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Tibetan Nationality Ceremonial
Dances for Exorcising Evil Spirits
In Yunnan, the Tibetans are scattered across the Diqing (Deqen) Plateau in the northwestern part of Yunnan. Tibetans are both bold and kind. They believe in Lamaism. Whenever there is a festival, there are always jubilant performances which center around singing and dancing, and sports.
On New Year's Eve, ceremonial dances are performed in all the great lamaseries in the Diqing Zang nationality (Tibetan ) Autonomous Region. Wearing fantastic costumes and weird masks, the lamas perform soul-stirring dances as part of exorcism ceremonies. In fact, this ceremonial dance is a drama with a simple, religious plot, performed to the accompaniment of drums, cymbals, "suona" (horn ), the dungchen and conch. Containing several scenes, a single dance drama can last for many hours.
The Miao Festival of Treading the Flowery Mountains
The Miao nationality of Yunnan has a population of over 750,000 people, who mainly live in Wenshan, Honghe and Zhaotong prefectures in the southern and northeastern parts of Yunnan.
Most men wear Chinese-style jackets and trousers. Miao women's clothes are brightly-colored and beautiful. Miao women are particularly skilled at wax printing and embroidering. "The Festival of treading the flowery mountains" is the Miao's most magnificent holiday.
This festival is observed by Miao people in northeast and south Yunnan on the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. Legend has it that, in ancient times, Miao people were distressed about their present lives and about the prospects for the future. Once on this date, their ancestors made an appearance and told them not to be too distressed. Then, they cheered up and danced around a tree. Suddenly a flower dropped to the tree from heaven. That made them happier and they danced all the more merrily. That year they had a bumper harvest an occurrence which seemed to confirm the auspicious events that preceded it. This is the origin of the festival.
The celebration includes singing, reed-pipe dancing, bull fights, dragon dance performances and the climbing of the flower pole contest, in which the champion is awarded a pig head.
The Jingpo Peoples Celebrating the Munao Festival
The Jingpo nationality has a population of over 90,000 people, who mostly live in the Dehong and Nujiang Prefectures.
The Jingpos, a people who love to sing and dance, make their thatch bamboo homes in a series of villages scattered along the slopes of the Jingpo Mountains where their ancestors, migrating from the southern part of the Xikang-Tibetan Plateau, first settled a thousand years ago.
As a people they are straightforward and frank. Men, when they venture out in public, like carrying long swords. Women like wearing tube-shaped skirts.
The Jingpo have a reputation for being good dancers and good singers as well as for being good musicians. They dance on all sorts of occasions, for example, to celebrate a good harvest, a newly-built home, weddings, and even to welcome guests. "The Munaozongge" (hence, Munao Festival), meaning "mass dance", is held on the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
This is a festival aimed at commemorating and honoring ancestry. All Munao festival activities are conducted around the four erect Munao Poles. The patterns painted on the poles portray scenes from their history, pictures of the Himalayas, and the route their ancestors took in migrating to their current homeland. The most wonderful part of the festival is the scene of chaotic dancing, participated in by thousands of Jingpo people. The choreographic steps and sequence dramatize the route depicted on the Munao Poles. The purpose behind the event is to commit to the memories of the young people the rich history of their collective
ancestry.
The Sanduo Festival of the Naxi Nationality
The Naxi have an age-old history with a rich cultural heritage. Their pictography is now the only complete and systematic ancient written language existing in the world. Long ago, the Naxi people created the splendid Dongba culture. The Mosuo, a subgroup of Naxi, have been living around Lugu Lake for generations and still maintain their matriarchal customs.
On February 8th of every lunar year, the Naxi people enjoy their "Honoring Sanduo Festival" at the Beiyue Temple Fair. "Sanduo" is a Naxi war god who acts to defend the Naxi people.
Beiyue means "Northern Ranges". Of course, it was here, at the foot of Jade Dragon Mountain that Sandao Temple was built. It is recorded in their histories that in ancient times a hunter discovered a strange snow stone on Jade Dragon Mountain. He carried the stone home. On his way home, he had to put the stone down for a rest because the stone was extremely heavy. When he decided to continue his trip, he found he could no longer lift the stone. Many thought it was the embodiment of a god. Later, the local people decided to build a temple to honor this supposed god. Hence, people believe that they always see a heavenly being in a white coat and a white helmet, carrying a white spear and riding a white horse. It protected the local people and their land. Naxi people consider Sanduo to be the most powerful god in its mythology and they say Sanduo was born to the year of goat. Therefore, on every goat day (8th of February and August), a goat is sacrificed to honor this god.
The temple fair is held during the season of the blossoming camellia. The fair is crowded with people. Fireworks can frequently be heard. People are often seen traveling with their families with picnic baskets. This is the most significant celebration in Lijiang.
