Chinese Name:怒族桃花节
English Name: Peach Blossom (Taohua) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority
The Peach Blossom Festival, also known as the Taohua Festival, is an ancient and fascinating event celebrated by the Nu ethnic minority in Zhanatong Village, Bingzhongluo, which is located 44 kilometers north of Gongshan County, deep in the heart of the Three Parallel Rivers region. Covering an area of over 12,000 acres, Bingzhongluo is often referred to as the “little granary” of Gongshan County. This area is a picturesque and fertile plateau, surrounded by towering mountains, creating a stunning natural landscape that changes with the seasons—from a floral paradise in spring, lush greenery in summer, golden harvests in autumn, to snow-covered beauty in winter.
Bingzhongluo is surrounded by ten revered peaks, including Biluo Snow Mountain to the east, the majestic Stone Gate Gorge to the north, the towering Gaoligong Mountains and the sacred Kawakarpo Mountains flanking the Nujiang Gorge, and the Gongdang Sacred Mountain to the south. This creates a unique natural spectacle described as “mountains forming a city, rivers creating a pool,” which many consider the true Shangri-La and the peach blossom land along the Nujiang River.
The area is a cultural and religious melting pot, where multiple ethnic groups, such as the Nu, Lisu, Tibetan, and Dulong, coexist harmoniously, practicing various religions including Tibetan Buddhism, Catholicism, Christianity, and indigenous beliefs. This rich tapestry of faiths and cultures, coupled with the region’s breathtaking scenery, makes it a serene haven known as the “land where humans and gods live together.”
Festivals are the epitome of a region’s cultural and historical essence, showcasing traditional music, dance, games, competitions, and food. For travelers, experiencing these festivals offers a unique glimpse into the local lifestyle and heritage, providing a stark contrast to their daily routines.
Gongshan’s ethnic charm is vivid and distinct, characterized by events such as the Dulong’s Kaqiowa Festival with its bull sacrifices, the Nu’s Fairy Festival with its holy water rituals, and the Peach Blossom Festival with its ghost-expelling and deity-worshipping ceremonies. Traditional foods like the Lisu’s hand-rolled rice and shared wine, and the Nu’s shala, stone slab pancakes, and lacquer oil chicken are irresistible delicacies. Unique practices like crossing vine bridges and zip lines further enhance the region’s wild and rich ethnic flavor, making it an unforgettable experience for visitors.
The Peach Blossom Festival is an ancient and intriguing celebration among the Nu people. During the festival, which coincides with the blooming of peach trees, Zhanatong Village transforms into a vibrant sea of pink blossoms, earning it the nickname “Peach Blossom Island.”
The festival attracts locals dressed in traditional attire and visitors from all over to Zhanatong Village for grand celebrations. The event typically begins with cultural performances by the Gongshan County Art Troupe and the Zhanatong Village Arts Team. Traditional activities follow, including chanting and deity worship, tying colorful ropes around the village for good fortune, Tibetan Buddhist rituals, ghost-expelling ceremonies for safety, and dancing the Guozhuang dance, alongside sports competitions.
According to local elders, the Peach Blossom Festival is primarily a tribute to the Nu ancestor, Baima. Traditionally, a Baima effigy made of roasted flour and adorned with peach blossoms is worshipped and then cast into the Nujiang River at the spot where Baima is said to have jumped into the river. This ritual commemorates Baima’s resistance against the introduction of Tibetan Buddhism and subsequent conflicts, culminating in her tragic end. Over time, this commemoration evolved into the Peach Blossom Festival, held annually on the tenth day of the second lunar month.
The festival involves unique rituals where villagers gather around a peach blossom effigy made of barley flour, led by an elder who chants and scatters barley on rooftops. After a series of rituals, villagers offer personal items, such as hair or coins, to the effigy, followed by a procession that concludes with casting the effigy into a designated spot, accompanied by fireworks.
Interestingly, the festival alternates annually between celebrating women and men, reflecting the village’s historical matriarchal society. During the women’s festival, weaving tools are hung on peach trees, while men’s tools like knives and crossbows are displayed during the men’s festival, showcasing a unique cultural heritage worth studying.
