Panwang Festival of Yao Ethnic Minority in Jinping County, Honghe

Overview

Chinese Name:红河金平县盘王节
English Name: Panwang Festival of Yao Ethnic Minority in Jinping County, Honghe
Date: The sixteenth day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar

Origin of the Festival

The Yao ethnic group’s Panwang Festival has ancient customs associated with celebrating it in Yao regions, documented as early as the Jin Dynasty in Gan Bao’s “Collecting the Gods,” Liu Yuxi’s “Song of the Barbarians” from the Tang Dynasty, and Zhou Qufei’s “Responses from Beyond the Mountains” from the Southern Song Dynasty. According to the “Collecting the Gods” from the early Han Dynasty, the ancestors of the Yao people “used blood and flesh to prepare offerings, calling out as they beat the trough in sacrifice to Pan Yao.” When Tang poet Liu Yuxi was exiled to Lianzhou (now Lianshan Zhuang and Yao Autonomous County in Guangdong), he referenced the Yao people’s custom of “holding seasonal sacrifices to Panhu” in his poem “Song of the Barbarians.” In “Responses from Beyond the Mountains,” it states: “Every year in October, the Yao people gather to worship the Great King Dubo at the temple. Men and women without partners dance together, called ‘Tao Yao.’” “Tao Yao” refers to “jumping for the Panwang,” which has developed into the Yao Panwang Festival; “jumping” means dancing. Jumping for the Panwang signifies people dancing to express gratitude to Panwang and to pray for his protection over their descendants.

Festival Customs

The Yao Panwang Festival follows a set procedure, starting with the worship of Panwang. During the festival, an altar is set up with various idols hanging, the largest being the idol of Panwang, flanked by figures such as Zhenwu, Gongcao, Tiangong, and Dimu. The ceremony begins with the firing of three gunshots, followed by the sound of firecrackers. Amidst the firecracker sounds, the elders and village leaders present offerings such as pig heads, glutinous rice cakes, chicken, and alcohol in front of the idols, while people bow their heads, offering silent prayers as a sign of respect and remembrance.

After the sacrificial rites, everyone sings Panwang songs and dances the Panwang dance. The “Panwang Song” is an epic that emerged in the singing halls and is also a popular anthology of Yao poetry. There are three versions of the “Panwang Song” manuscript: twenty-four sections, thirty-two sections, and thirty-six sections, each consisting of over three thousand lines. It takes seven days and nights to sing one complete “Panwang Song.” The songs recount the origins of the sun, moon, stars, and all things, and include themes like the great flood and the creation of humanity by the siblings Fuxi, praises of the lands inhabited by the Yao, reflections on Yao hunting life, ancient hunting methods, agricultural themes, praises of skilled craftsmen, interactive question-and-answer songs, humorous songs constructed with disordered common affairs, as well as love songs such as “Spring Song,” “Flower Song,” “Fruit Song,” and songs reflecting women’s hardships like “Second Mother Song,” totaling over dozens of varieties. Additionally, the “Panwang Song” includes musical pieces, consisting of seven tunes: Huang Tiao Sha, San Feng Qu, Wan Duan Qu, He Ye Bei Qu, Nan Hua Zi Qu, Fei Jiang Nan Qu, and Mei Hua Qu, collectively referred to as the “Seven Ren Tunes.”

The “Panwang Dance” is accompanied by drums and gongs, with dance steps that alternate between jumping up, squatting down, turning left, and spinning right, all of which display strength and grace, recreating scenes of the Yao ancestors farming, hunting, and going into battle, sometimes with men and women singing together. Besides worshiping Panwang, singing, and dancing, some places also feature the dancing of flower sticks, setting off fireworks, and singing love songs.

In addition to the Panwang songs and dances, a particular long drum attracts attention—the Huangni Drum. Various types of drums exist, but the Yao people use a unique drum made of yellow clay. The Huangni Drum is a type of long drum made by the Ao Yao (a branch of the Yao ethnic group) who live in the Greater Yao Mountain region. The Ao Yao call it “Ni Wang Yong,” which means that yellow clay and water are applied to the drumhead to determine the drum’s tone. Because the drumhead is damp, it increases in thickness and produces a unique and resonant twin echo sound of “kong—yang, kong—yang” when struck, making it very pleasant to hear and capable of being heard for hundreds of miles. The drum is played only during the grand traditional festival “Jumping for Panwang” and cannot be struck at other times. The Huangni Drum, made from flexible and lightweight paulownia wood with two hollow ends, has male and female drum types. The male drum has a waist length of about three feet and two inches and a diameter of four inches, with both ends shaped like bells; the female drum has a shorter waist, about three feet in length and a diameter of six inches. The drumhead is covered with goat skin, and eight palm strips are tied at both ends to tighten it, with bamboo pieces twisted with ropes in the center to stretch the drumhead. The Huangni Drum dance has a unique rhythm, requiring one female drum to match four male drums in a dance group. The performer carries the female drum tilted against their chest and strikes the male drums vertically, with the right hand holding one and the left hand striking it. The entire dance incorporates various movements, strong and carefree. The female drum acts as the conductor, controlling the rhythm of the dance, while the male drum players must beat in time with the female drum’s beats, thus the female drum player is often an elder. The female drum moves gracefully, embodying softness and strength, while the male drums are energetic and passionate. Young men and women revolve around the male drums and singing group, enclosing the female drum tightly, like stars surrounding the moon. The female drum occasionally answers the male drums, making the whole dance vibrant and lively. The Yao young people, with red headscarves, feathers inserted, wearing traditional clothing with collars, and long drums hanging at their waists, turn with each step while playing the long drums, striking rhythmic beats, and the drummers sometimes bend forward as they move, leaping and playing. Meanwhile, several elegantly dressed young women, under the leadership of a singing teacher, dance gracefully with flower handkerchiefs, interspersing their dance with beautiful Huangni drum songs.

During the “Jumping for Panwang,” young men and women often exchange songs, and unmarried individuals might use the song exchanges to find partners. If both parties find a mutual attraction, they may exchange tokens to signify a lifelong commitment. Older individuals take the opportunity to share production experiences and wish each other a bountiful harvest for the following year.

The Panwang Festival can be celebrated within individual households, in joint households, or among the same clan or family members. Regardless of the form, there will always be animal sacrifices for worship and a feast to entertain relatives and friends. The festival generally lasts for three days and two nights, with some celebrations extending up to seven days and seven nights. The Panwang Festival ceremonies are presided over by four officiants, each responsible for different roles: the prayer master, the sacrificial master, the reward master, and the grains master, each with one assistant, totaling eight participants. Additionally, there are four songstresses and singers, six young boys and girls, one Huangni drum artist, and a suona band participating in the Panwang Festival.