Gatangpa Festival of Aka Ethnic People in Mengla County, XishuangBanna

Basic Introduction

  • Chinese Name: 西双版纳勐腊县哈尼族阿卡人嘎汤帕节
  • English Name: Gatangpa Festival of Aka Ethnic People in Mengla County, XishuangBanna
  • Location: Aka Ethnic People in Mengla County, XishuangBanna

“Ga Tang (嘎汤)”  is a term in the Hani language.It is said that the Hani people refer to their calendar era as the “Gā Tāng Era.”“(Ga Tang Pa)” (Gā tāng pà) means “all things are renewed” or “the revival of all things and new beginning. The Gatangpa Festival is a longstanding traditional festival of the Hani people. It is said that in ancient times, the Gā Tāng Pà Festival lasted for 15 days. However, due to the immense costs involved, during the time of the Hani people’s 14th ancestor, Zun Tang Pan, the festival duration was set to 4 days. In July 1987, the Standing Committee of the Xishuangbanna Prefectural People’s Congress officially designated the Gā Tāng Pà Festival as the New Year festival for the Hani people, with the celebration period standardized from January 2 to 4 of the Gregorian calendar. During these days, there is a strong festive atmosphere in Hani villages, as villagers come together to decorate their homes, slaughter pigs and sheep, prepare a lavish New Year’s meal, and celebrate the New Year festival together.

Customs and Activities: 

  • During the festival, every household invites one another to share meals and drinks. People drink from morning until noon, and then continue from noon until evening, visiting each other’s homes, exchanging blessings, and enjoying a harmonious atmosphere.
  • When talking about “Gatangpa,” there’s also a traditional custom of the Hani people known as the “Long Street Feast.” When major festivals approach, the Hani community sets up banquets in their villages to celebrate together. During the celebration, hundreds of tables are lined up, resembling a long dragon, which is how the “Long Street Feast” got its name.
  • When the festival arrives, people prepare rice wine, pound glutinous rice cakes, slaughter pigs and chickens, and prepare rice, glutinous rice cakes, rice wine, meat dishes, and tea. They offer sacrifices and prayers at the ancestral altar – Apèibōluó.
  • To celebrate the arrival of the festival, villages set up swings and traditional spinning top arenas. Young men and women perform traditional bamboo pole dances and various cultural and entertainment programs showcasing Hani customs.
  • The young men and women dress in new clothes and invite each other to the mountains to pick wild fruits, gather wildflowers, and sing to each other, enjoying themselves to the fullest. Those who enjoy hunting form groups to chase birds or engage in mountain hunting.