This year’s (2011) Peach Blossom Festival on March 14th is a women’s celebration, while next year’s will be a men’s festival. Such cultural traditions make the festival intriguing and are a must-see for anyone interested in ethnic customs. Visitors are warmly invited to join the festivities on the tenth day of the second lunar month next year in Zhanatong Village, Bingzhongluo, Gongshan, Nujiang, Yunnan.
Chinese Name:怒族贺新房
English Name: New House Congratulations (Hexinfang) Ceremoney of Nu Ethnic Minority
The New House Congratulations Ceremony (Hexinfang) is a significant ritual among the Nu ethnic minority group in China, marking the completion and inauguration of a new house. This ceremony holds deep cultural and social importance, reflecting the Nu people’s traditions, beliefs, and community bonds.
The Hexinfang ceremony typically takes place upon the completion of a new house, which may be constructed for various reasons such as marriage, childbirth, or other familial events. It serves as a communal celebration, bringing together family members, friends, and neighbors to bless the new dwelling and ensure its prosperity.
The New House Congratulations Ceremony (Hexinfang) of the Nu ethnic minority is a vibrant expression of cultural identity and communal spirit. It underscores the significance of home, family, and community in Nu society, celebrating not only the physical structure of a new house but also the social bonds and cultural heritage that define their way of life.
Chinese Name:怒族新米节
English Name: New Rice (Xinmi) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority
The Nu Ethnic Minority’s New Rice Festival is a traditional celebration among the Nu people in the Lanping area. This festival typically occurs annually after the rice harvest, serving as a significant event to celebrate the bountiful harvest and express gratitude to the spirits. The Nu Ethnic Minority’s New Rice Festival is a traditional occasion for the Nu people to celebrate the rice harvest. Rice holds a crucial place in Nu culture, making the festival not only a celebration of abundance but also an expression of gratitude towards the land and spirits.
The date of the Nu Ethnic Minority’s New Rice Festival is usually determined each year after the rice has ripened, based on the lunar calendar or local customs.
The Nu Ethnic Minority’s New Rice Festival is not only a celebration of harvest but also a reflection of Nu culture and traditional ways of life. Through this festival, the Nu people uphold and promote their cultural identity, while strengthening family and community cohesion.
The festival underscores people’s dependence on and gratitude towards nature, serving as an integral part of Nu culture. It perpetuates beliefs and traditions, celebrating harvests and praying for future prosperity.
Chinese Name:怒族祭山林节
English Name: Mountain Forest Worship (Jishanlin) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority
Mountain Forest Festival Overview: This festival is observed by the Nu ethnic group (self-called “Ruo Rou” people) residing in Tu’e District, Lanping County, Yunnan Province, as a ritual to worship the forests they live among. The festival typically takes place in the lush months of June and July when trees are in full leaf.
During the ceremony, the entire clan participates, excluding members of other ethnic groups. They gather in a forest area revered as the “sacred forest” on the mountainside. Led by a shaman, they sacrifice a black sheep to pray for the protection of the forest, warding off pests, wildfires, and other hazards, and ensuring the healthy growth of the trees. After the ritual, the sheep is cooked on-site and shared among the participants.
Festival Date: Held on the 4th and 5th days of the first lunar month.
Locations: This festival is observed in various locations including Fugong County, Gongshan Dulong and Nu Autonomous County, Lanping Bai and Pumi Autonomous County, all in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province, and in Weixi Lisu Autonomous County of Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
Festival Features: This event is exclusively for male participants, and the sacrificial animal is a black sheep.
Celebration: The ritual is presided over by a shaman, and villagers sacrifice a black sheep to the gods and ancestral trees, praying for favorable weather and a bountiful harvest. After the ceremony, the community gathers to cook and share the sheep under the sacred trees; the meat cannot be taken home. The villagers not only strictly prohibit logging in the sacred forest but also hunting around the ceremonial grounds. Thus, this ancient and simple ritual contributes to the lushness of the forests surrounding the villages, conserving the mountains and protecting the villages.
This festival showcases the Nu people’s deep respect for nature and their efforts to maintain ecological balance through traditional rituals.
The Jiwei Festival is a traditional event among the Nu people, specifically those in the Pijiang area. It is held annually on the 29th day of the 12th lunar month to pray to the grain deity for a bountiful harvest in the coming year.
