Guanmen (Closing Door) Festival of Dai Ethnic Minority

Basic Introduction

Chinese Name: 傣族关门节/进洼
English Name: Guanmen (Closing Door) Festival of Dai Ethnic Minority

The “Closed Door Festival,” known in the Dai language as “Hao Wasa,” is a traditional festival of the Dai ethnic group and other ethnic minorities. It occurs on the 15th day of the ninth month in the Dai calendar (which corresponds to the sixth month of the lunar calendar).

On this day each year, the entire village of the Blang ethnic group honors Buddha by going to the temple to listen to teachings and offer water. Men and women aged 40 and over are required to stay at the temple, while all production activities in the village cease for one day. In the evening, the youth beat drums and dance. Three days later, the temple doors are closed for three months, during which the monks recite scriptures day and night, and no one is allowed to leave the temple.

Name Explanation:

The “Closed Door Festival,” referred to as “Hao Wasa” in the Dai language, means entering the period of the transmission of Buddha’s teachings. It is set for the 15th day of the ninth month in the Dai calendar (mid-June in the lunar calendar). The day marking the end of the three-month period of teaching (which is the 25th day of the twelfth month in the Dai calendar) is known as the Open Door Festival. In the Dai language, the Open Door Festival is called “Ao Wasa,” which means stepping out of the period of transmitting Buddha’s teachings. The day on which the teaching begins is considered a festival and is quite interesting. It is generally believed that the Closed Door Festival and the Open Door Festival originated from the ancient Indian Buddhist practice of retreat during the rainy season, with the three-month closure being viewed as a period of rest and fasting for the faithful.

Religious Festivals:

The Closed Door Festival is a traditional holiday celebrated by the Dai, Blang, De’ang, and some Wa ethnic groups. It occurs on the 15th day of the ninth month in the Dai calendar (mid-June in the lunar calendar). The festival originates from the ancient Indian Buddhist practice of retreat during the rainy season, which is similar to the “Qi Xia” (summer retreat) observed in Central Plains Buddhism.

The Closed Door Festival and the Open Door Festival are religious holidays for the Dai, Blang, Achang, De’ang, and other ethnic groups that follow Theravada Buddhism. The Dai’s Closed Door and Open Door Festivals are especially typical, representative, and rich in religious significance.

Festival Introduction:

The festival originates from the ancient Indian Buddhist practice of retreat during the rainy season, similar to the “Qi Xia” (summer retreat) observed in Central Plains Buddhism. The three months from the Closed Door Festival to the Open Door Festival mark a period of rest and fasting in Theravada Buddhism. During this time, monks reside in monasteries for pure study, receive alms, and are prohibited from going out for leisure. The Dai people have a strong belief in Buddhism, and lay followers often visit monasteries to sit quietly, listen to teachings, and venerate the Buddha with offerings of food, fresh flowers, dried goods, silver coins, or paper money every week. Starting from the Closed Door Festival, Dai families close the doors to love and marriage, dedicating themselves to labor in agriculture, working hard to ensure a good harvest of their main crops for the year.

In the Dai language, it is called “Jin Wa,” meaning “the Buddha enters the temple.” This traditional religious festival of the Dai in Yunnan starts on the 15th day of the ninth month in the Dai calendar (mid-June in the lunar calendar) and lasts for three months. According to legend, in the ninth month of the Dai calendar, the Buddha goes to the West to preach to his mother and does not return to the human realm for three months. During one of these times, while the Buddha was preaching in the West, thousands of his disciples went to the countryside to spread the teachings, which damaged the villagers’ crops and hindered their production. The local people were very dissatisfied, and when the Buddha learned of this, he felt troubled. From then on, whenever the Buddha went to the West to preach, his followers were gathered together and instructed not to go anywhere during these three months, allowing only for repentance to atone for their previous wrongs. Thus, it is called the “Closed Door Festival.”

Once the Closed Door Festival begins, the farming season becomes busy. To focus on production work, people establish numerous regulations, such as prohibiting young men and women from dating or engaging in marriage activities; monks are not allowed to go out freely; those who go to worship the Buddha cannot stay away from their families or spend the night at others’ homes; and no one is allowed to enter the Buddha’s shrine or take anything from it. It is only after three months, during the Open Door Festival, that people return to their normal activities as they were before the Closed Door Festival.

Folk Customs:

On the day of the Closed Door Festival, the Dai villages are filled with a festive atmosphere. Early in the morning, every household is busy steaming colorful glutinous rice and making cakes, preparing offerings for the Buddha or gifts for friends and family, and organizing feasts and communal meals.

During the three months of the Closed Door Festival, visiting temples to listen to teachings from senior monks is a major activity for the community. The content covered by the monks often includes stories of enlightened beings, used to educate the community and inspire them to aspire to Buddhahood. Throughout the three months from the Closed Door Festival to the Open Door Festival, Dai families do not hold weddings, build new houses, or travel far; instead, they concentrate on production, regularly visiting temples to worship and make offerings to the Buddha. Devout elders consciously practice fasting, wearing white clothing and white headscarves, and some even stay overnight in the temple. Every seven days, a worship activity is held during which attendees bring food, wax offerings, and pay homage to the Buddha, listening to the senior monks recite scriptures and explain teachings, precepts, and stories from Buddhist texts.

A significant event, known as “Dan Tan” (offering scriptures), is also held during this period. Upon the completion of the three months of the Closed Door Festival, on the 15th day of the twelfth month in the Dai calendar, celebrations for the Open Door Festival take place. Similar to the Closed Door Festival, worshippers bring paper flowers, wax offerings, flower trees, food, and coins to the temple, holding grand ceremonies of homage to the Buddha and chanting. They also partake in alms meals, communal dining with the monks, and the same lively and joyous atmosphere as the Closed Door Festival. At night, fireworks are set off in the temple, sky lanterns are released, and dances are performed, parading through the villages to celebrate the end of the retreat and signify the transition from the Closed Door period to the Open Door period. After this night, the Dai villages return to their romantic and vibrant daily lives; monks can leave the monastery, followers can travel far, Dai families can build new houses, young men can court young women, and couples can hold weddings.

Purpose of the Festival:

The Dai people’s Closed Door Festival occurs in mid-July, coinciding with the busy agricultural season. The purpose of holding the Closed Door Festival is to prohibit people from going out and to prevent young people from engaging in romantic relationships, allowing them to focus their energies on productive work. During this period, those who follow Buddhism also engage in religious activities—making offerings to the Buddha.

The Closed Door Festival lasts for three months, after which the Open Door Festival arrives (in mid-October). By this time, the busy farming season has passed, allowing people to go out freely, and young people can engage in romantic relationships and marry. After the Open Door Festival, cultural and entertainment activities among the Dai people also increase.