Spring Festival (Xinnian/Hounan) Festival of Bulang Ethnic Minority

Chinese Name:布朗族年节
English Name:  Spring Festival (Xinnian) Festival of Bulang Ethnic Minority

The Spring Festival (布朗族年节), also known as the Xinnian or Hounan Festival, is a traditional celebration of the Bulang people (布朗族). It takes place approximately 10 days after Qingming (清明节) in the lunar calendar, a time when families slaughter pigs, and the entire village slaughters cattle. Women prepare glutinous rice cakes (糯米粑粑), which are then offered to ancestors and family leaders.

On the day of the festival, younger generations are expected to pay respects to elders and offer two packages of rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves, each adorned with candles and fresh flowers. One package is for the ancestors, while the other is for the family leader. In some villages, the Bulang people (布朗族) also visit Buddhist temples to offer food such as rice cakes, bananas, and other offerings beneath the Bodhi tree (菩提树).

Hounan Festival (厚南节) – Celebrating the Sun

The Hounan Festival (厚南节) is the grand New Year celebration of the Bulang people (布朗族). Known also as the Songkan Festival (桑刊节) or Songkan Festival (宋坎节), it occurs seven days after the Qingming Festival (清明节) in the lunar calendar (typically around April 13-15).

Key Activities:

1. Water Pouring to Welcome the Sun:
   The main activity is the water-pouring ritual, where villagers splash each other with water to wash away bad luck and welcome the sun. The more water poured, the more blessings received. This activity also serves as an opportunity for young people to find a partner.

2. Traditional Rituals:
   Offerings such as glutinous rice cakes and fresh flowers are made by elders during ceremonial rites to honor ancestors and deities. Some villages also observe a ritual to show gratitude for water sources, honoring ancestors who are said to have discovered water.

3. Song and Dance:

   • Traditional dances such as Elephant-foot drum dance (象脚鼓舞) and Circle dance (圆圈舞) are accompanied by gongs and small three-string instruments (小三弦).

   • Modern activities like basketball tournaments and tug-of-war are added, along with popular art performances.

4. Cultural Significance:

   • The festival reflects a deep respect for nature, particularly the sun and water.

   • It strengthens community bonds and preserves agricultural traditions.

Unique Features:

• Xishuangbanna (西双版纳): The festival is celebrated in a grand fashion with a focus on the water-pouring ritual and sun worship.

• Lincang (临沧) and Pu’er (普洱): In these areas, the festival incorporates Qingming (清明节) customs, such as visiting ancestral graves.

The Homeland of the Bulang People

The Bulang people (布朗族) reside in the subtropical mountainous regions of Yunnan Province (云南省), at altitudes ranging from 1500 meters to 2300 meters. The region is rich in lush, primeval forests and abundant rainfall, making it ideal for agriculture. It is known for its production of tung oil (桐油), camphor (香樟), and other economic trees.

The Bulang people (布朗族) primarily engage in agriculture, cultivating crops like dry rice, cotton, and tea. The area is famous for being one of the origin sites of Pu’er tea (普洱茶), a renowned tea that is known for its rich aroma and taste.

Tea Culture of the Bulang People

Tea Plantations

The Bulang people (布朗族) are skilled tea growers, and the area offers optimal conditions for large-leaf tea cultivation. The Bulang Mountains (布朗山), along with regions like Xiding (西定) and Bada (巴达), are prime tea-growing areas. The leaves are carefully processed through pan-frying, rolling, drying, and post-fermentation to create Pu’er tea. This tea is exported to over 50 countries and regions, including Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia.

Ancient Tea Trees

The Bulang Mountains (布朗山) are also home to the world’s oldest tea trees. In the 1960s, a wild tea forest was discovered in Bada Mountain (巴达山), where one ancient tea tree known as the “Tea Tree King” (茶树王) is estimated to be over 1,700 years old. Its tea leaves are still highly prized for their excellent quality.

Unique Food Customs

Tea and Tobacco

The Bulang people (布朗族) have unique culinary habits, such as chewing tea and tobacco. The tea is often chewed or brewed, while tobacco is consumed in the form of a mixture wrapped in betel leaves. Over time, this practice leaves the teeth stained black, a characteristic common among the Bulang people.

Additionally, the Bulang people enjoy a variety of raw foods, including raw beef, fish, and horse meat, often minced and seasoned with cilantro, garlic, and salt.

Stone-cooked Fish Soup

One of the most unique dishes is the stone-cooked fish soup, where Bulang hunters place hot stones in a pit with fresh fish and water, cooking the fish with the heat from the stones. This method creates a flavorful broth with a distinctive smoky taste from the heated stones and the scent of banana leaves (芭蕉叶).

Marriage Customs

The Bulang people (布朗族) have fascinating marriage traditions. Upon reaching puberty, both boys and girls undergo a coming-of-age ceremony known as lacquered teeth (漆齿), marking their transition into adulthood. During this ritual, both genders dye their teeth using redwood smoke.

Courtship and Weddings

Courtship in Bulang culture (布朗文化) is free-spirited, with young men often visiting women at night. They perform traditional songs and dances to express affection. If a girl agrees to marry a suitor, she selects a flower from the bouquet he presents and places it in her hair as a sign of acceptance.

Weddings are celebrated with multiple ceremonies, typically two to three times. After the engagement, a line-tying ceremony is held, followed by the bride returning home until the second wedding when she officially joins the groom’s family. The third celebration often occurs after the couple has a child, marking the final wedding with a feast and a pig and cattle sacrifice.

Songs and Circle Dances

The Bulang people (布朗族) have a rich tradition of songs and dances. Every festival is an opportunity to sing and dance, often lasting deep into the night. The Bulang youth (布朗族青年) learn to play various instruments and sing traditional songs from a young age.

Jumping Songs

Jumping songs (跳歌) are performed with both singing and dancing. Villagers from Mojiang (墨江) and surrounding areas often invite outsiders to join in these lively performances. The songs are often followed by a song competition with lyrical melodies that fill the night sky.

Circle Dance

The circle dance (圆圈舞) is one of the most popular traditional dances among Bulang youth (布朗族青年). It is performed with young women forming a circle, moving in a counterclockwise direction while men leap in the center, imitating animal movements. This dance celebrates joy and unity, showcasing the Bulang people’s (布朗族人) cultural pride and vitality.

The Spring Festival of the Bulang people (布朗族年节) is a unique cultural experience that offers travelers an opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich traditions, rituals, and songs of this ethnic group in Yunnan Province (云南省).