Chixin (Changxin) Festival of Buyi Ethnic Minority

Basic Introduction of The Festival

• Chinese Name: 布依族吃新节/尝新节
• English Name: Chixin (Changxin) Festival of Buyi Ethnic Minority
• Geographical Indication: Gelao ethnic group, Miao, Buyi, Bai, Zhuang, and Dong ethnic groups
• Date: Seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar

“Eating New Festival” is a traditional festival celebrated by the Gelao ethnic group and the Miao, Buyi, Bai, Zhuang, and Dong ethnic minorities in provinces such as Hunan, Guizhou, and Guangxi. It occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar. The festival takes place around the time when the new rice is ready, usually in the sixth or seventh lunar month.

Before the festival, housewives go to the fields to pick fresh rice and pound it into fragrant white rice. On the morning of the festival, each household steams the new rice and cooks fresh fish, inviting elderly guests and bringing children to the fields to worship their ancestors. Then, the whole family gathers for a meal to wish for a bountiful harvest of grains.

During the Eating New Festival, firecrackers and land cannons are set off to celebrate and clear the village. There are performances of traditional “Nuo” plays, singing mountain songs, and martial arts displays. The village elders use a sieve to hold chickens, meat, and wine, inserting bamboo poles decorated with red chili peppers and green garlic at the edges of the fields to symbolize sending off the ancestors. During the festival, the Gelao people also hold activities for releasing living creatures, focusing mainly on wild animals and fish. Today, the Eating New Festival is celebrated most grandly in Gelao villages such as Xixiuwanzi Village and Dagouchang in Pingba.

On November 21, 2020, in Wuwan Village, Yangwu Town, Danzhai County, Guizhou Province, members of the ethnic minority community dressed in traditional attire prepared for the celebrations at the Lusheng performance venue. On that day, the traditional “Eating New Festival” was held in Wuwan Village, Danzhai County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province.

Festival Time

The festival occurs on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, also known as “Tasting New Festival,” “Half-Year Festival,” and in Bai language, it is called “Yinguo Ding.” It is a grand festival in rural areas. Farmers pick a small amount of ripe rice ears from the fields, rub them into rice grains, cook them into new rice, and prepare chickens and ducks for a family feast, which is called “Tasting New.” Before the banquet, they first offer the food to heaven and earth, worship their ancestors, then feed the new rice to the dogs, and finally, according to the age order in the family, taste the new rice. According to folklore, the rice seeds were stolen by dogs from the heavens when there was no rice in the world. The dog swam across the sea to heaven, rolled in the grain seeds, and returned covered in grains. When floating back down the Milky Way, the grains were washed away, leaving only a few grains stuck to its raised tail. After bringing them back to the earth, rice was produced.

During the early autumn season when the rice ears are turning yellow, the Bai farmers joyfully celebrate their ethnic agricultural festival, the Tasting New Festival, to “initially enjoy” the fruits of their labor earned through hard work.

A few days before the Tasting New Festival, freshly dressed aunts, sisters-in-law, and young women wear straw hats made of wheat straw and carry bamboo baskets on their backs to select the early-ripening and abundant rice ears from the fields. Before entering the fields, they also light red incense sticks and place them on the edge of the field.

Festival Rituals

Commonly known as “Eating New Festival,” it is a traditional festival of the Gelao, Miao, Buyi, Bai, and Zhuang ethnic groups, especially prominent among the Gelao. It takes place on the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar every year.

Led by a village elder or ghost master, young boys and girls go to nearby fields to collect new crops, picking some ripe grains and fruits to hang under an ancient tree. Then, they slaughter pigs, sheep, and chickens, using whole chickens, pig heads, sheep heads, nine strands of pork, and twenty-four bowls of rice to worship their ancestors and deities. Clan members kneel in order of their generations and pay respects to their ancestors, while the ghost master recites in Gelao language, using a bamboo whip to teach about the five grains and six livestock. The attendees follow along like obedient students.

Festival Activities

After completing the Tasting New Festival rituals, firecrackers and land cannons are set off to celebrate, with performances of traditional “Nuo” plays, singing mountain songs, and martial arts displays. The village elders use a sieve to hold chickens, meat, and wine, inserting bamboo poles adorned with red chili peppers and green garlic at the ends of the fields to symbolize sending off the ancestors. During the festival, the Gelao people also hold activities for releasing living creatures, mainly focusing on wild animals and fish. Today, the Eating New Festival is celebrated most grandly in Gelao villages such as Xixiuwanzi Village and Dagouchang in Pingba.

