Please, reflect on Shanxi folk customs! Or enlightenment!

Shanxi is located on the Loess Plateau in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The historical and geographical environment have formed Shanxi's unique folk customs, which are called "Yellow River Culture" or "Loess". Culture", this unique culture has now become a precious tourism resource.

In Shanxi, the rich traditional culture is reflected in the three existing folk museums. These are the Riverside Folk Museum in Dingxiang County of Xinzhou Prefecture

District, the Qiaojiabao Folk Museum in Qi County of Jinzhong District, and the Folk Custom Museum of Xiang

Fen County in Linfen District Dingcun Folk Museum. These three folk museums reflect the folk culture of the northern Shanxi, central Shanxi, and southern Shanxi regions. The displays in the museum introduce folk customs in the above-mentioned areas of Shanxi: etiquette, wedding customs, funeral customs

, food customs, residential folk customs, trade folk customs, production folk customs, taboo folk customs and a series of folk customs. It vividly reflects the scene of the hard-working and intelligent Shanxi people working, producing and living on the Loess Plateau. By visiting three folk museums

you can have a more comprehensive understanding of Shanxi's folk culture and leave a deep impression.

Shanxi, as one of the birthplaces of the ancient Chinese nation, the working people create splendid culture and civilization. Complete

the pursuit and creation of beautiful things. When tourists travel to Shanxi, they can see the Shanxi folk Spring Festival, "Lantern Festival" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, "Dragon Raises its Head" on February 2nd, "Outing and Singing" during the Qingming Festival, and "Duanyang Festival" You can see a series of Shanxi folk festivals such as the Spring Festival, the "Lantern Festival" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, the "Dragon Raises its Head" on February 2nd, the "Double Ninth Festival"

and other festivals in Shanxi.

You can see a series of festivals such as Shanxi folk Spring Festival, "Lantern Festival" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, "Dragon Raises its Head" on February 2nd, etc. A series of festivals such as the Qingming Festival, "Outing and Singing", "Duanyang Festival", "Double Ninth Festival"

You can see the Shanxi folk Spring Festival, the "Lantern Festival" on the 15th day of the first lunar month, and the "Dragon Raises its Head" on the second lunar month. , Qing Dynasty

"Outing and Singing" in Ming Dynasty, Nanchan Temple and Foguang Temple and riverside folk museum, learn about the folk customs of northern Shanxi.

New thinking on Shanxi folk tourism

[Abstract] Folk tourism has increasingly become a high-level cultural tourism. Shanxi's folk tourism resources are rich, unique and regionally specific, but its development has not yet formed a pillar field in the tourism industry. This article analyzes the advantages of Shanxi's folk tourism resources, their current status and how to innovate and develop them in the future, aiming to promote the development of Shanxi's folk tourism and improve tourism benefits.

[Keywords] Folk tourism, development status, new thinking

Folk customs are folk customs, which are the life patterns that people inherit from generation to generation and become habits in social life. It is a The collective habits of a social group in language, behavior, and psychology. Folk tourism is the sum of cultural tourism activities carried out in different places with regional folk customs as the main viewing content. Folk tourism resources are tourism products that are protected and developed based on the traditional customs of a specific region or a specific ethnic group.

1. Advantages of developing Shanxi’s folk tourism resources

Folk tourism resources include food, architecture, festivals, seasons, handicrafts, literature and art, local products, etc. Shanxi is the birthplace of Chinese civilization and the cradle of ancient Chinese culture. Our ancestors created a world-famous and long-lasting history and culture on the land of Sanjin. Folk tourism resources are rich and colorful. Shanxi folk customs have the characteristics of simple folk nature, distinctive locality, and rich diversity of resources.

1.1 Food Folklore

Shanxi is located in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. It is one of the earliest and largest agricultural origin centers in the world and the birthplace of Chinese pasta culture. The special favor of nature has made the land of Sanjin a region where the most complete varieties of cereals are grown in the world. The food customs of Shanxi people have a strong flavor of the Loess Plateau and traditional life characteristics. Its long history, rich connotations and profound accumulation have attracted the attention of the world.

