Huashan Festival of Miao Ethnic Minority in Mengzi City, Honghe

Basic Introduction

• Chinese Name: 蒙自市苗族花山节
• English Name: Huashan Festival of Miao Ethnic Minority in Mengzi City, Honghe
• Location:蒙自县老寨苗族乡老寨村委会羊街子村/蒙自市文澜镇白路脚村委会豹子洞村/Yangjiezicun Village, Laozhai Village Committee, Laozhai Miao Township, Mengzi
• Festival Dates: From the second to the sixth day of the first month of the lunar calendar

The Miao Flower Mountain Festival is a traditional folk activity popular in the Pingbian Miao Autonomous County of Yunnan Province and is recognized as a national-level intangible cultural heritage.

The Flower Mountain Festival, also known as “Jumping Ground,” “Jumping Flowers,” “Playing with Flower Mountain,” and “Stepping on Flower Mountain,” is a holiday to honor the ancient Miao ancestor “Chiyou.” It typically takes place between the first and fifteenth days of the first month of the lunar calendar. The main activities include climbing flower poles, singing duets, dancing with reed pipes, practicing martial arts, and horse racing and bullfighting.

On November 11, 2014, the Miao Flower Mountain Festival, applied for by Pingbian Miao Autonomous County in Yunnan Province, was approved by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China and included in the fourth batch of the national intangible cultural heritage list.

Historical Origins

The Miao ancestors’ tribe was invaded by external tribes, and the Miao people, led by their leader Chiyou, rose up to resist. However, they were ultimately defeated due to being outnumbered and were forced to scatter. To rally his people, Miao leader Chiyou erected a flower pole on the mountain and had the reed pipe players blow their instruments. Upon hearing the familiar sound of the pipes, Miao people gathered from all directions under the flower pole to begin anew. Since then, the Miao people have held the “Flower Mountain Festival” every year to commemorate their leader Chiyou and to celebrate the Miao people’s rebuilding of their new life.

Folk Customs

Main Activities

The Miao Flower Mountain Festival is held from the second to the sixth day of the first month of the lunar calendar each year. During this time, Miao people from all directions flood into the Flower Mountain venue like a tide. They dance the Three-Step Dance and the Stomping Dance around the “flower pole,” perform on the “reed pipe stage,” do the Lion Dance, and engage in bullfighting, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the Flower Mountain venue. Young men and women sing mountain songs to each other, expressing their affection. Once they fall in love, they exchange tokens of love, promising to be together for life.

Activity Flow

Miao Bullfighting

Bullfighting is a very important aspect of the Miao Flower Mountain Festival. It embodies the Miao people’s admiration for strength and robust physique, while also expressing their hopes for favorable weather, abundant harvests, and prosperity for livestock in the coming year.

Miao Climbing the Flower Pole

To set up the Flower Mountain, a flower pole must first be erected; without the pole, there can be no Flower Mountain. The flower pole is made from a straight fir tree, approximately 30 meters tall, with the bark stripped and branches trimmed, leaving only the lush crown. It is then planted upright in the center of the chosen Flower Mountain venue. At a height of about two to three meters from the top of the pole, colorful long banners in red, yellow, blue, and white are hung, along with items symbolizing celebration and rewards for the successful climbers, such as reed pipes, pig heads, and several bottles of white liquor.

Miao Singing Contests

An interesting activity at the Flower Mountain Festival is the singing contest between young Miao men and women. This form of singing serves as a way for them to meet, get acquainted, and express their affection for one another. During traditional activities like bullfighting, horse racing, and climbing the flower pole, some eager participants may have already identified their singing partners. They move about, scanning the area and gravitating toward attractive prospects. Upon reaching a girl, they open an umbrella to shield her, clear their throats, and begin to sing a melodious and heartfelt love song. The girl, sheltered under the umbrella, listens attentively while gauging her suitor with her eyes. If she finds him unsatisfactory, she may remain silent or hum a few lines politely to decline. If she is interested, she will respond with a sweet refrain.

Miao Reed Pipe Competition

The reed pipe competition is an important component of the Flower Mountain Festival and a beloved form of entertainment among the Miao people. The vibrant and colorful Flower Mountain venue is filled with beautiful and melodious reed pipe tunes, accompanied by lively and delightful reed pipe dances.

Cultural Characteristics

Prominent Folk Customs

The customs of the Flower Mountain Festival are primarily demonstrated through procedures such as erecting the pole, offering sacrifices at the pole, and retrieving the pole. Each step includes sacrificial words that represent the local culture. The duet singing of mountain songs and the reed pipe dance are significant components of the festival activities. The host and the reed pipe performers must complete the “Song of the Origin of the Flower Mountain” before other songs or reed pipe tunes can be casually sung or played. Furthermore, every singer must start their first song in the Flower Mountain venue with the “Song of the Origin of the Flower Mountain.” This seemingly simple requirement reflects the distinctive customs of the festival, with the movements of the reed pipe dance conveying a primitive and rugged feel compared to modern dance styles.

The reed pipe dance mimics certain natural phenomena and the actions of daily life, expressing reverence for nature and ancestors, aiming to educate and entertain the people through divinity and labor. All activities during the Flower Mountain Festival must adhere to certain customary boundaries.

The display of clothing, however, is free, with patterns featuring “bracken,” “snails,” “peach blossoms,” and others symbolizing the environments experienced during the migration history of the Miao people, serving as indelible memories. In traditional horse racing during the festival, riders do not use saddles; instead, they simply use a cloth laid on the horse’s back. The competition primarily focuses on the rider’s horsemanship, coordination with the horse, and various gaits of the horse.

Broad Participation

During the Flower Mountain Festival, friends and relatives from all directions gather to exchange knowledge and experience social interactions. People converge on the Flower Mountain, expressing their joy, especially young women and men, who seize the opportunity to showcase their talents and find romantic connections. Every Miao person feels a sense of warmth from participating in the festival, leading to a natural sense of identity, increased ethnic cohesion, and the promotion of harmonious national development. The Flower Mountain Festival has emerged as a traditional celebration centered around the Miao people while bringing together various ethnic groups in joy, symbolizing ethnic unity and harmony.

Tradition and Legacy

As a traditional festival of the Miao people, the information conveyed through the processes of erecting the pole, offering sacrifices, and retrieving the pole directly expresses the unique charm inherent to the Miao culture. This intrinsic aspect has been passed down through generations via actions and spoken language over hundreds of years. The top of the flower pole is adorned with lush green treetops, symbolizing vitality.

The reed pipe dance, with its graceful movements reminiscent of dance and the strength of martial arts, retains the earnest emotional expression of the Miao people. The vibrant folk arts demonstrated in clothing, including floral patterns, embroidery, hemp satin, wax dyeing, and silver accessories, showcase the richness and diversity of Miao culture. The extensive activity content of the Flower Mountain Festival reflects the long-term accumulation of the Miao people’s material and spiritual lives over centuries, profoundly embodying the essence of Miao traditional culture.