Local Customs

Bai Ethnic Group

During the early autumn season, when the rice ears are just turning yellow, the Bai farmers joyfully celebrate their agricultural festival known as the Tasting New Festival, referred to as “Yinguo Ding” in Bai language. In the days leading up to the festival, freshly dressed aunts, sisters-in-law, and young women don straw hats and carry bamboo baskets to the rice fields to harvest early-ripening, abundant rice ears. Before entering the fields, they light red incense and place it at the edge of the fields. The fragrant smoke wafts in the air, accompanied by laughter and joy as they anticipate a fruitful harvest…

After drying the harvested rice, they use a water-powered mill to grind it. During these days, the sounds of rice pounding in some villages resemble rhythmic and harmonious rural melodies.

On the Tasting New Festival day, older adults and young children enjoy activities under the large locust trees in the village, whether listening to traditional songs or watching performances of whips; young men and women gather by the lakeside or in the fields to sing duets accompanied by traditional instruments; meanwhile, housewives cook new rice and prepare the “Eight Big Bowls” of dishes.

As the sun sets, casting shadows on the mountains, people carry their banquets and light incense to pay homage to “God of Fields” and “God of Grains” in the fields, before returning home to honor “God of the Kitchen” and their ancestors. Only after these rituals do they sit around the table for dinner.

The dinner on Tasting New Festival is quite elaborate, featuring Bai delicacies like braised spare ribs with mung beans, chicken with white papaya, eel cooked with tofu, and fried milk cakes, commonly seen on many tables.

There is no fixed date for the Bai Tasting New Festival. Each village or family celebrates the festival based on when their rice ears ripen.

The customs of the Bai people in celebrating the Tasting New Festival have a long history. In his book “Dian Lue: Customs,” the Ming Dynasty scholar Xie Zhao wrote, “At the turn of summer and autumn, when the rice is not yet ripe, the tender ears are harvested early, dried flat, and gifted to dear ones, known as tasting new.”

In recent years, discussions on which family has the best paddy, which varieties have been selected, and measures for increased yield often become hot topics on Tasting New Festival day.

Zhuang Ethnic Group

The Tasting New Festival is held around the seventh and eighth months of the lunar calendar when the new grains are ripe. Generally, families celebrate individually, but some invite neighboring relatives and friends to join in. On this day, every household cooks new rice and prepares sumptuous dishes. Women rise early to cut green rice leaves to offer at the altar, prepare dishes and fruits, then light incense and lamps. Once preparations are complete, they call the dog to the altar, serve a generous scoop of new rice, and let it eat from each dish first to honor its contribution.

Jingpo Ethnic Group

The Jingpo people’s Tasting New Festival is colloquially known as “Eating New Grains.” Originally, it was a primitive religious ceremony held after the grains had essentially ripened before the autumn harvest. During the tasting, people from different tribes and villages gather, with old women in festive attire responsible for the rice tasting. Bamboo baskets filled with rice are decorated with grains, beans, sorghum, and colorful flowers. The harvested rice is covered with large, round green leaves, then brought back to the households, where elderly women stir-fry it in a pot, and then young women pound it by hand. The pounded rice is mixed with ginger and presided over by a shaman, who thanks the gods for the bountiful harvest. After the rituals, the shaman throws small packets of new grains and vegetables wrapped in green leaves for wild spirits to share. Although everyone in the village participates, each person only receives a small packet of new rice, cooking with older rice as a supplement. Official tasting begins only after rituals at the mountain chief or leader’s home are concluded.

After 1980, some Jingpo regions revived the Tasting New Festival, usually celebrated around the eighth or ninth lunar months. Before harvesting, the host cuts some new grains with respect and carries them home to offer in the “ghost house.” Offerings include eggs, wine, and sticky rice, and shamans pray to “Household Spirits” and other spirits to protect the unharvested grains from disasters. After the prayers, the offerings are shared by the shaman and elders. The main meal is served first to the dog, then the family and guests can eat, as the legend states that dogs fetched the grains from the heavens, making them particularly honored.

Dong Ethnic Group

“On June 6, the early rice ripens.” The Dong people celebrate Tasting New Festival on this date, with some choosing an auspicious day. The Tasting New Festival is a common festival among the Dong, varying slightly in content from place to place. On this day, the dog is regarded as an honored guest; the new rice is cooked, and only after the dog has tasted it may people partake, as legend holds that in ancient times, amidst devastating floods, a white divine dog swam across the sea and rolled in the grain pile of the Queen Mother of the West, returning with a few grains at its tail. Humans survived from these precious grains, and to commemorate the dog’s contributions, it is invited to taste the new rice first.

