Offering Grave (Jifen) Festival of Bulang Ethnic Minority
Chinese Name: 布朗族祭坟节
English Name: Offering Grave (Jifen) Festival of Bulang Ethnic Minority
The Jifen Festival is an important ritual observed by the Bulang ethnic minority in Shidian County. The frequency of tomb-sweeping varies among different villages. Some villages perform tomb-sweeping twice a year, such as the Ha Village in Mulaoyuan Township. One occasion is on the 23rd day of the sixth lunar month, when the Bulang people clean the graves and pay respects to their ancestors. This custom resembles the Han and Yi ethnic groups’ Qingming Festival tomb-sweeping traditions but is not strictly associated with Qingming and occurs at a different time from the local Han and Yi practices. Before offering sacrifices at the grave, weeds growing on the grave mound are cleared, and offerings such as food, incense, and paper money are placed in front of the tomb. An ancient custom called “placing water” involves burying a jar of water in the grave; during tomb-sweeping, the depth and clarity of the water are examined to predict the family’s fortune for the coming year.
The second occasion is on the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. The Bulang people of Shidian County first “welcome” their ancestors home to celebrate. They prepare offerings such as food, wine, meat, and fruits in front of the ancestral shrine in their homes and perform a kneeling ceremony. The next day, under the leadership of the patriarch, the entire extended family gathers to visit the ancestral graves. They offer sacrifices, burn incense and paper money, repair the graves, and clear weeds from the grave mound. After completing the ritual of kowtowing and kneeling, everyone gathers beside the graves to cook and share meals such as chicken. Only after dinner do they return to their respective homes.
Some villages perform tomb-sweeping only once a year, such as the Dazhongshan Village in Bailang Township.
Zhao Xingguo, a young Bulang man, explains, “During the Jifen Festival, we slaughter chickens to worship at the graves. In our village, this activity happens only once a year, specifically on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month.” The specific practice involves offering nine sticks of incense, three bowls of rice, meat, paper money, and other items outside their home’s front door to welcome the souls of their ancestors and “bring them” home. The following day, on the 24th day of the twelfth lunar month, the entire family cleans the grass from the gravesite, performs rituals of slaughtering chickens, burning incense, kowtowing, and worshiping at the graves. Afterward, they cook and eat together at the gravesite.
During the “Torch Festival,” which occurs on the 23rd day of the sixth lunar month, the Bulang people also “welcome” their ancestors home to celebrate. On the following day at noon, they place offerings such as three stoves of incense and a bowl of rice outside their front doors, while verbally expressing wishes for peace and good luck, thereby “sending off” their ancestors. However, during the Torch Festival, the Bulang people do not visit the graves; they refrain from tomb-sweeping during this period.
These variations in tomb-sweeping practices reflect regional cultural differences among the Bulang people in Shidian County. Despite these differences, the overall observance of the Jifen Festival remains an integral part of the Bulang ethnic identity and cultural heritage.