Meaning: “Striking the Plowshare”
Time: The day after Jiwei Festival
The Nu people celebrate several traditional festivals, including the New Year, the Flower Festival, Jiwei (Grain Deity Festival), and the Forest Festival. Among these, the New Year is the most festive and significant, marked by both grandeur and simplicity.
These festivals not only celebrate agricultural cycles and ensure community bonding but also serve as a way to honor the natural world and their ancestors. The rituals and traditions reflect the Nu people’s deep connection to their environment and their gratitude for the blessings they receive.
The Nu Ethnic Minority refers to their Spring Festival as “Luse,”(炉瑟) which means “New Year” or “Start of the Year,” celebrated in the first lunar month.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, each household cleans their courtyards and removes ash from the hearth, discarding the old dirt far from their homes to symbolize the departure of the old year. Fresh pine branches are then gathered and placed on the main beams and central pillars, with pine needles spread on the ground to symbolize evergreen seasons and monthly good fortune. Early on New Year’s Day, at the first crow of the rooster, children in each household carry water buckets and torches to fetch water from the village wells. They draw one ladle of water from each well and bring it home. According to legend, on the first morning of the New Year, a blessed substance resembling butter descends from the sky, floating on the surface of the well water. Drinking this “auspicious substance” ensures a year of good fortune and success.
New Year greetings begin on the first day, not only to elders but also to the family’s cows and dogs. The animals are given a respectful bow and fed fried dough cakes and meat soup as a reward for their hard work in plowing fields and hunting throughout the year.
Entertainment activities during the New Year include archery, stone target shooting, song guessing games, swinging, and dancing.
There are several taboos during the festival. For instance, on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, soup should not be eaten for any of the three meals, as it is believed that doing so will cause adverse weather conditions, leading to droughts or floods. Additionally, water should not be thrown outside, and on the first day of work after the New Year, offerings must be made to the mountain god.
Chinese Name:怒族鲜花节/仙女节/乃仍节
English Name: Flowers Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority in Gongshan County, Nujiang
The Fairy Festival, also known as the Flower Festival (怒族仙女节/鲜花节), is a traditional folk festival celebrated by the Nu ethnic group (怒族) in the Gongshan area (贡山) of Yunnan Province. It takes place on the fifteenth day of the lunar third month each year. During this time, villages choose caves with stalactites as fairy caves, and people bring sacrificial offerings to worship in a procession. The festival includes activities such as offering sacrifices to the fairy caves, greeting holy water, singing and dancing for joy, and engaging in various sports.
A long time ago, there was a girl named A Rong (阿茸) from Nujia Village. She was not only beautiful but also intelligent and resourceful. One day, while weaving at home, she noticed a spider under the eaves spinning a web. Inspired by this, she invented the slip rope. With the help of her villagers, she cut golden bamboo and wove it into slip ropes, which they erected over the torrential Nujiang River (怒江), solving the villagers’ difficulties in crossing the river. A Rong’s invention earned her the title of a fairy. However, when a slave owner learned of her talents, he sent slavers to propose marriage to her, which A Rong firmly rejected. In retaliation, the slave owner ordered his men to kidnap her relatives. A Rong, aware of the danger, sought refuge in a stalactite cave in the deep mountains. The slave owner then commanded his men to set fire to the mountains, resulting in A Rong’s tragic death. To honor her memory, the Nu ethnic group designated the day of A Rong’s passing as the Flower Festival.
Every year, thousands participate in the Flower Festival, donning festive costumes and gathering in front of the fairy cave with sacrifices and wine from surrounding villages. Lamas from Puhua Temple (普化寺) beat drums and chant sutras as everyone bows and offers flowers, seeds, and wine. According to legend, the stalactites transformed by A Rong will release holy water from the cave. Young women enter the cave to receive this holy water, and then everyone gathers to drink, sing, and dance throughout the night, praying for the blessings of fairies and mountain gods for well-being and happiness, and for the prosperity of crops and livestock. Additionally, national sports activities such as crossbow shooting, races, and wrist wrestling are also held during the festival.