Achang Ethnic Group

Among the Achang people in the Lianghe and Longchuan regions, it’s customary to celebrate the Tasting New Festival on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month. On this day, they pull out the most fruitful taro and cut a dual-ear corn stalk, bundling them on a bamboo pole and placing them in a corner of the home before cooking new rice. After the rice is ready, one bowl is fed to the dog before the family gathers for a meal.

The 15th day of the eighth lunar month is a day of reunion and happiness, also celebrated as the traditional Tasting New Festival for Yi people, known as “Qie Xi Zuo Pu.” By this time, the early rice has matured, and people harvest, dry, and store the new grains. It’s essential to showcase the new rice on this festival day, and in case of inclement weather, they dry it by the stove and ensure they get to eat new rice for the holiday.

Yi Ethnic Group

Before the Yi people start their Tasting New Festival meal, they first serve a large bowl of rice to fill the family dog, after which the family can begin to eat. This custom has an unusual origin. It is said that during ancient times, when floods engulfed the world, leading to the extinction of living beings, the ancestors of the Yi, siblings Adu and his sister, sheltered themselves and their dog under a gourd, drifting until they reached the willow bay by Boluo Sea. When the flood receded, they found that the gourd was stuck in the willow tree, and at dawn when the rooster crowed and the dog barked, a divine eagle descended and broke the gourd, allowing the siblings to survive and ensuring the continuation of humanity. After their escape, they joyfully discovered grains were stuck to the dog’s tail, and two beans were wedged beneath the dog. This led to the survival of the grain species despite the floods, and since then, the Yi have regarded dogs as symbols of good fortune and life partners, taking care to refrain from eating dog meat. On holidays and major celebrations, the dog is always fed first before the humans eat. Additionally, the Yi hold their roosters in high regard, as they believe roosters can predict good and bad omens, which must be interpreted before embarking on hunting trips.

When celebrating, the eldest must preside over the meal, with guests sitting centrally to show respect. The younger generations await their turn to serve themselves, as failing to do so could be considered disrespectful. During the banquet, Yi girls might sneakily refill your rice bowl, indicating you should eat well but avoiding wastefulness.

At night, young and old gather under the bright moon, playing gourd instruments and drums while dancing around the bonfire to perform the joyful “Qie Tuo Gu.” Unmarried youth pair off, play with willow leaves, and sing love songs, holding hands within the tranquil bamboo groves of the village…

Lahu Ethnic Group

The Tasting New Festival is a traditional holiday for the Lahu ethnic group, known phonetically as “Zha Si E Zha,” meaning New Rice Festival, and is held in the seventh or eighth lunar month for one day. During this harvest season, the first family to have ripe grains hosts the new rice tasting. On this day, the host family slaughters pigs and chickens, inviting neighbors, relatives, and friends to taste the new rice and enjoy abundant food and drink. Before the banquet starts, they light incense candles and offer a bowl of new rice to the gods and ancestral spirits, then feed a bowl to the dog before serving livestock and farming tools.

According to legend, Eshe created the Lahu ancestors Zadi and Nadi, who were married as per Eshe’s will, leading to offspring. At that time, people had no grains to eat and survived on dirt. Eshe sent dogs to bring grains to people and taught them to plant. The Lahu people express gratitude to Eshe by offering the first new rice to Eshe and the ancestral spirits each year. They also remember the dog, so the first bowl of new rice must be given to the dog.

Yao Ethnic Group

The Yao ethnic group has numerous folkloric festivals, including the Panwang Festival, Singing Festival, Tasting New Festival, Bullfighting Festival, and Women’s Festival. Each festival is rich in meaning and significance. For instance, the Panwang Festival and Singing Festival commemorate the legendary ancestor Panwang of the Yao people. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, believed to be Panwang’s birthday, the Yao people sing the “Panwang Song” to express their gratitude to Panwang.

The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is Yao people’s Tasting New Festival. On this day, they harvest the earliest crops of corn, rice, etc., and prepare them into meals to feed the dogs first before the family can eat. This tradition stems from the myth that the grains were brought by dogs. Legend has it that during migration, the Yao ancestors encountered storms, and their food fell into the sea. In a moment of despair, someone joyfully found a few grains stuck to the dog’s tail and planted them, nurturing them, resulting in a bountiful harvest in the autumn. This gratitude is expressed by cooking the rice first for the dog.

