What are the folk customs of the Zhuang people in Guangxi?

Zhuang Customs and Habits Architecture Zhuang people like to live near mountains and rivers (because we are surrounded by either mountains or water, so it’s hard not to like it, haha~). Among the green mountains and green waters, wooden buildings are dotted, which are the traditional residences of the Zhuang people. People live in the wooden building above, and livestock are enclosed below (it's much better now, because of the reform and opening up). No matter what kind of house it is, the shrine must be placed on the central axis of the entire house. The front hall is used to hold celebrations and social activities, and the wing rooms on both sides The back hall is the living area. Life in the house is centered around the firepit, and three meals a day are served by the firepit (some residents still maintain this). Clothing The Zhuang people mostly use self-woven homespun cloth, with various styles. Zhuang women generally wear blue and black trousers with slightly wider corners, a jacquard towel on their head, and an exquisite apron around their waist; young men usually wear double-breasted tops and a belt around their waists. This is a wedding custom. On the wedding day, the bride has to go through the baptism of "gunfire" before entering the house. This wedding custom is popular in Zhuang villages such as Tianyang County, Guangxi. Before arriving at the groom's house, the bride has to pause for a moment to prepare for the "charge." In preparation for entering, there are "firecrackers" composed of seven or eight young men at the entrance, hall, and bridal chamber, holding strings of firecrackers and waiting for the bride to come. When the bride is about to approach the door, the "gunners" will start. They light firecrackers, forming a "wall of fire" to block the bride's way. If she is a timid bride, she has to retreat outside the door and wait for the second "charge" to sum up the experience of victory. , be prepared for the second "blocking". It can be said that the bride cannot enter the door without two or three "charges". Arriving at the door of the bridal chamber, this is the last hurdle that is difficult to pass, because the "gunner" is about to fire the "cannon". At this time, the clever bridesmaids and bridesmaids "reconnaissance" left and right, and jump with the bride in between when the "cannon fire" is sparse. In the bridal chamber, there were thunderous cheers to congratulate the bride on her "successful success." After the wedding banquet, when it was time to light the lanterns, the guests also watched the bride go out in the dark to "fetch water" under the guidance of the bride, which was a test. Whether the bride can endure the hardship. In this way, the bride cannot enter the bridal chamber until late at night. In some places at the border of Yishan and Huanjiang County in Guangxi, the custom of "reciting the character" is still popular among Zhuang people when they get married. Transliteration of the word, in fact, what is memorized is not a "word", but a wide strip of paper one foot four feet long and more than one foot wide, which is dyed or dyed by the woman's mother in deep black (this color is the best) It is sewn from homespun cloth. On the day of the daughter's wedding, the groom is asked to assign a "carrying character" person to "carry" the cloth back to the groom's house in preparation for the birth of his nephew. This custom is called "carrying character" in the local Zhuang language. The person who "recites the word" must meet three conditions: he has both biological father and mother; he is an unmarried young man; he is smart and knows the etiquette. The person who presides over the ceremony must be a highly respected and respected grandfather. The elder first offered two glasses of local famous wine to the person who "recited the word", and the person who "recited the word" politely held the cup with both hands and offered two glasses to the elder respectfully, and both parties drank it in one gulp. The elders put the prepared straps around the shoulders of the person who is "reciting the words" and tie them tightly, then toast each other, say auspicious words, and set off firecrackers to see the loved ones back safely. The person who "recited the word" bowed to say goodbye to the elders, walked out of the door, and opened his umbrella, which meant to protect the "grandson" when he left his grandma's house. Returning to the man's house, the head of the house burned incense and fired firecrackers to welcome the victorious return of the man who had "recited the word". When Shaoqing was young, she held a "removal of characters" ceremony, which was also presided over by the elders. After toasting each other, the elders gently took off the cloth belt and gave it to their mother for safekeeping. The groom's parents also need to reward the person who "recited the words". Soon after, the bride and her female companions came to the groom's house in groups, making the wedding day even more lively. The Bride Crossing the River is a popular wedding custom of the Zhuang ethnic group in Longsheng Autonomous County in the Guibei region of Guangxi. In the mountainous areas of northern Guangxi, there are originally only 40 to 50 miles of mountain roads, but you have to wade across rivers five