1.1.1 Rich and diverse pasta

Shanxi is rich in dozens of kinds of grains such as sorghum, oats, buckwheat, beans, corn, wheat, millet, etc., providing a wealth of food. Thousands of pastas can be made through the clever hands of farm women. Various shapes of pasta are both delicious and tempting. There are more than ten kinds of soup noodles, including knife-cut noodles, pick-noodles, sliced ??noodles, and turntable noodles. They not only have different shapes and tastes, but also are more nutritious when matched with dishes. Fried and braised noodles: pancakes, fried dumplings with pot stickers, twists, oil cakes, and more than twenty kinds. The famous Taigu Pancake is crispy but not hard when eaten cold, and soft but not skinny.

1.1.2 Delicious dishes

In Shanxi’s eating habits, dishes and staple foods appear at the same time. The dishes are not only rich in variety but also delicious and refreshing. The most famous Shanxi specialties include: a large bowl of steamed crispy chicken, which is loose and tender in the mouth; Shanxi's oily pork has won the gold medal in cooking competitions and is refreshing and fresh; pork belly The appearance of the face is crystal clear, and it tastes oily but not greasy; the braised dish is a Shanxi specialty local dish, made of vermicelli, potatoes, meatballs, etc., and tastes very delicious.

Shanxi’s special geographical conditions have given birth to rich and diverse wild vegetable resources. Wild vegetables have a wide distribution range, high nutritional value, unique flavor and diverse eating methods. Therefore, wild vegetables are also one of the unique dishes in Shanxi. . In the past, since there were no fresh vegetables in winter, people relied on pickles and sauerkraut to accompany their meals. Various kinds of pickles and sauerkraut are almost a must-have for Shanxi people all year round.

1.2 Weddings, funerals, and seasonal events

1.2.1 Weddings, funerals, and funerals

Birth, marriage, and funeral are the three major events in life, and Shanxi also No exception, grand ceremonies have been formed over a long period of time, and activities are also very particular. Starting from birth, the festivals that pass through include full moon, hundred days, first year and birth year, etc. Generally, these festivals require sending invitations, receiving congratulatory gifts, and inviting guests to dinner.

Marriage is the most important of the three major events. The etiquette from the blind date, engagement, marriage to the bridal chamber, homecoming, etc. is very solemn and elegant.

Death is also a major event in life. Shanxi's funerals are also unique, with numerous and complex rituals. As far as clothing is concerned, before a person dies, he must prepare upper and lower body clothes for all seasons, with longevity flowers embroidered on them. During the funeral, children and their younger relatives are dressed in white from head to toe to show filial piety. The items presented are also very particular. There are 12 bowls of rice for 8 tables, which are bright in color, rich in variety and unique in taste.

1.2.2 Seasonal festivals

The folk customs of seasonal festivals are closely connected with my country’s long-term agricultural society. With the climate changes throughout the year, the planting and harvesting of crops and people’s lives A series of folk customs gradually formed based on the needs of the people. The main ones include Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Double Ninth Festival, Laba Festival, etc. Although it is a typical Chinese annual festival, the celebration method is unique. For example, during the "Cold Food Festival" in Jinzhong, not only are cold foods and fire prohibited on this day, but adults also have to make "Han Yan'er" for the children, which can be eaten and played with; rice dumplings are eaten at the Dragon Boat Festival in May; and noodles are made on July 15th. During the Lantern Festival, there are Lantern Festivals, lantern riddles, fireworks, etc. in various places. In addition, there are some unique festivals in Shanxi, such as the Beam-raising Festival, the Oil Cake Festival, etc.

1.3 Folk Architecture

Houses are closely related to people’s production methods, living characteristics, and the environment in which they live. They should be built according to local conditions and use local materials. Shanxi cave dwellings are the most typical representative and unique. Cave dwellings on the Loess Plateau are scattered in mountainous areas with relatively undulating terrain. They are made of loess and are dug into caves near the mountains or near the soil to provide protection from wind and sand and keep them warm in winter and cool in summer.

