Traditional Festivals of the Yao People: Mountain Song Festival, Songtang Festival, Sunshine Festival, Ganba Festival, Panwang Festival.
1. Mountain Song Festival
The Mountain Song Festival of the Yao people is one of the most important festivals of the Yao people. During this festival, the Yao people will sing and dance mountain songs to express their love of life and praise for their home country. The Mountain Song Festival usually starts on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar every year, lasts for three days and is held in a square at the foot of Yao Mountain.
In the Shan Song Festival, people will dress up in festive costumes and play all kinds of games, such as beating drums, rituals, dragon boat races, duck races, flying stones and so on. There are also folk performances such as puppet shows, dragon boat dances and juggling shows.
2, Songtang Festival
The Songtang Festival of Yao is held on the 16th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar every year, which is mainly to honor the ancestors and promote the culture of Yao people. During this festival, the Yao people will sing and dance in their song halls to celebrate the festival.
During the Songtang Festival, the Yao people will pray to their ancestors for health and good luck. While enjoying food and drinks, people will also organize various cultural performances, such as songtang plays, dances, songs and dramas.
3. Sunbathing Festival
The Yao's Sunbathing Festival is usually held on the sixth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar every year, when the Yao people put on their festive dresses, hang their clothes on ladders and put them under the sun. In the process of sunbathing, people sing mountain songs, worship their ancestors, and taste food and wine.
There is a very interesting traditional myth about the Sun-drying Clothes Festival. It is said that a young girl, who had no clothes to wear because her family was poor, begged God to offer her clothes. The god heard her prayer and gave her clothes. Since then, the Yao people have been drying their clothes on this festival every year.
4. Ganba Festival
The Ganba Festival of the Yao people is held on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar every year, which is an important day for the Yao people to seek blessings and pray for blessings. During this festival, people slaughter domestic animals and make dried meat and sausages to celebrate and bless their families and friends.
There is also a traditional folk custom on the Ganba Festival called the "King Boat". People make a large boat out of bamboo and rattan and fill it with food, drinks and other items. The boat is loaded with food, drinks and other items in order to pray for a safe journey to a new world that will bring good luck and happiness.
5. Panwang Festival
The Panwang Festival of the Yao people is held on the 16th day of the 10th month of the lunar calendar every year, and it is a day for the Yao people to celebrate the good harvests and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. During this festival, people will prepare all kinds of food and drinks, and then go to the outside of the Yao village or the public **** square to hold rituals.
The Panwang Festival also has a traditional folk custom called "Panwang opera". During the festival, people teach the audience about the culture and history of the Yao people with the help of live performers.