or six times and cross three or four bridges. Therefore, when getting married, the bride has to ask someone to carry her when crossing rivers and bridges. The person who carries the bride is called a "sailor" and is mostly an unmarried young man. When crossing the river, three cannons are fired and the trumpets are blasted. The "sailor" presses his knees with both hands, bends his waist, and only then can he cross the river or bridge. When carrying a bride, special attention should be paid to civility and politeness. There should be no rudeness in behavior, let alone teasing. Therefore, those who carry the bride are mostly those with the best moral character. When crossing the river, the "welcoming bride" (played by an unmarried young woman) holds an umbrella next to the bride to shade the bride. On the river about 50 to 60 meters wide, the welcoming procession is stretched into a line, which is very lively. After landing, the well-behaved "Ying Niang" put the umbrella very low to prevent others from peeking at the veiled bride. Long Sheng's Zhuang marriage requires passing "three passes" and entering "ten gates". You have to fall in love first, and then get engaged before you can get married, which is called the "three passes". Welcoming, singing antiphons, going out, walking through villages and villages, crossing rivers and bridges, entering the house, singing tunes, returning home, going home, and entering the bridal chamber are called the "ten gates". "Crossing the river" is only the fifth "gate" among the "ten gates". Only after passing the "ten gates" can one enter the bridal chamber. Leja and Buji When a Zhuang woman gives birth to Leja (meaning baby in Zhuang language), her mother-in-law has to go to find a "nanny" in person to nurse the child for her daughter-in-law. This is to allow the postpartum daughter-in-law to have a good rest and maintain her body. The role of "nanny" is usually performed by women who are five months postpartum, and they do not need to be paid. It is very honorable to be a "nanny" and has the reputation of "second mother". When the children grow up, they will bring gifts to visit the "nanny" at their house on festive occasions.

If a four or five-year-old child is frail and sick, the parents will find "Bu Ji" (the second father in Zhuang language) to be the child's supporter to ensure the child's good health. "Bu Ji" is very dedicated to his "duty". After "taking office", he often discusses with the parents of the children, asks for medical advice and provides various meals to help the children grow up healthily. When the children grow up, they will also treat "Bu Ji" as they treat "nanny" and show their filial piety. Entering the village on stilts In the Zhuang villages in Jinlong area, Longzhou County, Guangxi, people have to walk on stilts when going out or entering the village. Go out to the village entrance. Just hang the stilts on specific nails and then go to work in the fields or other places. When you enter the village, you take off the stilts from the nails and walk on them. When you get to the stone steps in front of your house, you jump down. Then you hang the stilts by the door. After washing your hands and feet, you go up the stairs. It is said that these are shoes passed down from ancestors. They are located in the subtropical zone, where it rains all year round. The roads are muddy and it is inconvenient to walk. It is really unhygienic to enter the house with muddy feet, so they invented this kind of "non"-shaped "stilt shoes". The Shegong Sacrifice is a commemorative ceremony held by the Zhuang people in Huanjiang, Guangxi every Lunar New Year's Eve to pray for the growth of crops in the new year, for children to be free from illness, and for livestock to be fat and disease-free. The following are the festivals of our Zhuang people: Bronze Drum Festival is a traditional festival of the Zhuang people in Aidong and Changle Township, Donglan County. They are held on the first, fifteenth and thirtieth days of the first lunar month each year. At that time, young men from each village form a bronze drum team, carry the bronze drum to the top of a mountain near the village, hang it on a wooden frame, beat the drum first to worship their ancestors, and then compete in the bronze drum beating competition. The method is to play the big drum against the big drum, and the small drum against the small drum, with four sides as one group, and 3 people per drum, playing in rotation without interruption. Win with loud and melodious playing, fast rhythm and long-lasting endurance. Competitions often last all night. At the same time, young men and women sang together in chorus. At the end of the competition, people had a picnic with rice dumplings and other food brought from home, and songs and laughter resounded throughout the valley. Frog Po Festival is a traditional folk festival of Zhuang people in Donglan, Nandan, Tian'e and other counties. Commonly known as Ant Festival. The festival lasts from the first to the thirtieth day of the first lunar month (in some places to the fifteenth day). It is held in large villages or jointly in several villages. There are "inviting the frog lady", "singing the frog lady", "filial piety to the frog lady", Sacrificial rituals such as "Burying the Frog Woman". The entire festival is a celebration of