Another form of Shanxi folk residence is the courtyard. Courtyards are a typical feature of Shanxi, and they are mostly the residences of merchants. The strong economic strength makes its residences large in scale, exquisite in architecture, majestic and well-proportioned. From the outside, it looks majestic, tall, neat and dignified, with rows of houses in the courtyard; from the inside, it looks magnificent and orderly, with the halls, pavilions and patio gardens complementing each other. Stone carvings, brick carvings, and wood carvings can be seen everywhere in the existing courtyards. They are exquisite and clear, rich in content, exquisite patterns, exquisite skills, and rich in ideological connotations, reflecting Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and folk educational ideas. For example, the stone carvings of "Lu Yu Yue Longmen" and "Rising High" in Ningruiju in the Wang Family Courtyard embody Confucian educational ideas; while "Nursing Aunt Offers Marriage" reflects traditional moral values; these are all expectations for future generations. and teaching.

1.4 Handcraftsmanship

Folk embroidery not only has a long history in Shanxi, but also has a wide range of themes, rich content, simple patterns, bright colors, concise compositions, exaggerated shapes, and matching stitches. The embroidery work is exquisite and reflects the local customs and customs of Shanxi and its own unique artistic style. Folk embroidery mainly covers three categories: clothing, daily necessities, and sacrificial items, such as collars and cuffs of clothes, hats, insoles and quilt tops, as well as pillows, purses, etc., all with different embroidery patterns. For example, the insoles are often embroidered with patterns such as love for each other, boundless sea of ??blessings, and lotus flowers delivering children.

Shanxi paper-cutting is also widely spread among the people and is accompanied by birthdays, weddings, funerals, festive festivals and daily life. Paper-cutting used in life rituals mainly expresses people's beautiful yearning and pursuit. For example, the word "xixi" when getting married means happiness upon happiness. The paper-cutting in the Luliang area is simple, rough and vigorous; the paper-cutting in southern Shanxi is vigorous and hearty; the paper-cutting in Guangling and Lingqiu in Yanbei is dignified and gorgeous, with both wild charm outside the Great Wall and elegance within; and the paper-cutting in the hinterland of Shanxi Jinzhong paper-cutting has a round, beautiful, delicate and delicate style.

Shanxi noodle sculptures are also a kind of folk culture. They are called "noodle flowers" among the people. They are used as tokens or symbols for gifts, sacrifices, celebrations, and decorations during rituals, annual festivals and other folk festivals. There are many kinds of dough sculptures with a wide range of themes. It can be said that everything in nature is included, including animals, plants, people, etc., to symbolize everything goes well, good fortune and longevity, harmony and friendship, etc.

Straw weaving is also a skill spread among Shanxi folk. Straw weaving materials come from nature, including wheat straw, wicker, corn husks, rattan, etc. Straw woven products include daily necessities and toys and accessories. Among the folk, the small ones include ornaments, hand toys, cages, and bamboo baskets for placing fruits; the large ones include baskets, shoulder baskets, etc., which are farm utensils with beautiful shapes. , vivid image. We should develop these folk straw weavings so that they can be transformed from simple practicality in ancient times to practical appreciation today, and can be extended to weaving bags, hangings, chair cushions and other supplies into the market.

1.5 Literature and Art

Shanxi is one of the birthplaces of Chinese opera.

There are currently four main types of opera: Jin Opera, Pu Opera, Shangdang Bangzi and Beilu Bangzi. Jin Opera is a representative type of opera in Shanxi Province. It is characterized by melodious and smooth melodies, graceful, mellow and friendly tunes, and clear dialogues. It has a strong local flavor and its own unique style in central Shanxi; Pu Opera has high-pitched singing, simple and unrestrained; Shangdang Bangzi has a high and clear tone, rough and simple; North Road Bangzi has an impassioned frontier fortress style. In addition, Shanxi's Daoqing drama and Shanxi's shadow puppetry are also deeply loved by the working people in urban and rural areas.

