The Dai Water Festival
Also known as the "Bathing Buddha Festival", the Dai language is called "Bimai" (meaning New Year), the Dai people in the Dehong area of Xishuangbanna, also known as the festival for the "Shang Han" and "Shang Han". " and "Shang key", two names are derived from the Sanskrit language, meaning turnover, change and transfer, referring to the sun has been in the twelve signs of the ecliptic running a week to the beginning of the transition to a new year. The festival is celebrated by the Achang, Deang, Brown and Wa ethnic groups. Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and other countries also celebrate the Water Festival. The Water Splashing Festival originated in India, is an ancient Brahmanism ritual, later absorbed by Buddhism, about the end of the twelfth century to the beginning of the thirteenth century A.D. through Burma with Buddhism into the Dai region of China's Yunnan Province. With the deepening influence of Buddhism in the Dai area, the Water Splashing Festival has become a national custom that has been passed down for hundreds of years. In the process of passing down the festival, the Dai people gradually combined it with their own national myths and legends, which gave the festival a more magical meaning and national color.
Legend A long time ago, there was a vicious demon king, who had magic in his body, could not float away in the water, could not be burned in the fire, could not be cut with a knife, could not be stabbed with a gun, and could not be shot with a bow and arrow. He held himself to be too powerful and arrogant, and he was a bully all day long, committing crimes. He oppressed and plundered the people, and did all kinds of evil. At that time, there were sixteen layers in the sky, and he became the overlord of one of them. He had already robbed seven beautiful wives. One year in June, the New Year's day on earth, the Devil King was drinking wine and having fun in the palace. After three rounds of drinking, he was already drunk. The Devil King listened smugly, pondered for a while, turned his face to his beloved wife and said, "I can indeed conquer the three realms, and my weakness is unknown to anyone." 婻 Dumpling Cloth then asked, "How can the Great King have a weakness when he has such magical power?" The king replied in a low voice: "I am afraid of people pulling out my hair and strangling my neck, which will make my body and head separated, so you have to keep a close eye on it." Dumpling Cloth pretended to be surprised and asked, "How can a king who can conquer the three worlds be afraid of hair?" The Devil King whispered again, "Though the hair strands are small, my hair strands will break my neck, and I won't be able to live." Hearing this, ?kānbū secretly made up her mind. So she continued to pour wine for the Devil King until the banquet was over, and she helped the Devil King to go to bed and fall asleep. At this time, she carefully plucked off one of the devil king's hairs and strangled it onto the devil king's neck before he woke up. Immediately the king's head fell to the ground, and the blood dripping from his head turned every drop into a ball of fire that burned brightly and spread rapidly to the earth. At that moment, the Dumpling Cloth rushed to pick up the Devil King's head, and the flames on the earth were extinguished, but as soon as the head was put down, the fire burned up again. So, the six wives of the king also came, they took turns to hold the head of the demon king, so that the fire no longer burned up. Later, the Dumpling returned to earth, but she was still covered with blood, and people poured water on her in order to wash the blood off her body. The blood stains were finally washed away, and the Dumpling Cloth lived happily ever after on earth. After her death, the people in her honor, in the New Year every year, they splash each other with clean water to wash away the dirt, ushering in an auspicious New Year.