The “Women’s Festival” occurs on the second day of the second lunar month, when Yao women share their prepared banana cakes with each other in remembrance of Panjin Mei, who contributed to the Yao people’s lineage.

Lisu Ethnic Group

The Tasting New Festival—a custom of the Lisu ethnic group in Yunnan’s Dehong region—takes place during the harvest season. The Lisu people have unique customs that have persisted after settling in the area about 200 years ago, living alongside various other ethnic groups. The Dehong Lisu Tasting New Festival is a grand celebration, translating directly as “New Year,” featuring various activities. On the celebration’s eve, elders ceremonially present offerings of food such as wine, meat, and cakes to the spirits of heaven, earth, and ancestors, symbolically placing food on the framework of the fireplace, door, and pillars. To honor the efforts of the farming ox and the ancestors of dogs who provided the seeds, they first allow these animals to taste the festive foods. On New Year’s Day, everyone sings and dances, playing traditional instruments like the sanxian, bamboo zither, sheng, and flute, engaging all the young and old in joyful performances. On the second day, hunting and target shooting events are held, marking the start of the new year’s labor. In larger villages, swings are erected, providing ten days of entertainment for participants.

In the past, the Dehong Lisu Tasting New Festival was less lively due to poverty and scattered living conditions. However, since the establishment of New China, improved economic conditions and social unity have enhanced festival activities. The Dehong Lisu Tasting New Festival in 1989 and 1990 was held in Nongxian Village, a Lisu settlement in Longchuan County, where they created a spacious venue and established a permanent Tasting New Festival marker: a 12-meter-tall brick structure featuring an ancestral hero with a bow and arrow.

The festival’s highlights include playing swings, singing, and dancing, with special emphasis on the “Climbing the Knife Mountain” athletic display. This performance involves climbing a 20-meter-high knife ladder made from 36 sharp knives, showcasing the bravery of Lisu people and their spirit of resilience.

She Ethnic Group

The She ethnic group in eastern Fujian has a tradition of holding a “Tasting New” ceremony during the autumn rice harvest season, selecting an auspicious day for the event. Freshly harvested rice is pounded into flour and cooked into white rice cakes and sticky rice, offered in gratitude to heaven, earth, and ancestors for their blessings, before inviting the neighboring community to share in the harvest’s joy. This annual event, called the “Tasting New Festival” (also known as the “Food New Festival”), is celebrated on September 23, coinciding with the autumn equinox.

In the village of Xita in the Muyun She Township, it is famous for its scenic beauty. The “Xiuxi” stream flows down from the White Cloud Mountain, creating a renowned grape valley that stretches for many kilometers, adorned with lush greenery, resembling a lengthy tapestry from afar. During summer and autumn, strolling along this stream provides a refreshing and soothing experience amidst the cool shade and gentle flowing water.

The grapes here are locally known as “thorn grapes,” offering rich juice and sweetness without sourness, well sought after in the market, often priced higher than popular varieties, making it a vital product of Xita. The stream is also affectionately called “Wealth Source Stream” by the locals.

Xita is one of the birthplaces of the blue-surname She people in eastern Fujian. “Xiita Blue” holds the same renown as “Dalin Zhong” and “Houmenping Lei,” with many blue-surname clans returning annually to connect with their ancestry through rituals. Today, the village consists of over a hundred households, mostly descended from the Ru’nan Blue clan.

Additionally, Xita is one of the notable She culture villages, having successfully hosted large She song festivals and cultural celebrations, welcoming leaders, scholars, and media from various levels. Xita village undoubtedly stands as one of the most charming She villages in eastern Fujian.

In the seventh or eighth lunar month, when a household begins to harvest rice, that day becomes their Tasting New Festival or “Food New Festival.”

According to She tradition, the rice harvest must first be on an auspicious day. After harvesting, the first crop of rice is milled and cooked into white rice, three bowls are scooped and offered alongside incense at a bamboo sieve placed on a drying platform as offerings to heaven and earth, followed by more offerings to the left and right shrines and the kitchen god. After these rites, they prepare additional dishes and wine to invite families and neighbors to enjoy together. During the tasting, respect is shown by letting elder family members eat first; it is believed that “the more people taste, the more rice is available.” After the meal, a bowl of rice is left on the table, known as “leftover warehouse.”