Chinese Version: http://www.ynich.cn/view-ml-11110-1404.html
Translated by Olive Zhang/张银芳
Nu nationality is the oldest ancestor and developer on both sides of the Nu River. Like other nationalities, the Nu people have their own unique customs and cultural heritage. They are a pure, kind, hospitable, and musically and lyrically talented people. In the process of opening up the Nu River land, they have fought against nature with extraordinary perseverance and courage, using their intelligence, wisdom, and even their lives to gain possession of this land. According to the Nu people’s 64-generation oral tradition, the Nu people have been living and multiplying on this land for about 1,700 years. In this 1,700-year history of entrepreneurship, they have experienced generations of hardships and struggles against nature. The Nu people’s “Miqi” activity has evolved and developed over the long process of struggling with nature.
The Nu ethnic group, one of the oldest inhabitants of the Nu River valley, has a rich cultural heritage and unique traditions. As the earliest settlers on both sides of the Nu River, the Nu people have developed a deep connection with the land, overcoming natural challenges with remarkable perseverance, wisdom, and even sacrifice. According to oral traditions spanning 64 generations, the Nu people have lived in the region for approximately 1,700 years, during which they have cultivated a strong sense of community and resilience.
The word “Rumiqi” in the Nu language can be translated as “all the villages act to exorcise.” Specifically, “Rumi” means “village,” and “Miqi” signifies the act of cleansing or washing away evil spirits. The festival originated in response to a series of natural and man-made disasters that once plagued the Nu people. Unable to withstand these calamities, they turned to their gods for help, praying for relief from disasters, protection, and blessings. Through the “Miqi” ritual, they sought to ensure timely rain, bountiful harvests, thriving livestock, family harmony, and good fortune.
The Rumiqi Festival is traditionally held on March 6, just before the start of spring plowing. This date is rooted in a legend that tells of a special bird that visits the village each year on this day. The bird perches on a walnut tree and sings a beautiful song in a language that resembles the word “Rumi,” signaling the arrival of spring and the time for the festival.
Over time, the original “Miqi” ritual has undergone significant changes in both content and form, evolving into what is now known as the “Kaichun” or Spring Festival. Today, due to various factors, many Nu villages no longer perform the traditional “Miqi” activities. However, the essence of the festival remains, celebrating the arrival of spring, the promise of a new agricultural season, and the joy of community life.
The modern Rumiqi Festival serves as a vibrant cultural event, promoting ethnic traditions, fostering community bonds, and celebrating the hard work and prosperity of the Nu people. Through this festival, participants engage in cultural activities that express their gratitude, share ideas, strengthen emotional connections, and celebrate the rich heritage of the Nu ethnic group.
Chinese Name:怒族桃花节 English Name: Peach Blossom (Taohua) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority Introduction to the Peach Blossom (Taohua) Festival of the Nu Ethnic Minority The Peach Blossom Festival, also...
Chinese Name:怒族贺新房 English Name: New House Congratulations (Hexinfang) Ceremoney of Nu Ethnic Minority The New House Congratulations Ceremony (Hexinfang) is a significant ritual among the Nu ethnic minority group...
Overview Chinese Name:怒族新米节 English Name: New Rice (Xinmi) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority The Nu Ethnic Minority’s New Rice Festival is a traditional celebration among the Nu people in...
Chinese Name:怒族祭山林节 English Name: Mountain Forest Worship (Jishanlin) Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority Mountain Forest Festival Overview: This festival is observed by the Nu ethnic group (self-called “Ruo Rou” people)...
Overview Chinese Name:怒族祭谷神 English Name: Jigushen Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority Location: Pijiang area of Bijiang, inhabited by the Nu ethnic group Time: December 29th of the lunar calendar...
Basic Introduction Chinese Name: 怒族春节/吉佳姆/盍司节 English Name: Jijiamu Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority Time: Held in the twelfth month of the lunar calendar Meaning: Celebrating the Lunar New Year...
Introduction of The Festival Chinese Name: 怒族年节/炉瑟节 English Name: Spring Festival (Jijiamu) of the Nu Ethnic Minority Main Activities: Ancestor worship, soil rituals, singing, and dancing Time (Lunar Calendar):...
Chinese Name:怒族鲜花节/仙女节/乃仍节 English Name: Flowers Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority in Gongshan County, Nujiang The Fairy Festival, also known as the Flower Festival (怒族仙女节/鲜花节), is a traditional folk festival...
Nu nationality is the oldest ancestor and developer on both sides of the Nu River. Like other nationalities, the Nu people have their own unique customs and cultural heritage....
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