"Putting on the high rise" and releasing the Kongming lanterns are also activities unique to the Dai ethnic area. People before the festival to set up a good high shooting frame, then will be since The festival scene during the Songkran Festival
Made of clay rockets lit, let it whistling flying into the blue sky. The higher and farther the rocket flies from the village, the more colorful and auspicious people feel. The winners will also be awarded. At night, people in the square on the open space will be lighted candles, put into the homemade large "balloon" within the use of hot air buoyancy, a "Kongming lanterns" flying into the sky, in honor of the ancient sage Kong Ming, that is, Zhuge Liang. In addition, the river boat, dancing elephant foot drum dance and peacock dance, cockfighting, etc., are also activities during the Water Festival. In recent years, it has also increased the folklore inspection, economic and trade negotiation and so on. So that the activities of the Water Festival is more colorful. The Water Splashing Festival is held in Xishuangbanna Prefecture and Dehong Prefecture at the same time every year. Both places can be reached directly from Kunming by plane. on April 13, 1961, Premier Zhou Enlai attended the Water Festival in Xishuangbanna. Since then, the scale of the festival has been growing, and every year tens of thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists regard it as the most unforgettable experience of their lives. When the Water Splashing Festival comes, the Dai people will be busy killing pigs, chickens, brewing wine, and making many "hunoso" (rice cakes) and many kinds of poi made of glutinous rice, which will be eaten during the festival. The Water Splashing Festival lasts for three days. On the first day, dragon boats are rowed, high rises are released, and cultural performances are held; on the second day, water is splashed; and on the third day, young men and women engage in bag-throwing and exchange of materials. Water Festival is generally held in the beautiful scenery of the Lancang River. When the morning sun reflects the red "City of Dawn", people of all ethnic groups will be dressed in costumes, from all directions converge here. A call, a branch of high rise into the air, straight through the clouds, a dragon boat arrow, straight to the other side. At this time, ten million golden bamboo "(on the bamboo under the must)" together blowing, point of light gongs, elephant foot drums ringing, both sides of the Lancang River suddenly turned into a sea of joy. When the splashing began, the polite Dai girls said words of blessing while dipping bamboo leaves and twigs into the water in the basin and sprinkling them over to each other. "Water flower release, Dai crazy", to the climax, people with copper bowl, basin, and even buckets of water, in the streets and alleys, playing and chasing, only to feel, face to face with the water, behind the water, splashed to the fullest, one by one, all wet, but people are happy, full of laughter everywhere. After a period of water baptism, people formed a circle and danced to the accompaniment of sharp point gongs and elephant foot drums, regardless of ethnicity, age and occupation. When they are excited, people also burst out with cheers of "water, water, water". Some men drink wine while jumping, drunk, all night long, which "throw the bag" is the most romantic, often the Dai unmarried young people's special games. The "bag" is a token of love, made by the Dai girls with flower cloth, filled with cotton seeds, the corners of the bag decorated with colorful flowers. When the bag is thrown, men and women stand in a row on the grassy lawn, and the Dai girl throws the bag to the young man, and the young man then throws it to the girl and uses it to pass on his feelings. In this way, the flower bag flying around, and finally the exchange of feelings to a certain extent, the two sides quietly withdrew from the bag throwing field, looking for a quiet place to shoulder whispering to go. The first day for the "Mai Day", similar to the lunar New Year's Eve, the Dai language called "Wan Duoshanghan", meaning to send the old. At this time, people want to tidy up the house, cleaning, preparing the annual dinner and various activities during the festival. The next day is called "annoyed day", "annoyed" means "empty", according to the custom of this day is neither the previous year, also does not belong to the year after the year, so it is "empty day "; the third day is called "MaiPaYa evening horse", it is said that this MaiPaYa evening horse's spirit with the new calendar back to earth day, people used to regard this day as "the king of the day to come", is the new year's day of the Dai calendar. To the festival, the Dai men, women and children will put on holiday dress, picking water, first to the Buddhist temple bath, and then began to splash each other, you splash me, I splash you, a flower in the air bloom, it symbolizes good luck, happiness, health, young people in the hands of the bright crystal beads of water, but also symbolizes the sweet love. We splash each other splash, everywhere is the baptism of water, water blessing, water song. Duo Duo flower string smile, Water Festival has become a sea of joy. The content of the festival, in addition to splashing water, there are catching the pendulum, dragon boat race, bathing Buddha, chanting, chapter Ha singing, cockfighting, peacock dance, white elephant dance, throwing bags, put the high, put the lanterns and other folk activities, as well as other artistic performances, trade and economic exchanges.
