Siyueba (April 8th) Festival/Water Splashing Festival in Wuding County, Chuxiong
Overview
- Chinese Name: 武定县东坡傣族乡傣族四月八/泼水节
- English Name: Siyueba (April 8th) Festival/Water Splashing Festival in Wuding County, Chuxiong
- Location: Dongpo Dai Ethnic Town of Wuding County, Chuxiong/武定县东坡傣族乡
The Water Splashing Festival, also known as the “Buddha Bathing Festival,” is referred to in the Dai language as “Sangkanbimai,” which means “New Year.” The Water Splashing Festival in Dongpo has its roots in the celebrations found in Xishuangbanna, Jinghong, and other areas. Due to the temperature differences and humidity of the environment, it is held during a time when seedlings need to be planted, when the water channels are full and the fields are green, symbolizing a favorable climate, abundant rainfall, and a bountiful harvest. Therefore, it takes place a little later in the year. The Dongpo Water Splashing Festival is usually celebrated on the 8th day of the fourth month of the lunar calendar, and its “glorious appearance” has become a traditional festival for the Dai people of Dongpo, celebrated on a grand scale and marked by formal ceremonies for thousands of years. During the Water Splashing Festival, people of all ethnic groups wear traditional costumes and gather in Dongpo and Baima Mouth, singing and dancing together to celebrate the grand event.
Basic Introduction
“Water splashes, and the Dai people celebrate wildly!” “Getting splashed head-to-toe brings happiness for a lifetime!” At the water-splashing event in Dongpo Town and Baima Mouth New Village, men, women, young and old, all dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, chase each other, splashing buckets and basins of water in their hearts’ joyful expression of love. In the crowd, people are focused on filling water and splashing it enthusiastically, forgetting about gender and age. Water flies and splashes everywhere, like celestial maidens scattering flowers, flowing gently towards the joyful crowd accompanied by lively music and Dai dance. “Under the summer sun, feelings run deeper, phoenix flowers bloom to welcome guests; golden ripples rise on the lake’s surface, splashing water adds to the festive joy.” People splash water on each other and share blessings, thoroughly enjoying the celebration while conveying the sincere friendship and love among the youth. The sacred water washes away the labor, worries, and sadness of the past year. It is a symbol of joy and welcomes distant guests and passersby, showing respect and hospitality, thereby conveying friendship to friends from all directions. There is a refreshing clarity and a sense of tranquility after a spiritual cleansing, allowing the stories of the Dai homeland to permeate Dongpo. Under the rotating sun, the people celebrating the Water Splashing Festival seem even more youthful and vibrant.
Dongpo, a Dai ethnic township, boasts simple and sincere customs, along with rich natural endowments. It is known as the “Hometown of Hot Springs” in Wuding County, with fertile land, abundant water sources, long sunlight hours, and a variety of agricultural products. Additionally, with the water storage of the Wudongde Hydropower Station reservoir, it creates an extraordinary “Agriculture, Culture, and Tourism” scenic area: “Three rivers and three dams of Golden Sand Lake, with meandering rivers of crystal-clear water; throughout the year, fragrant flowers and fruits bloom, rice fields sway like waves, and the hills bend under the weight of plump oranges, while the reeds along the river dance with flowers; the water of Golden Sand Lake ripples like gold, with graceful egrets flying above, and fish swimming in shallow waters, the lake’s allure nourishing the skin.”
“Water splashes, and the Dai people celebrate wildly!” “Getting splashed head-to-toe brings happiness for a lifetime!” At the water-splashing event in Dongpo Town and Baima Mouth New Village, men, women, young and old, all dressed in traditional ethnic costumes, chase each other, splashing buckets and basins of water in their hearts’ joyful expression of love. In the crowd, people are focused on filling water and splashing it enthusiastically, forgetting about gender and age. Water flies and splashes everywhere, like celestial maidens scattering flowers, flowing gently towards the joyful crowd accompanied by lively music and Dai dance. “Under the summer sun, feelings run deeper, phoenix flowers bloom to welcome guests; golden ripples rise on the lake’s surface, splashing water adds to the festive joy.” People splash water on each other and share blessings, thoroughly enjoying the celebration while conveying the sincere friendship and love among the youth. The sacred water washes away the labor, worries, and sadness of the past year. It is a symbol of joy and welcomes distant guests and passersby, showing respect and hospitality, thereby conveying friendship to friends from all directions. There is a refreshing clarity and a sense of tranquility after a spiritual cleansing, allowing the stories of the Dai homeland to permeate Dongpo. Under the rotating sun, the people celebrating the Water Splashing Festival seem even more youthful and vibrant.
Dongpo, a Dai ethnic township, boasts simple and sincere customs, along with rich natural endowments. It is known as the “Hometown of Hot Springs” in Wuding County, with fertile land, abundant water sources, long sunlight hours, and a variety of agricultural products. Additionally, with the water storage of the Wudongde Hydropower Station reservoir, it creates an extraordinary “Agriculture, Culture, and Tourism” scenic area: “Three rivers and three dams of Golden Sand Lake, with meandering rivers of crystal-clear water; throughout the year, fragrant flowers and fruits bloom, rice fields sway like waves, and the hills bend under the weight of plump oranges, while the reeds along the river dance with flowers; the water of Golden Sand Lake ripples like gold, with graceful egrets flying above, and fish swimming in shallow waters, the lake’s allure nourishing the skin.”
