The Millennium Yao Walled City was built in the Song Dynasty, more than a thousand years ago, and the whole Walled City is built on the hillside, with more than 300 ancient buildings, which is the world's largest, oldest, and most distinctive Yao Walled City, so it is known as the "first Walled City of Yao in the world".
Because of the different languages, costumes and living environments, the Yao people are divided into four major clans, namely, Pan Yao, Bunu Yao, Chashan Yao and Pingdi Yao***, which are further subdivided into dozens of small branches, and the Qingyuan Nangang Pai Yao belongs to one of the branches of Pan Yao. Their ancestors relocated to live in the deep mountains to escape the war, and over time they formed a unique walled village.
The Yao village is built on the mountain, the houses are lined up along the mountain, paved with stones, and from the main road of the village, you can see the stone steps winding up, and on both sides of the stone steps there are layers and layers of houses in a staggered manner.
Along the smooth stone steps, walking up, passing rows and rows of houses, the wall is the mottled traces left by the years, the eaves of the red lanterns hanging with the breeze swaying out of the life of the gesture, walking in such a cottage, I unconsciously slowed down, carefully feel the millennium Yaozhai that the pristine history.
Want to experience the local culture better? Why don't you put on the Yao's characteristic national costume, disguise as "Sha Missy", and meet "A Gui" in the Yao village? There are many different styles of local clothing, including unmarried and married, but the basic color is black and red, plus some other colors and chic embroidery as decorative embellishments, very nice.
Wearing Yao clothing, walking in the streets and alleys of Yao Village, you feel like a pure local.
Yaozhai is very simple and you can see the daily life of the local residents in every place. Walking in front of a house, I saw a grandmother cooking over a fire, her wrinkled face imprinted with the peace of life; turning a corner, I saw rows of preserved ducks and sausages hanging under the eaves of the house, emitting a tantalizing aroma.
In the layers of progressive stone steps, in this every corner, see is the most simple Yaozhai life atmosphere.
The Yao Panwang Festival, a traditional festival in the Yao people's settlement and one of the national intangible cultural heritages, is a day when the Yao people gather to worship Panwang.
When we went to the Millennium Yao Village, we happened to meet their Panwang Festival, which is held on the 16th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar. On this day, the Yao people of the whole village will gather together and sing and dance in honor of Panwang.
Early in the morning, the Panwang Festival begins with an extremely ceremonial ritual. At the Panwang Temple at the top of the hill, the Yao compatriots have long been dressed up in their costumes and gathered early. In order to participate in this ceremony, we also got up early, followed the stone steps to the Panwang Temple at the top of the mountain, waiting for the activities to begin.
When we arrived at the Panwang Temple, we saw Gui and Sha carrying long drums in traditional costumes, standing on both sides of the square in front of the temple. The incense burner at the entrance of the temple has been full of incense, the incense burner is placed in front of the offerings, in the curling smoke, the atmosphere is particularly solemn.
The auspicious time will come, the respected Mr. Gong then appeared, they are wearing solemn red clothes, neck hanging full of mysterious totems of the copper whip, a hand holding the sacred staff, a hand holding a copper sword, covered with wrinkles on the face of the dignified expression.
Once the auspicious time arrived, Mr. Gong led the Yao people to start the ritual activities, blowing the bull horn, firing the ceremonial gun, sacrificing the ancestors, each process is solemn and incomparable. Although we can't understand the meaning of it, but we can feel the solemn atmosphere of the scene.
After the festival, there are long drums, parades and other activities, and in the evening, there is a bonfire party.
With the nightfall, the village gradually quieted down, in the square opposite the village, the lively just kicked off.
On the stage, wonderful performances one after another, long drums, Yao folk songs, Yao marriage customs show ...... in the interpretation of the various A Gui brother and Sandy Missy, wonderful, applause ceaselessly.
When the performance is close to the end, the square on the bonfire was lit, at this moment, whether it is the actors or tourists, or local residents, everyone hand in hand around the fire to dance in a circle, although not very good at jumping, but does not affect the lively atmosphere at all.
A thousand years of Yaozhai, where you can step through the layers of stone steps to feel the simplicity of Yaozhai, you can incarnate the local A Gui brother Sha Missy in-depth experience, where you can find the most genuine model of life.