The traditional festivals of the Dai, Achang, De'ang, Brown and Wa ethnic groups. In Dai language, the New Year is called "Jingbimai", and the Water Splashing Festival is called "Hounan". Therefore, the Water Splashing Festival is a symbol of the transition between the old and the new in the Dai calendar. Water Festival is generally in the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar, the Dai calendar in June, a period of three to five days. The first day is called "Cuiduo Sangli", meaning New Year's Eve, the last day is called "Cuiba Cuima", meaning "the day the king of the day comes", for the New Year's Day. In the middle of the day, it is called "Cu Brain", which means "empty day". Every festival, we have to splash water, throw bags, rowing dragon boats, put high rise, worship Buddha, catch swing and other activities. Early in the morning on the first day of the festival, people pick flowers and green leaves to the Buddhist temple offerings, and in the temple courtyard in the pile of sand to build four or five towers, secular beings sitting around the tower, listening to the Buddha chanting sutras, and then lifted the Buddha statue to the courtyard, the whole walled village of women to bring the blue clarification of the water for the statue of the Buddha to wash the dust. Buddhist temple ceremony, young men and women quit each other splashing water as a play, so the mass of water activities began. People with copper bowl, basin to bucket water, crowded out of the streets and alleys, playing and chasing, every person will splash. People believe that this is auspicious water, blessed water, can eliminate disasters and diseases, so splash, pour as much as you like, whether splashing or being splashed, although from head to toe wet, but still happy exception. A flower in the crowd of laughter bloomed, in the sun's irradiation refracted brilliant light. In addition to water splashing, there are also mass singing and dancing activities. As old as seventy to eighty years old, down to seven or eight-year-old dolls, dressed in festive attire, *** gathered in the village square, men, women and children in a circle, and with the Mangluo Elephant Foot Drums dance. Some jump "Peacock Dance"; some jump "Yu La He"; some improvised, singing and dancing; beautiful movements, singing; rhythmic, enthusiastic. Dance to the high spirits, or outbreak of "water! Water! Water!" when they are in high spirits, or break out into "water!" cheers, or end the song with "yulaho, yulaho". Some men danced and drank, like a drunken maniac, all night long, and even drunk on the dance floor. During the festival, in the wide Lancang River, held a dragon boat race. Wooden boats tied to colorful flowers, dressed as dragons, peacocks, big fish and other images, by dozens of young men and women paddling forward, the audience on both sides of the clouds, drums and gongs, applause resounded through the clouds. At the end of the competition, the winners come to the podium to receive their prizes and drink celebratory wine. At night, the villages and cottages set fire to the high altitude. This is the Dai people's homemade fireworks, with a few feet long bamboo, filled with gunpowder and other ingredients at the root, placed in the bamboo taro built on a high shelf. Ignite the fuse, gunpowder combustion, bamboo that is, like a rocket shot into the sky, in the air released brilliant pyrotechnics, as if the flowers, stars shining, brilliant, the festival of the night sky decorated with a particularly beautiful. Gao Sheng put the highest person by people's appreciation, and get rewarded. During the Water Festival, activities such as bag throwing are also held. Young men and women seek mates and express their love and affection by throwing bags. On the first day of the Water Festival, not only do you have to row dragon boats, put on lanterns, water lanterns, eat barbecue (a local specialty), but there is one more important thing - the Border Fair! Border Fair is a small businessman from Thailand who comes to buy local specialties and snacks to increase the friendship between the two countries! The Border Fair lasts for 3 days, and is held on all 3 days of the Water Festival.
Edit paragraph Thailand Water Festival
China Dai is a long cultural tradition of ethnic minorities, the population of nearly a million people, mainly residing in the southern Yunnan Xishuangbanna Premier Zhou in Xishuangbanna to participate in the Water Festival
Na Dai Autonomous Prefecture, the west of the Dehong Dai Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, as well as the autonomous counties of Gengma, Menglian, and other scattered throughout the Yunnan Province. The Dai have a long history, and the Dai language belongs to the Dai branch of the Zhuang Dai language family of the Sino-Tibetan language family. All the people believe in Buddhism, but primitive religious activities are also more common, such as sacrifices to the gods of the village, the village ghosts, agricultural rituals, hunting rituals, spirit worship, etc. The Water Splashing Festival is actually the most important event in the history of the Dai people. The Water Splashing Festival is actually the New Year of the Dai people, one of the grandest traditional festivals in Xishuangbanna, usually held in the middle of June of the Dai calendar (i.e., about ten days before and after the Lunar Qingming Festival), lasting three to four days. It is usually held for three to four days from April 13 to 15 on the solar calendar.
The Water Splashing Festival is also a wonderful time for unmarried young men and women to seek love and cultivate happiness. During the Water Festival, unmarried young men and women of the Dai ethnic group like to do "throwing bags" game. The flower bag crafted with flower cloth in the girl's hand is a token of love. Throw package day, the girls dress up to the best of things, and then hit the flower umbrella, carrying a small flower package to the "package field", and the young men on both sides of the separation, thirty to forty paces apart, began to each other to throw the flower package. If the young man can not catch the girl threw the flower bag, you have to put the pre-prepared flowers inserted in the girl's hair on the fly, the girl if you can not catch the young man threw the bag, you have to put the flowers inserted into the young man's chest ...... so gradually selected each other, a period of romantic love story has begun.