the Frog God's achievements in bringing rain to the world and blessing harvests, and is a grand celebration of music and dance by the God of Music. People regard the first frog found on the first day of the Lunar New Year as sacred. The person who captures the frog is respected and supported, and becomes the leader who presides over the frog sacrifice ceremony that year. The modern Frog Festival has evolved into a mass entertainment festival and singing festival, so it is also known as the "Frog Festival". Eating Li Festival is a Zhuang folk festival in Longzhou County and Pingxiang City. "Chili" in Zhuang language means "celebrating" or "making up for the Spring Festival". According to legend, when the Spring Festival was approaching in 1894, French invaders invaded the border areas. In order to fight against the invaders, local young adults took up arms one after another to defend their homes, so they were unable to celebrate the Spring Festival on time. On the 30th day of the first lunar month, when the soldiers returned from the expedition in triumph, the villagers killed chickens and sheep, made glutinous rice cakes, entertained them warmly, celebrated their victory, and celebrated the Spring Festival, which became a custom. During the festival, people perform lion dances, dragon lanterns, sing and dance, making it very lively. Agricultural Tools Festival is a traditional festival of the Zhuang people in southwestern Guangxi. It is held every year on the 29th day of the second lunar month. On that day, each household carried various agricultural production tools processed by themselves to the polder and arranged them in rows, including plow frames, ox yokes, dustpans, dustpans, shoulder poles, hoes, plowshares, rakes, hoe handles, Baskets, bamboo mats, rice baskets, rice buckets and furniture, etc. People are shopping in preparation for spring plowing. Hua Po Festival is a traditional festival of Zhuang people. According to folklore, Liujia, the ancestor of the Zhuang people, was born from a flower. Later, he was in charge of giving flowers and children. All people came to the world from the flowers in Liujia Garden, so they were worshiped as the God of Hua Po. The 29th day of the second lunar month is the birthday of God Hua Po. Zhuang women hold a sacrificial ceremony. Women of the same generation in the village become sisters with different surnames. They pool money to prepare chickens, ducks, incense and candles, and paper money to offer sacrifices to the Goddess Hua Po. Then they go out in groups to pick flowers and wear them to pray for fertility and the healthy growth of their children. . Women who have not given birth have to go to the wild to pick flowers and wear them on this day, in order to pray to God Hua Po to give them flowers and give birth to children. If you become pregnant in the future, in order to ensure that the child has a soul after birth, you must ask your master to go to the wild to chant sutras and ask for flowers. You must also perform a bridge-building ceremony in a ditch on the roadside to take the flowers from the bridge. After the child is born, the Hua Po Goddess should be placed on the maternal bed and worshiped regularly. This custom has now faded away. March Three Songs Festival is a traditional festival of the Zhuang ethnic group. Also known as March Song Fair. Guangxi is known as the "Sea of ??Songs". The Zhuang people hold regular folk song gatherings several times every year, among which the third day of the third lunar month is the grandest. On this day, every household makes five-color glutinous rice and dyes red eggs to celebrate the festival, which sometimes lasts for two or three days. Song festivals in various places have specific gathering venues. Generally, it is a sloping land. Some people built singing booths with bamboo and cloth to receive singers from other villages. The majority of participants are unmarried young men and women, and the elderly and children also come to have fun. Around the fairground, vendors gather and folk trade is active. In the larger singing fair, tens of thousands of men, women and children from a radius of dozens of miles come to participate. There are huge crowds of people, singing one after another, and it is very lively. Famous song fairs include Panyang Riverside in Bama, Mianshan in Du'an, Qiaoye in Tianyang, Yangyan in Tiandong, Xiajian in Yishan, Yufeng Mountain in Liuzhou, etc. People go to the song fair to compete and enjoy songs; young men and women sing and make friends, and those who like each other give each other tokens as a token of their love. In addition, there are entertainment activities such as throwing embroidered balls, touching Easter eggs, and performing grand operas. The Song Festival is not only a grand gathering of national culture, but also a grand gathering of national economic exchanges.

In order to carry forward the national culture, the People's Government of the Autonomous Region organized the "March 3" Song Festival in 1984. Singers from all over Guangxi gathered in Nanning. Brotherly ethnic groups across the country, compatriots from Hong Kong and Macao, and foreign friends also came to visit. The event was unprecedented. In 1985, the People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region designated "March 3" as a cultural and arts festival.