The Sword Pole Festival of the Lisu Nationality
The Lisu nationality, with a population of over 470,000, lives mainly in Nujiang Prefecture although some spill over into Lijiang, Deqen and Dali.
The Lisu people have a simple and unsophisticated way of life. The Sword Pole Festival is their grandest traditional holiday.
The Sword Pole Festival is observed on the eighth day of the second lunar month in commemoration of an ancient Han hero who taught the Lisu peple to make swords. To express their gratitude to the hero, they perform two ceremonies known as "ascending the pole of swords " and " diving into the sea of flames ". In kicking off this festival, a number of brave Lisu men perform a symbolic act known as "diving into the sea of flames" by stepping barefoot on a pile of burning charcoal. Then they climb up a ladder with 36 rungs made of sharpened swords of which the blades are turned upward. The people performing this act are usually injured but everyone seems to have fun. These men that climb these ladders are called "Nipas". At the top of the ladder, the "Nipa" performs some extremely difficult acrobatic feats and scatters "jiama" (paper talismans) all over everyone to expell evils.
The Third Month Fair in Dali of the Bai Nationality
Bai nationality has a population of more than 1,120,000 , mainly live in compact communities in Dali Prefecture.
The Bai has an age-old history and flourish culture. Witness to the development of Bai history is the Three Towers in Dali, rock caves on the Shibaoshan Hill, the architectural complex of temples on the Jizushan mountain.
Bai people are diligent, simple and honest, admire the color of white ( Bai in Chinese means white ). The main festival is the large-scale " The 3rd Month Fair ".
Originally, this festival was called Avalokitesvara's Festival. It was Avalokitesvara who opened up the Dali area, subdues Monster Luocha and brought prosperity to the people. Every year from the fifteenth to the twentieth of the third lunar month, people gather at the Triple-Pagodas Temple to pay homage and express thanks to Avalokitesvara. Along with the development of commodity economy, trade becomes brisk at the gathering, Finally it has become a yearly fair. In addition to the exchange of commodities, there are horse racing, performance of operas, folk singing and dancing.
The Water Splashing Festival
(The Dai New Year)
The Dai nationality has a population of over 840,000 people. They live mainly in Xishuangbanna, known as "The Land of Peacocks ", and Dehong Prefecture where people practice Hinayanan Buddhism.
The Dai people have a long and eventful history. They tend to be of a gentle disposition and an open-minded outlook. They are good-looking and you will be amazed to see that even in the most remote areas every woman still wears beautiful make-up. They have long been celebrated for their dancing skills. Most Dai villages are built along rivers with thatched bamboo houses.
The Water Splashing festival, held by the Dai Nationality in the sixth month of the Dai calendar (in the middle of April), is the most significant ceremonial occasion for the Dai. It is also known as the festival for bathing Buddha. The festival is related to a Buddhist legend wherein a dragon sprinkles fragrant showers on Lord Buddha at his birth. The Buddhist legend has gradually been mingled with the customs of the Dai people since their conversion to Buddhism.
Currently, the festival is a combination of the Flower Collecting Festival and the Water Splashing Fair. Other Dai legendary elements have been added to it, including the folklore of "seven beautiful Dai women getting rid of the fire fiend" and so on.
At present, The Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival for the Dai people in Xishuangbanna and other places commemorating the Dai Calendar New Year, giving best wishes to friends and family. The festive activities include bathing Lord Buddha, sprinkling water onto each other for good fortune, dragon boat racing, launching rockets and Kongming Lanterns, going to the fair, etc. Young girls dance the Peacock Dance accompanied by the elephant leg drums. Young boys and girls throw finely embroidered purses to the persons with whom they are in love.
The Torch Festival of the Yi Nationality
The Yi nationality has a population of 3,350,000. It has the largest population of all the ethnic minorities in Yunnan. The Yi live mainly in Chuxiong Prefecture, the Ailao Mountains, the Wumeng Mountains, and the small Lianshan Mountains.
The Yi nationality has more than 100 diffrent sub-groups. Their clothing and personal adornments are very colorful. The Yi have their own spoken and written language.
On the 24th day of the sixth lunar month, when the handle of the Big Dipper turns upward, The Torch Festival, the Yi people's New Year according to the Yi calendar begins. Torches are lit at night to expel evil and to aid in prayers for prosperity. Many activities are held, including wrestling, bull fighting and horse-racing.
The festival originated from a legend about a battle between an ancient Yi hero and a devilish fiend. The hero wrestled and beat him. He taught his people to eliminate evils other forms of pestilence by enlisting the help of torches. From this time on, Yi people have prospered. The festival is held to commemorate this hero.
Amatu Festival of Hani Nationality
The Hani nationality, with a population of 1,060,000, principally occupies the valleys surrounding the Honghe and Lancan Rivers (the upper reaches of the Mekong River). This nationality has over 20 subgroups. Although the Hani people have their own spoken language, they lack a written one.