Shanxi folk songs are the crystallization of the collective wisdom of the working people for thousands of years. They are a true portrayal of the lives of the working people and reflect the psychology, emotions and wishes of the local people. These folk songs have a wide range of themes and profound reflections, involving all aspects of social life. The "Mountain Song" in northwest Shanxi, the "Huahua Diao" in the Taihang Mountains, and the "Juan Xi Pian" in the Xinzhou area are all short songs that the working people can sing at any time in the mountains, fields, cliffs, or courtyards. The form is short and simple; The lyrics and music have free rhythm; the emotions are sincere and require no accompaniment. The Shanqu is high-pitched and loud; the Blossom tune is graceful and graceful; and there are many varieties of Yangko, such as Hequ's "Two People Carrying", Zuo Quan's "Xiaohua Opera", and Heshun's "Fengtai Xiaoxi", etc. Most of the suites sing about historical figures or historical legends, such as Zuo Quan's "Daqiang", Xingxian's "Kun Opera", Li Shi's "Playing and Singing", etc.

The "Yam Egg School" headed by Zhao Shuli is the most influential literary school in the history of New China literature. His works include "Xiao Erhei's Marriage", "Li Youcai's Straight Talk", etc. Zhao Shuli made significant historical contributions to the nationalization, massification, and localization of novel art, formed a unique artistic style, and was known as the "stylus pen master" who wrote about farmers. Under his influence, in the 1950s and 1960s, a group of powerful Shanxi writers such as Ma Feng and Xirong inherited the style of "Xiao Erhei's Marriage" and published a large number of works with similar styles, forming a The influence spread to writers groups across the country. From the term "Yam Egg Pie", which is full of local flavor, it is not difficult for us to imagine how close these works are to the people and life, and the unique charm of Shanxi literature and art.

2. The current development status of folk tourism in Shanxi

Shanxi is a province rich in cultural relics and tourism resources. Its folk tourism resources are even more colorful and unique. However, So far, it has not been fully developed and utilized, and it is completely "raised in a boudoir unknown to people." The reasons mainly include the following aspects.

2.1 The breadth and depth of development are not enough

Shanxi is a province with major tourism resources, but it is not a province with a major tourism economy. This situation determines that a large amount of Shanxi's tourism resources are unreasonably idle and wasted, which affects the rapid development of Shanxi's tourism industry. Shanxi's folk tourism resources are distributed throughout the province, and each has its own characteristics. Currently, only a few courtyards in Jinzhong have been truly developed, and the rest have hardly been developed. Only by excavating folk tourism resources scattered across various places and combining them with the local natural and cultural landscapes can the problem of breadth be solved. Regardless of whether it is developed or undeveloped folk tourism resources, we should explore their deeper contents. For example, weddings and funerals in Shanxi are unique, which can be reflected in tourism, and they must be fully presented so that tourists can experience and feel the truly unique local characteristics. Only in this way can more tourists be attracted. Shanxi's embroidery, straw weaving and other handicrafts are only spread among the people and have not entered the market. This is a manifestation of the insufficient breadth and depth of development.

2.2 Insufficient publicity

Publicity is crucial to the tourism industry, and folk tourism especially relies on publicity. Due to the local and folk nature of folk customs, local folk customs are not easily known to outsiders. Lag publicity will make Shanxi's folk tourism resources inhumane, prevent Shanxi's folk tourism resources from being developed and utilized, and affect the development of Shanxi's tourism industry. Therefore, we should increase the publicity of folk tourism so that more people can understand Shanxi and participate in Shanxi's folk tourism.

2.3 Inadequate exploration of cultural connotation

Folk tourism is also a kind of cultural tourism. The key to cultural tourism's long-term prosperity lies in exploring its profound cultural connotation. For example, Huaxi Village in Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province develops folk tourism with Jiangnan water town characteristics, and the Dai Water Splashing Festival activities in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province. They are novel in creativity and have outstanding cultural connotations. They have achieved good economic and social benefits and enhanced the potential for tourism development. Shanxi Folk Customs Tourism resources are unique. When developing folk tourism, we should explore its profound cultural connotation and allow tourists to feel the ancient and unique folk culture of Shanxi through personal viewing and actual experience.

