Festivals of Hmong Nationality in Western Hunan

Culture 2012/12/31 View：2902

Western Hunan, A mysterious land in China, has a lot of unique festivals like “3.3”（Valentine’s Day of Hmong Nationality on March 3）, “4.8”(a fete ceremony in memorial of ancient Hmong martyr on April 8), “6.6”(ancestor worshipping fiesta of Hmong nationality on June 6) and so on. Following, I will present specifically above mentioned 3 festivals of Hmong nationality.

“3.3” (Also called Antiphonal Singing Festival)

On every March 3(lunar year), girls of Miao nationality who are dressed up and young lads in crowds will gather at the antiphonal singing yard not only for celebrating for the spring plowing but also in aim of looking for their sweetheart. When a lad invites a girl to sing and the girl doesn’t follow, the lad will withdraw voluntarily and seek for anther girl. If the girl sings after the lad, it shows that the girl and the clad matches and then they can continue singing love songs antiphonally.

Celebrating Date: March 3(Lunar year)

Celebrating Place: Miao Village Stand in Tanjiatan where borders Luxi County,Guzhang County and Jishou City in Western Hunan.

“4.8”(April 8 of lunar year)

“4.8”is a great fiesta in memorial of ancient martyrs. Every year at this day, Miao people will gather at a scheduled place playing drum dance, antiphonal singing, climbing ladder of knives, giving a performance of sword and spear to express their memory of martyr and faith in carrying forward martyrs’ unfulfilled wish.

It has been said in very ancient times that every April 8, Hmong people hosted great corroboree in looking for their sweetheart. However, in a later year, many officers forced several lovers to be separated in order to meet their selfish lust for beauties. Then at the second year of April 8, young men of Hmong nationality had in advance prepared well to fight against officers’ robbery of beauties. However, under government’s bloody suppression, all warriors were dead in fight.

Since then, every April 8, Miao people ofWestern Hunanwill host great ceremony to memorize those martyrs.

“6.6”(Ancestor worshipping day of Hmong nationality on June 6)

It is said that the hero of Hmong nationality, Tianling, through three years’ diligent drill, could shoot the fatuous emperor’s seat by an arrow. One day, Tianling slept early and was ready to shoot the emperor at the first hear of the cock crow. However, unexpectedly, the cock crowed earlier than usual. Then Tianling rushed to climb up to the top of Mount General (The mountain borders Songtao City,Tongren City in Guizhou Province and Fenghuang County in Hunan) and shot as soon as he aimed at the emperor’s seat. The arrow shot just at the seat, but the emperor didn’t on his seat. Later, the emperor found out that it was Tianling who wanted to murder him. Thus, Tianling was killed at the very day of June 6 (lunar year). Since then, every year at this day, Hmong people would cloud at the bottom of Fenghuang Mountain, blowing whistle, singing Hmong songs and dancing, in order to memorize the hero with pray of good future.

By Patricia

Reading

Introduction of “Summer Begins”

Introduction of “Summer Begins”:“Summer Begins” comes on May 5 or May 6 every year. When the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 45 degrees, it’s the beginning of the summer season. Usually people consider this period as the time when crops’ growth enters into the peak season.

2017-05-06 08:46 View：3720
Qingming Festival

Qingming Festival is one of the 24 seasonal division points in China, falling on April 4-6 each year. After the festival, the temperature will rise up and rainfall increases. It is the high time for spring plowing and sowing. But the Qingming Festival is not only a seasonal point to guide farm work, it is more a festival of commemoration.

2017-04-05 21:35 View：2897
The Beginning of Winter

The Beginning of Winter is the time when winter officially arrives. When vegetation withered away, the weather becomes colder. Everything in the natural world falls into this cycle. In ancient agricultural society, the beginning of winter, spring, summer and autumn are called the “Four Beginnings.” They are all important days. For our ancestors, the beginning of winter is not just the start of a cold season but also a time to rest, a time when living things witness a period of dormancy and self-renewal.

2016-11-11 11:01 View：3436
Zhangjiajie Taboo Custom

As the saying goes: “Different wind in ten-li, different custom in hundred-li.” “Asking taboo, asking custom into countryside.” Every nation and even every family and every profession, has its own different taboo content, it can not only reflect a full of Platonic superstitious cultural mentality, but also infiltrate the times scientific connotation, and reflect the developing trend of the nations constantly marching towards progress and amalgamation.

2017-01-19 16:22 View：3014
Tujia Minority jumping funeral dance

Jumping funeral dance is also called as “Jumping funeral drum” and called "Saerhe" in Tujia language, it is an ancient funeral ritual dance of Tujia Minority people of Ba people’s descendants, with strong local color. It is mainly popular in Tujia Minority area of Qingjiang River basin, and corresponding to the popular region of Shaking Hand Dance, so called “Shaking Hand at south Jumping funeral dance at north”.

2017-04-10 16:21 View：3477
Tujia spending the New Year of three times

Tujia people spend the New Year of three times, namely spend “Having Caught Up With Year” on 29 (or 28) Lunar December, spend “June Year” on 25 Lunar June, spend “October Year” on 1 Lunar October. When spending “Having Caught Up With Year”, kindle the bonfire at village barnyard, Tujia people dance the Shaking Hand Dance and sing the New Year song around the bonfire.

2016-12-30 16:20 View：3105
Western Hunan Temple Fair

Recorded in “Juan Family Genealogy”: Dayong Tujia Minority and Bai Minority, “Believing the wizard to exceed the God Willing, bugling the ox horn to exceed the battle drum, there are much more laughter persons, but there are a few of persons to have the knowledge. Thus, Cili records is said that: not know the years outside Maohuajie.”

2017-01-04 16:19 View：2888
Miao Minority Autumn Harvest Festival

Autumn Harvest Festival is a large folk festival activity of Miao Minority for entertainment, trade, youth exchange to celebrate the future harvest before autumn harvest or autumn beginning.

2016-11-23 16:18 View：2905
Zhangjiajie Tujia Drip Bed

The Tujia bridegroom shall make a “Drip Bed” before marriage.The drip bed does not drop, just like the drip from the eaves. Usually it is divided into a pass drip and two pass drip. Two-drip bed is also called as the “One step” bed, engraved with dragon and phoenix, it is very exquisite and it is a special skill in Tujia.

2017-01-18 16:17 View：3395
Tujia Shaking Hand Dance

Tujia Shaking Hand Dance is a large-scale dance with most influence in Tujia Minority, and with a strong religious color. The song is produced along with dance and the dance is named along with the song.

2017-02-22 16:16 View：2886