Lu Wenxue – Representative Inheritor of Hani “Ang Ma Tu” Sacrificial Festival Project in Yuanyang County, Honghe

Name: Lu Wenxue (also known as Luo Hou)
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Hani
Date of Birth: 1954
Place of Birth: Dayutang Village, Yuanyang County, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province

Lu Wenxue is a representative inheritor of the ritual ceremony known as “Jizhai Shenlin” (祭寨神林), part of the Hani ethnic group’s Angmatu Festival. (红河州元阳县祭寨神林（哈尼族昂玛突节）项目代表性传承人 – 卢文学)

The Jizhai Shenlin is a solemn and sacred ritual ceremony of the Hani ethnic group during the Angmatu Festival. The Lu family is a hereditary family of “Migu” (meaning priest) among the Hani people, with his great-grandfather being a renowned “Migu” in the local area. Since the age of 17, Lu Wenxue has been learning the rites and rituals of the Jizhai Shenlin from his father, Lu Wenming (Hani name: Luoga). At the age of 33, he joined the group of village priests responsible for conducting the Jizhai Shenlin ceremony. Since 1995, he has been elected by the masses to serve as the main “Migu” presiding over the Jizhai Shenlin ceremony.

Lu Wenxue possesses essential ceremonial instruments such as the oxhide drum and bronze gong, and he is proficient in the entire set of procedures and rituals, including selecting auspicious days, preparing sacrifices, conducting the Jizhai Shenlin ceremony, distributing sacrifices, holding the Long Street Feast, and evaluating ethical conduct. For over a decade, he has led the annual Angmatu Festival of the local Hani ethnic group, presiding over core rituals such as supplicating the gods, offering blessings, and sitting at the head of the Long Street Feast to bless the villagers on behalf of the village deity.

Additionally, during the annual Jizhai Shenlin ceremony, Lu Wenxue leads the group of priests in evaluating the conduct of all adult villagers, either praising or criticizing their actions, aiming to maintain a good social atmosphere.

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