2.4 The ideological concepts are not liberated

Many folk tourism resources with rich and profound cultural connotations have not been developed, mainly because the Shanxi people's ideological concepts are not emancipated. For example, handicrafts (embroidery, paper-cutting, straw weaving), local products, etc. are all unique to Shanxi. However, because people are not liberated in their ideological concepts and do not fully realize the exploitability of these resources, they have not entered the market so far. Form a series of industries. Shanxi people are not avant-garde in their thinking and are rather conservative, and tourism practitioners have backward concepts, poor service awareness, and low standards. These subjective factors have seriously affected the development and utilization of folk tourism resources.

2.5 Insufficient inheritance

Folk custom is a long-standing historical and cultural inheritance, and it is something that has been passed down from generation to generation.

Every folk custom is unique, but the impact of modern culture has made folk customs more and more localized. Many unique folk customs can only be found in remote mountain villages or individual groups. Folk customs in most areas have been assimilated and popularized. , which is extremely detrimental to folk tourism resources. How to pass on the folk culture that has been passed down from generation to generation and has been passed down from generation to generation, while consolidating the inheritance of its own excellent folk culture, and at the same time absorbing advanced folk culture from other regions, constantly developing it, and forming its own characteristics, is worthy of attention and reflection. A question.

3. Innovative thinking of Shanxi folk tourism

The development of Shanxi folk tourism is of great significance to the development of Shanxi tourism and the prosperity of Shanxi's economy and culture. It can not only display the long-standing Yellow River culture and loess culture, but also promote cultural exchanges within and outside the province and between China and foreign countries. Because Shanxi is located in the north, most of the cultural landscapes are restricted by the tourist season and scattered, which greatly weakens their attractiveness. It is relatively difficult to further tap the value of existing tourism resources. Folk tourism resources are relatively less affected by seasons, are widely distributed and have unique charm, making them relatively easy to develop. At the same time, since Shanxi's folk tourism resources are only being developed at a shallow level, the development space is relatively large. If folk customs are integrated with existing scattered tourism resources, Shanxi's tourism industry will have a bright future. Therefore, we have every reason to believe that as long as the concept of development is changed, Shanxi's rich folk tourism resources will surely form a new growth point for Shanxi tourism. In the specific development, ingenious conception and unique design must be carried out to form the characteristics of Shanxi folk customs. To this end, the following principles must be followed.

3.1 Principles of folk tourism development

3.1.1 Principles of protection

Folk tourism resources are a huge wealth of human society. When developing, protection must be the priority. premise. A lot of work has been done in the past, such as the establishment of three folk museums in Dingcun, Qiaojiabao and Hebian Village to record or reproduce the folk customs of three different historical periods and different regional characteristics in written or visual forms. . This not only preserves ancient folk customs that are on the verge of extinction, but also enables tourists to understand the history and customs of that time during folk tourism. This principle should always be implemented in future development.

3.1.2 Principle of adapting to local conditions

Folk custom tourism cannot follow the trend, imitate others, or make fake ones to deceive the world. It should use local materials, explore the folk resources of the region, and show the real life of the place. Utilizing and developing local resources will maintain a long life because of their relevance and authenticity.

3.1.3 The principle of seeing things out of the ordinary and being participatory

Folk customs are taken from life, pursue nature, and hide rich local cultural connotations and the interest of life under the unpretentious appearance. . The biggest advantage of folk tourism is that tourists can personally experience folk customs and participate in folk activities, thereby feeling the rich human touch, local flavor, and cultural flavor, which makes people have endless aftertaste. However, Shanxi tourism has not done enough in this regard and can only watch but not participate. , lack of interest, affecting the effect of tourism.

3.1.4 Principles of locality and simplicity

Folk customs have the characteristics of regionality, tradition and simplicity. This requires us to adhere to the principles of locality and simplicity when developing folk tourism. Most of Shanxi's folk tourism resources are connected with cultural relics and historic sites, and have strong folk traditional characteristics and simple flavor. Our development must pass on and maintain this characteristic.