Edit this section of the Water Festival "power": race dragon boat
Race dragon boat is one of the most exciting projects of the Water Festival, often in the Water Festival "Mai Praya evening horse" (the third day) held. On that day, people dressed in festive costumes gather on the banks of the Lancang River and the Ruili River to watch the dragon boat race. River moored in green colorful dragon boat, the boat sits dozens of strong sailors, the horn, ready to start the dragon boat like an arrow flying forward, suddenly the whole river, drums, gongs, trumpets, cheers, one after another, sound corresponding to the atmosphere of the festival has reached a climax here ......
Edit Paragraph Water Festival "dance": Elephant's Foot Dance and Peacock Dance
Beautiful Peacock Dance
The Dai people are good at singing and dancing, and the Water Festival is naturally full of dances. Large-scale dances are mainly arranged on the third day of the festival, such as the Elephant Foot Dance and the Peacock Dance. From seven or eight years old dolls to seventy or eighty years old, all dressed in holiday costumes, gathered in the village square, to participate in the collective dance. The Elephant's Foot Dance is enthusiastic, steady and elegant. The dancers form a circle and dance with manganese gongs and elephant foot drums, cheering "my, my" or "water, water" while dancing! Peacock dance is beautiful, elegant, lyrical, is the soul of the Dai dance, dance to the peacock's posture as the basis for the recreation of the interest and beauty, focusing on the cohesion of the Dai sons and daughters of the aesthetic purpose. There are also a lot of dancers to show off their own improvisation, some sing and dance, some even dance and drink, such as intoxicated, wildly unrestrained, continuous jumping on the days and nights do not know how to get tired.
Putting on the Gaoxing and Kongming lanterns
Putting on the Gaoxing is another reserved program of the Water Festival. Gao Sheng is a kind of fireworks made by the Dai people, filling the bottom of the bamboo pole with gunpowder and other ingredients, placing it on the bamboo frame, connecting the fuse, and setting it off at night. Release high rise, ignite the fuse so that the gunpowder combustion will produce a strong thrust, will be pushed into the sky like a rocket bamboo. Bamboo spit with white smoke, emitting whooshing whistling sound, while in the air released brilliant pyrotechnics, as if the flowers, colorful, very wonderful. The ground is cheering, applauding one after another, talking, praising the sound of endless, very lively. The higher and farther the walled village, people also feel more colorful, more auspicious. Release of the Kongming lanterns is also a unique activity in the Dai area. At night, people in the square on the open space, will light candles, put into the homemade big "balloon" inside, the use of air buoyancy, a hole in the sky lanterns. A bright Kongming lantern in the darkness of the night higher and higher, more and more far away. People use this to honor the ancient sage Kong Ming.
Editing the Dai people living in the "Peacock Country"
The Unforgettable Water Festival (Premier Zhou) Yearbook/Propaganda Poster
April 13-15, 1961, Premier Zhou Enlai came to the beautiful Peacock Country--Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, to celebrate the Water Festival. -Jinghong, Xishuangbanna, and the people of all ethnic groups on the border *** with the celebration of the annual Dai New Year Water Festival. When Jinghong transportation closed. Premier Zhou took an airplane to Simao and then changed to a car. The Lancang River Bridge was under construction, so the only way to cross the river was by ferry. People *** and the arrival of the Premier of the country, the town boiled over, people running around, old and young, embracing flowers to the streets, embracing to the pier, with the highest courtesy of the nation to meet the people's Premier. April in Xishuangbanna is the phoenix flower blooming season. Under the red phoenix flower tree, Premier Zhou excitedly changed into Dai clothing, holding a silver basin and the people of all ethnic groups to splash each other blessing. Since then, Jinghong Xishuangbanna in the country and even the world gradually famous, has become a famous tourist attractions. During his stay in Jinghong, Premier Zhou inspected the rubber plantation introduced by the Tropical Crops Research Institute and encouraged the builders from the four corners of the motherland to work hard to build Xishuangbanna into the second largest rubber base in the motherland. To date, in Chunhuan Park, also known as Manxiang Park, there is Premier Zhou's splash bronze statue, standing in the park gate about one hundred meters.