Legend I: Legend of the Dai People of Xishuangbanna: In ancient times, there was a devil king who did a lot of evil things, and people hated him so much that they thought of a lot of ways but failed to kill him. Later, the demon king snatched seven girls to be his wife. The clever seven girls inquired from the Devil King about his fatal weakness, that is, strangling the Devil King's neck with his hair, in order to put him to death. When the devil king was asleep, the seventh girl pulled off his hair and strangled his neck, and the devil king's head rolled down. But as soon as the head fell to the ground, a great fire started on the ground, and as soon as the girl picked up the head, the fire was extinguished. In order to prevent the fire from burning, she and her six sisters took turns holding the Demon King's head, changing it every year. Every year when the replacement, people are to hold the head of the girl splash water, wash away the blood on her body, wash away her fatigue of the year, for the new year can eliminate disasters and prayers. From then on, the water festival was formed to send the old and welcome the new.
Legend two: Legend has it that a long time ago, the Jinsha River, a gathering in the deep forest of the Dai village, because of the forest fire, the villagers were engulfed in flames of distress, a Dai man named Li Liang, in order to protect the village, undaunted by the dangers of the fire net, picking from the Jinsha River buckets of river water, sprinkled with fire, after a day and a night of hard work, the mountain fire was finally splashed out, the villagers were saved, Li Liang! Because of the exhaustion of sweat flow dry, thirst on the hill. The villagers called fresh water to Li Liang to quench their thirst, but after drinking ninety-nine picks of water could not quench their thirst, and then Li Liang jumped headlong into the river, turned into a giant dragon, and went down the river. Some people said that he turned into a big tree. Dai people in order to commemorate Li Liang, every year on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, each house cleaned up, sprinkled with pine leaves, and in the selected riverside or wells, with the green tree set up a half-mile-long green shed, under the shed sprinkled with pine needles, both sides of the water tank full of water, the sun when the top of the midday sun, the crowd walked under the shed with each other with a pine branch dipped in the water sprinkled body, expressed the nostalgia and the blessing for the new year of Li Liang. This activity continues to this day, and has become the festival of the Dai people to celebrate the old and welcome the new, and to bless the auspicious festival - the Water Splashing Festival.
Legend III: In ancient times, a demon god called Huanmadalachar, disobeyed the will of the gods, do whatever they want, the earth to rain and drought disorders, hot and cold, seedlings withered, animals and people suffer. How to punish this magic demon? Wisdom of the sky god Indati thought of a plan, that is, dressed as a handsome young man, to approach the seven daughters of the cupping of Ma point Darazha, and will tell them the truth. These seven girls are good natured, already have resentment against the sins of the father king, then, they are determined to kill the father king, for the sake of the earth to get rid of the harm. One day, they finally found out their father's "secret" of life and death, and took the opportunity to make him drunk, quietly plucked off a piece of his hair, and made it into a bow (i.e., a bow made of heart strings), which severed the devil's head. But the head rolled down to the ground turned into a new disaster, pouring evil fire, bamboo buildings were burned, crops were scorched, the seven girls rotated the devil's head in their arms until it rotted. Every time they rotate, they will call the water to splash each other to remove the filth. The seven sisters' courageous actions and achievements were warmly praised by the people of the world. Deep remembrance has become permanent respect. Also in order to commemorate the Maha cupping to repair the wind and rain cold and hot law in the world, people will be the demon king cupping horse point Dala Chad's head rotting day, set as the day of the splash of water. On this day, after bathing Buddha, people use water to splash each other, mutual blessing, in order to seek good fortune and health, happiness for a long time.
The Water Splashing Festival
When the Water Splashing Festival comes, the Dai people will be busy killing pigs, chickens, brewing wine, and making a lot of "huonosuo" (rice cakes) as well as a variety of poi made of glutinous rice, which will be eaten during the festival.
The festival lasts 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 exchanges of materials.
