and Shidong are held from The tenth day of the ninth lunar month and the tenth day of the tenth lunar month, Jianhe falls on the second day of the second lunar month. During the bullfighting, there will also be bullfighting, song competition and other activities. Tourists can reach Tianzhu in 1.5 hours from Kaili and Jianhe in 40 minutes. After the event, they can experience the local Miao culture and dining.
Dong Bullfighting Festival: Dong people like bullfighting for fun, and it usually takes place in the spring and autumn. Although the same two bulls are fighting each other, the rituals in Dong villages in the north and south are different, and these different rituals have left traces of ancient battles. The Dong Bullfighting Festival is a traditional festival for the Dong compatriots. The Dong people like bullfighting, and every village has a "Buffalo King" who is good at fighting.
The "Bullfighting Festival" is held every year in February or August of the lunar calendar on the days of "Hai". Before the festival, each makes an appointment with his opponent and prepares for the bullfight. On the early morning of the festival, the iron cannon is fired three times, and the "Bull King" enters the bullring amidst the sound of gongs, drums and reeds. At this time, teams one after another, holding golden melons, moon axes, and various flags, cheered in front and supported each other, and circled the field three times, which was considered an "entrance ceremony", also called "stepping on the field." Then, each team took their own "ox king", held up torches, and stood ready. As soon as the iron cannon fired, they threw the torch forward. The two fighting cows jumped into the air from both ends and rushed forward. They fought together and were inseparable. The crowd outside the stadium cheered and cheered, and the atmosphere was tense and exciting, which was very spectacular. The Dong Bullfighting Festival is particularly popular in Congjiang and Liping. It takes place from September to the twelfth lunar month every year. During the event, bullfighting and singing are also held. It takes 3 hours to reach Congjiang from Kaili and 4 hours to Liping. After the activity, tourists can also visit Congjiang Xiaohuang, Luanli and other Dong villages, Basha original ecological Miao cultural tourism scenic spot, Liping Zhaoxing Dong village, etc. Scenic spots.
Wrestling Festival
Dong wrestling is popular in Sizhai, Hangdong, Zhaigao, Huanggang, Congjiangguping, Xiangdong, Zengchong, and Rong in Shuangjiang Township, Liping County Jiang's Zaima and other areas are a traditional sports competition integrating martial arts and entertainment. Every year on February 15th of the lunar calendar, grand wrestling festivals are held in Hangdong and March 15th in Sizhai. Hundreds of miles of Dong men, women and children gather together. In addition to the grand wrestling competitions held during the day, there are also lively market trades, "walking songs and sitting on the moon" and other activities for young men and women to communicate. Sometimes they are often accompanied by bird fighting and competitions. Lusheng, bullfighting and other entertainment activities made the whole village excited. Liping can be reached in 4 hours from Kaili, with bird fighting, reed pipe racing, bullfighting and other entertainment activities.
Forty-eight Villages Song Festival
The Forty-eight Villages Song Festival is mainly held by the Dong and Miao people in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, followed by Jinping County, Guizhou Province and Jingzhou County, Hunan Province. It is a national festival where people gather to play mountains, sing, make friends and fall in love. This festival is named after it was originally spread in the 48 Dong and Miao villages on the border between Guizhou and Hunan (70% of them are in Tianzhu, Guizhou). Forty-Eight Villages is the third batch of national intangible cultural heritage. It has a history of thousands of years since its formation. It is a nation and village that can speak Miao, Dong, Suantang, and Chinese at the same time. The content of the song festival is rich. In the long-term ethnic folk song exchange activities, the Forty-Eight Village Song Festival has formed the characteristics of different singing styles according to the location of the event. The singing styles include Hebian tune, Gaopo tune, Qingshan tune, Ali tune, etc., which are mainly distributed in Zhulin Township, Tianzhu County , Puchu Town, Yuankou Town, Shexue Township, Sanjiang Town and Maoping Town in Jinping County, and most villages in Dabaozi Town and Sanqiu Township in Jingzhou County, Hunan Province. The time span is from May 15th to mid-August in the lunar calendar every year. It takes 1.5 hours from Kaili to reach Tianzhu. After the festival, tourists can eat and stay at local farmhouses, and can also visit Tianzhu Sanxingyan, Jinfengshan Temple, Sanmentang Dong Village, Jinshan Cave and other landscapes.