Historical Legends

It is said that in ancient times there were great floods that engulfed the earth, leading to widespread suffering and the extinction of life. The ancestors of the Yi people, siblings Adu, along with their pet dog and a rooster, took refuge in a gourd during the flooding. After enduring many hardships, they eventually drifted to a bay of willows by the Boluo Sea. When the waters receded, the gourd they hid in was stuck in a willow tree. As dawn broke with a rooster’s crowing and the dog’s barking, a divine eagle flew down, pecked open the gourd, and allowed Adu and his sister to survive. From that moment, humanity was able to continue.

After their escape, Adu and his sister happily discovered that a few grains were stuck in the dog’s fur and two lentils were wedged beneath the dog’s leg—evidence that the dog had once played on a pile of grains before the floods arrived. Thanks to the dog’s contributions, the grains did not become extinct during the Flood, enabling human survival. From then on, the Yi people regarded dogs as symbols of good fortune and life-saving companions. They take great care of their dogs, always keeping them close during work in agriculture, as well as refraining from eating dog meat. On every festival or important celebration, they feed the dog first before having their own meals. The Yi also cherish the crowing rooster, as they believe it can predict good and bad omens before embarking on hunting expeditions, considering the rooster as knowledgeable with an innate ability to foresee future fortunes.

The Legend of the She Ethnic Group

Among the She people’s ritual activities, the Tasting New Festival holds significant anthropological meaning as it relates to the myth of the origin of rice seeds. In this legend, rice was originally celestial pearl rice in heaven. The ancestor of the She people, Panhu, could not bear to see his people starving on grasses, so he stole rice grains from heaven. However, his act was discovered by the Jade Emperor, who sent celestial soldiers to pursue him. Panhu fought bravely but ultimately fell from the cliffs of Fenghuang Mountain in Chaozhou and died on a tree branch, scattering the rice grains. At that moment, a sparrow flew to the tree and took some grains away, but it accidentally dropped them in a rock crevice. A leech then crawled into the crevice, sticking the rice grains with its slime and eventually bringing them to the human world.

As the rice in the field turned yellow and ripe, Panhu’s wife, Princess San, declared, “This rice was earned at the cost of the previous king’s life; let him taste it first!” From that time on, the She people have had the custom of the Tasting New Festival, where, after harvesting, they offer the first bowl of rice to their ancestor Panhu for him to taste. The sparrow and the leech, having helped humanity, also receive special treatment.

Initially, I did not pay much attention to this myth, but later I came across a mention in the “Records of the Grand Historian,” stating that “the emperor tasted rice with a dog.” This revealed that it was an important sacrificial repaying ritual during the ancient Mengqiu month. Today, people may have forgotten the connection between the dog and rice, but the “tasting rice with a dog” ritual remains. In many places, people first offer new rice to deities and ancestors before serving it to their dogs, and only then do the families have their meal.

The Tasting New Festival of the She people and its legend reveal that the She are one of the oldest rice-farming ethnic groups. Archaeological finds from sites like Hemudu and the Huai River Basin indicate that China, as the origin of rice, has at least an eight-thousand-year history of rice cultivation. Over this long history, a brilliant rice culture has been created, forming an essential part of Chinese civilization, and the origins of this culture are very likely linked to the She and the Eastern Yi ethnic groups.

Significance of Inheritance

The Tasting New Festival, “Tasting New,” is a key to understanding the food culture of Chaozhou and even the mysteries of the Chao people. Historically, food has represented more than mere sustenance; it serves as a way of life that first influences the body and subsequently affects the spirit. Since the Han Dynasty, there has been a saying: “Those who eat meat are brave and defend; those who eat grains are wise and skilled,” indicating that the ancients had already noted the relationship between people and food. Contemporary anthropologist Paris has noted, “Humans are products of the food they consume; not only is their physical body composed of the food consumed, but their spiritual world is also influenced by food.” The food culture of Chaozhou developed primarily under the strong influence of She rice culture, and the dietary habits of the Chao people have shaped the characteristics of their physique, diligence, and cleverness.

Additionally, a broader understanding of rice culture is needed: it broadly refers to agricultural cultures centered around rice. Historically, the fields cultivated by the She included not only dry and wet rice but also beans, wheat, millet, taro, bamboo, vegetables, and tea. After the Ming and Qing Dynasties, sweet potatoes and corn also began to emerge as major crops. Many famous Chao dishes and snacks, such as bamboo shoots cake, radish cake, pingpong cake, and sweet potato porridge, are related to these crops.

Some foods have lost their original characteristics but still relate to rice culture. For example, rice wine is associated with the “Book of Songs” which states, “In the tenth month, we harvest rice for spring wine,” connecting it to rice and the spring festival sacrifices. Moreover, important condiments like soy sauce and doubanjiang mainly derive from legume crops.