Hani women wear silver necklaces and used silverware do adorn their ample bosoms. During Spring Festival, every family feasts on food and drink on an enormous table in the middle of the street, which forms a long chain.
The Amatu festival is observed to honor mountains, ancestry, and forests in the Jinping Yao and Dai Autonomous Counties on Dragon day during the second lunar month.
On the first day, a cock is sacrificed to the vagrant ghosts and a bamboo fence is erected to keep the ghosts from entering the village. The next morning, a village priest offers the sacrifice of a white cock to the river, to the mountains, and to the forests that shade it. At noon, they offer sacrifices to the pagoda at the village center. Then a feast is prepared. The first table is situated to represent the dragon's head growing out of the pagoda and the rest of the tables are arranged lineally along the main street. All the male villagers are present at the dinner.
Next, they offer sacrifices to the Dragon Forest, a sacred place where women are not admitted. Three pebbles, painted red with the first menstruation of a virgin in the village, then mingled with the blood of a pig and a dog, are placed in front of the dragon tree. The stone with the virgin's menstruation, offered to the dragon and the mountain, is placed on the right; the stone with the pig's blood, offered to the sacred forest, is laid in the center; the stone with the dog's blood, offered to the ghosts, is laid on the left. A pair of youngsters, dressed up as a virgin boy and a maiden, stand on both sides of the dragon tress symbolizing virginity. Three village elders chant sutras, praying for prosperity and immunity from disasters.
The celebration lasts for seven days, starting three days prior to Dragon's Day. All other activities are cancelled during the time of the ceremony. Any outsiders would be kept in the village until the celebration is over.
The Kaquewa Festival of the Dulong Nationality
The Dulong is one of the smallest minority nationalities in China(only 4,600 or so ), and its members are mainly scattered along the Dulong River in Gongshan County of Nujiang Prefecture in the northwestern part of Yunnan.
The Dulong people live in remote, densely forested mountains. They are simple and honest. If a lost item is discovered on the road the Dulong will leave it there for its owner to later recover. The Kaquewa is their only festival. The Kaquewa Festival is observed during the eleventh and twelfth lunar months. On the first day of the celebration, every family hangs up a colored tapestry to commemorate the event. In the evening, the whole family meets to drink and does fortune-telling about the coming year's events.
The second day is devoted to honoring the mountain god. They make images of the mountain god and many wild animals with the dough of buckwheat flour. When the ceremony of honoring the mountain god is over, young archers shoot the dough-made animals. Other participants of the ceremony dance around them, beating their big gongs and drums. Meanwhile the Dulong women prepare the bull for sacrifice on a colored Dulong rug. They also hang strings of colored beads on its horns. Then the sacrificial animal is fastened onto the sacrificial pole. Everybody dances around it. All young men in the villages, brandishing mighty spears, come to the sacrificial ground arm in arm. They drink wine "with one heart" (which means, from the same cup at the same time). Then they begin to dance around and by small degrees wound the bull with their weapons. When the bull finally falls down, it is formally offered to heaven. Fortune - telling is conducted with the help of the animals severed tongue. The meat is, then eaten by everyone. One of young men carries up the bull's head on his back and dances the bull-head dance, everyone else follows him cheering. When the dance is over, they begin to cook the meat and roast it in front of bonfires. The celebration usually continues throughout the whole night.
The Pulling of the Wooden Drum
Festival of the Wa Nationality
The Wa nationality, with a population of some 300,000 people, lives mainly in Canyuan and Ximong Counties in southwestern Yunnan.
The "Cerui" month of the Wa calendar, roughly corresponding to December, is the time for pulling the wooden drum. On the eve of the festival, the leader and the "moba" (priest) of the village go to a tall tree where they make offerings and chant incantations to expel evils spirits. Then the "moba" brandishes an ax and inflicts a few carefully placed slices on the tree's trunk. All the rest of the villagers (males)then fell it. They put three stones on the root crotch as a token of payment to the tree ghost for its lumber. They then cut the trunk into pieces and use them to construct a wooden drum.
The following morning, the villagers put on their best costumes and go up the mountain to pull the log. The "moba", who guides the procession, sings the song of pulling the wooden drum. People throw rice and splash wine on the ground as they are pulling along the wooden drum. The log is left at the entrance of the village for two or three days. After fortune telling with the help of the corpse of a sacrificed cock, the moba determines the proper time for piercing a bull and sacrificing a pig. When the ceremony is over, the log is drug in front of the Wooden Drum House where the carpenters will shortly fashion it into a drum. The drumstick is like a pestle. In beating the drum, the drummer (who is always male) pounds the drum with the drumstick in a vertical way. The ceremony also includes many other activities. The whole program lasts for many hours. |