3.1.5 Principle of Functional Diversity

Folklore activities are restricted by the age and their functions, and are always scattered and alternately passed down and reenacted among the people. Since folk tourism is a tourism activity based on folk customs, rather than a mechanical reproduction of folk customs, it requires concentration, compactness and diverse functions. It allows the limited scenic spot to play multiple roles, that is, it is not restricted by season and space, and builds a tourist base with easy-going scenery and customized items, and in this way, it shows the richness and commonness of the folk life of a place.

Folk custom tourism has strong vitality, and countries around the world attach great importance to developing their own folk custom tourism activities. How to attract a large number of tourists by marking the newness of the nation and the meaning of the place has become an effective means for tourism enterprises in various countries to compete with each other. For example, in Lai Yuen, Kowloon, Hong Kong, in order to attract tourists, a simple and ancient "Song City" was built in the bustling Shili Foreign Market, which seemed to take tourists back to Bianliang, the capital of the Song Dynasty ten centuries ago. In the face of living examples, in order for Shanxi's folk tourism to achieve substantial progress, it must keep pace with the times and innovate on the basis of continuous development of tourism resources.

3.2 Innovation in folk tourism development

3.2.1 Innovation in thinking

Innovation in thinking is the prerequisite for all innovations. The development of Shanxi folk tourism must break through ideologically Conventional, bold and innovative. First of all, break the thinking of doing nothing in the off-season, focus development on the off-season, design some novel and unique tourism projects based on the characteristics of folk tourism, and increase publicity to attract tourists to Shanxi. Secondly, we must establish overall thinking. Shanxi's folk tourism should break the rules, establish a chess game for the whole province, and improve the efficiency of tourists' tourism. In addition, we should establish a dynamic tourism development mindset and design more dynamic folk tourism projects so that tourists can participate in them and truly experience the fun of folk tourism.

For example, some scenic spots can design and plan "Shanxi Food Street" so that tourists can taste Shanxi's unique snacks after visiting; "Folk Song Competition" can also be launched to allow tourists to personally participate in the activities, experience and reproduce the situation at that time, < /p>

3.2.2 Method innovation

Shanxi’s folk tourism resources are rich and diverse, with not only a large number of types but also obvious characteristics. This advantage allows Shanxi’s folk tourism to be developed in a variety of ways. The innovation of methods includes the development methods of tourism resources, tourism route design methods, tourism content arrangement methods, etc. In terms of tourism development, the state, collectives, and individuals can invest and develop alone or jointly invest and develop, so that tourism resources can become a tourist resource as soon as possible. economic resources and cultural resources. Various methods can be adopted in the development of tourism routes. For example, Shanxi folk custom tourism can form a route centered on "Dingcun-Qiaojiabao-Riverside Folk Museum"; Shanxi folk residence tourism can form a "Lüliang Cave Dwelling-Pinglu Bathhouse- Lines centered on "Jin Merchants Courtyard", etc.

3.2.3 Technological innovation

In the eyes of most people, folk tourism may not have much high-tech content, but technological innovation should still be the proper meaning of folk tourism development. . The scientific and technological innovation in the development of folk tourism mainly has the following two aspects: First, the development of the scientific and technological content of the folk tourism resources themselves. For example, the ancient buildings of Shanxi Shanxi Shanxi Merchants Courtyard contain many scientific and technological components. The excavation of such scientific and technological components can not only make tourism Readers can understand the scientific and technological wisdom of ancient Chinese people, and it can also help us learn from, absorb and inherit ancient Chinese science and technology. On the other hand, using modern scientific and technological means to express or reproduce ancient Chinese folk customs is of great significance for tourists to understand and understand ancient folk customs, increase tourism interest, and promote the development of folk tourism.

Folklore tourism has become a new field of tourism. As one of the birthplaces of Chinese civilization, Shanxi has accumulated rich and distinctive folk customs, which are worthy of our exploration, evaluation and promotion. Therefore, it can be said that folk tourism is the hope for the development of Shanxi's tourism industry. Only by increasing development and innovation can we Folk tourism will definitely become a new growth point for Shanxi tourism.