Red-crowned Crane Festival in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong
Overview
- Chinese Name: 双柏县大庄镇仙鹤节
- English Name: Red-crowned Crane Festival in Shuangbai County, Chuxiong
- Location:双柏县大庄镇/Shuangbai County, Dazhuang Town
Introduction
Every year on the twelfth day of the eighth lunar month, a festival is held in the town of Dazhuang, Shuangbai County, featuring large-scale material exchanges and ethnic folk art activities. The festival’s origin is related to a local folklore tale about a “crane defeating a monster that harmed the local people and teaching them to read and understand.” In many villages nearby, such as Ganhai, Zibo, and Xichang, during this time, people imitate the various postures of the crane and perform the “Crane Performance” as a way to pay homage to the brave and intelligent crane.
Located in the central part of Yunnan, east of the Ailao Mountains, Dazhuang is situated at the intersection of Shuangbai County, Chuxiong City, and Yimen County. This area boasts a long history and unique culture, with abundant resources, particularly renowned for its warm valley crops. The local people have had an inseparable bond with cranes since ancient times, worshipping the “crane” as a sacred object, leading to the formation of an ancient ethnic culture that emphasizes “cultivating oneself to become a celestial being and respecting the crane.”
According to legend, 800 years ago, a monster from the far south blocked the Shadian River in Dazhuang with its massive body. Suddenly, the sky darkened, and the river was dammed, drowning many crops in murky water and causing the deaths of numerous people in the resulting flood. The survivors fled to a distant high mountain away from the riverbank, however, the muddy waters relentlessly pursued them. As people ran, the water followed, and just as it seemed they would face disaster, they heard “caw—caw—” echoing from the vast northern sky. Then, from the thick clouds, a multicolored auspicious cloud emerged, carrying a dazzling white crane with a brilliant red head riding on a rhinoceros. The rhinoceros swiftly blocked the waters flowing from the Yindai River and Puyan River, while the crane bravely charged at the monster, battling it fiercely. With the crane’s cleverness and power, the monster was ultimately defeated and fell into the river by dawn. Exhausted, the crane rested by a pond along the Shadian River, but upon hearing the rooster crow at dawn, it could no longer ascend to the heavens and chose to reside there permanently. The rhinoceros transformed into a mountain, guarding against floods day and night, using its strength to prevent disaster. From that point on, Dazhuang was spared from severe flooding. The crane’s feathers that fell during the battle turned into various tools previously unseen by people, which they used to clear the river channel, allowing water to flow freely. After settling there, the crane watched over the people day and night, teaching them rice farming and fish rearing. Every summer and autumn, Dazhuang’s riversides are filled with fragrant rice blossoms and plump fish, earning the title “the land of fish and rice in Shuangbai.” Even to this day, Dazhuang’s rice is of excellent quality, and the fish and meat are delicate, beloved by many consumers. Furthermore, the crane taught them to read and write, and as a result, many cultured individuals emerged from Dazhuang, with several traveling overseas for further education.
The mountain associated with the legend is known as “Festival Mountain” among the local community. Every year on the second day of the Lunar New Year, families bring abundant food to pay homage there. The pond where the crane rested has been enlarged by later generations and is called “Crane Lake,” becoming a main recreational area for local residents. Following various efforts by successive party committees and government administrations to secure funds for improvements, it is now referred to as “Crane Park.” According to legend, after the crane settled in Dazhuang Village, people began to migrate there seeking the crane’s protection. Those who moved found themselves well-fed, with thriving livestock, leading to happiness, and over time, the population grew, turning it into the largest village within a radius of several dozen miles, which was later named “Dazhuang.” Viewed from the mountain across from Dazhuang, its terrain resembles a white crane bowing down to drink from the Shadian River, believed to be where the crane rested after its battle with the monster. The story of the crane is widely recounted in Dazhuang, and people express their reverence for it in various ways. A legendary site on the back mountain of Dazhuang is thought to be where the crane gazed towards the east, and locals frequently come to pray and make wishes, referring to it as “Crane Temple.” In nearby villages such as Ganhai and Zibo, during major holidays, people replicate various crane postures and perform the “Crane Performance” as a tribute to the brave and intelligent crane, inspiring others to pursue brightness and shun darkness. To commemorate the crane’s courage and wisdom, based on the community’s wishes, the Dazhuang Town Party Committee and the Dazhuang Town People’s Government have designated August 12th, the anniversary of Dazhuang’s establishment as a town, as “Crane Festival,” organizing large-scale material exchanges and ethnic folk art activities, wishing for a bright future for Dazhuang together.