The festival is generally held on the banks of the Lancang River in the beautiful scenery. 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 water splashing just started, courteous Dai girls while saying words of blessing, while using bamboo leaves, twigs dipped in pots of water to each other sprinkled. "Water flowers put, Dai crazy", to the climax, people with copper bowl, basin, and even buckets of water, in the streets and alleys, playful chase, only feel, face to face with the water, behind the water, splashed to the fullest, one from head to toe soaked, but people are happy, full of laughter everywhere. After a period of water baptism, people form a circle and dance to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, regardless of ethnicity, age or occupation. When people are excited, they burst into cheers of "Shui, Shui, Shui". Some men danced and drank, drunk, all night long.
"Throwing bags" is the most romantic, often unmarried Dai young people's exclusive game. "Packet" is a token of love, by the Dai girls with flower cloth carefully made, loaded with cotton seeds, packet corners are decorated with colorful flower spikes. 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.
On the Water Splashing Festival, youths splashed water, as if silver flowers blossomed.
Unforgettable Water Festival
Zhou Enlai: April 13 to 15, 1961, the beloved Premier Zhou Enlai came to the beautiful peacock countryside - Xishuangbanna Jinghong, and the people of all ethnic groups on the border *** with the celebration of the annual Dai New Year Water Festival . Jinghong transportation was 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 season when the phoenix flower blooms. Under the red phoenix flower trees, 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 has become famous throughout the country and even the world, and has now become a famous tourist destination in China and abroad.
Premier Zhou in Jinghong during the inspection of the Tropical Crops Research Institute of the introduction of rubber plantations, encouraging the builders from the four corners of the motherland for the construction of Xishuangbanna into the motherland's second largest rubber base and efforts.
Customs of Water Splashing Festival
The traditional festival 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 year.
The Water Festival is usually held in the middle of April in the Gregorian calendar, June in the Dai calendar, for three to five days. The first day is called "Waduosangli", meaning New Year's Eve, and the last day is called "Waba Wamma", meaning "the arrival of the King of the Day", for the New Year's Day. In the middle of the day, it is called "Cu Brain", which means "empty day". Every festival, are to splash water, throwing bags, rowing dragon boats, put high up, worship Buddha, catch swing and other activities.
The first day of the festival early in the morning, people pick flowers and leaves to the Buddhist temple offerings, and in the temple courtyard pile of sand to build four or five towers, secular beings sitting around the tower, listening to the Buddha chanting scripture, 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, concubines chasing, everyone will splash. Folk believe that this is auspicious water, blessed water, can eliminate disasters and diseases, so people splash, pour as much as they like, whether splashing or being splashed, although from head to toe all wet, but still happy exception. Just see a flower in the crowd bloom, in the reflection of the sun to form a rainbow, everywhere full of laughter.
Besides the water splashing, there are also mass singing and dancing activities. From seventy to eighty years old, down to seven or eight-year-old dolls, dressed in holiday attire, to the village square, men, women and children in a circle, dancing with the mangalong elephant foot drums. Some jump "Peacock Dance", some jump "Yu La He", some improvised, singing and dancing, beautiful movement, rhythm, singing. Dance to the high spirits, or outbreaks of "water, water, water" cheers, or to "Yulaho, Yulaho" song ending. Some men danced and drank, like a drunken maniac, all night long, and even drunk on the dance floor.
During the festival, a dragon boat race is held on the wide Lancang River. 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 cloud, gongs and drums, cheers resounded through the clouds. At the end of the race, the winners came to the podium to receive their awards and drink celebratory wine.
At night, the villages and cottages set off Gao Sheng. This is the Dai people's homemade fireworks, with a few feet long bamboo, filled with gunpowder and other ingredients in the root, placed on the bamboo to build 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 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 partners and express their love and affection by throwing bags.
When the Water Splashing Festival comes, the Dai people will be busy killing pigs, chickens, brewing wine and making a lot of "huonosuo" (rice cakes) and many kinds of poi made of glutinous rice for consumption during the festival.
The Water Splashing Festival lasts 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 poured over the water; and on the third day, young men and women throw bags and exchange materials together.
The Water Splashing Festival is usually held on the banks of the Lancang River in beautiful scenery. When the morning sun reflects the red "City of Dawn", people of all ethnic groups will be dressed in festive costumes, from all directions to gather here. At a call, a branch of high rise into the air, straight through the clouds, a dragon boat arrow-like straight to the other side. At this time, ten million golden bamboo "(on the bamboo under the must)" together to play, point of light gongs, elephant foot drums, banging together, both sides of the Lancang River suddenly turned into a sea of joy.
When the water-splashing began, the polite Dai girls said words of blessing while dipping bamboo leaves and twigs into pots of water and sprinkled them over to each other. "Water flowers put, Dai crazy", to the climax, people with a copper bowl, basin, and even buckets of water, in the streets and alleys, playing and chasing, only to feel that the water in front of the face, behind the water, splashing to the fullest, one from head to toe soaked, but people are happy, full of laughter everywhere. After a period of water baptism, people will form a circle and dance to the accompaniment of gongs and drums, regardless of ethnicity, age and occupation. When they are excited, people also break out in cheers of "water, water, water". Some men danced and drank, drunk, all night long.
Thailand Water Festival
April 13 every year, is Thailand's Water Festival, known as "Songkran". Songkran is a Sanskrit word, meaning "the sun runs into the sign of Aries, which is the beginning of the new solar year". Songkran is the hottest time of the year in Thailand and is celebrated for three days. Before the festival, homes are cleaned and old clothes are burned to avoid bad luck. On the day of the festival, you should go to the temple to pile up sand towers, insert colorful flags and offer flowers to pray for a good harvest. In the evening, perfume soaked with flower petals is sprinkled on the arms and backs of the elders to express the good wishes for them; thereafter, the elders then drizzle water on the heads of the younger ones to express the blessings from the elders.
The annual Thai New Year, the Water Festival, began on April 13, and for three days the whole of Thailand was enveloped in a joyous atmosphere. During this time, Thais usually celebrate by splashing water on each other, so it is also called the Water Festival.
The traditional practice of splashing water means that you can wash away the bad things of the past year and start a new one. Nowadays, the festival is more of a fun event, so don't get angry if you get wet in Thailand! In fact, Thailand is not the only country with a water festival tradition. It is also celebrated in neighboring countries such as Myanmar and Cambodia.
On this day, men, women, and children wear new clothes and bring food offerings to temples to worship monks. Housewives are the busiest on New Year's Eve, cleaning up inside and outside their homes and setting fire to old clothes and belongings, which traditionally bring bad luck if not thrown away. In the afternoon of April 13, Buddha statues are cleaned, while the younger generation pours fragrant water into the hands of elders and parents as a sign of respect for them and to pray for blessings.
In Pattaya, the festival is celebrated annually with food fairs, float parades, beauty contests and various fireworks displays. In Chiang Mai, beauty pageants and parades are held, and in Thailand it is important to remember the past and the present, so people carry the ashes of their ancestors to the temples to pray for their well-being.
The Deang Water Festival
The Deang people also had a Water Festival, time in the seventh day after the Qingming Festival, in addition to pouring water blessing and jumping elephant foot drum dance and other programs and the Dai Water Festival, the Deang Water Festival is the most distinctive custom is to wash the hands of the elders to wash their feet. At that time, the young people of each family should prepare a basin of hot water, bring it and put it in the center of the hall, invite the parents and other elders of the family to come out and sit on the hall, kowtow and ask for forgiveness for the unfiliality of the elders in the past year. The elders are also asked to review what they have not done enough to set an example for the younger generation during the year. The younger generation then washes the hands and feet of the elders while wishing each other a year of harmony and hard work. In the event of a parent's death, older brothers and sisters and sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law become the recipients of the foot-washing. This custom comes from an old legend: a disobedient son working in the mountains on the seventh day after the Ching Ming Festival, saw the scene of the nestlings feeding, and realized that he was determined to treat his mother well, and at that time, his mother was walking towards the mountains to bring food to her son, and she accidentally slipped and fell. The son rushed to help her, but she thought he was coming to beat her, and crashed headlong into a tree. The son regretted it, cut down the tree and carved a statue of his mother, and every year, on the seventh day after the Qingming Festival, he would dip the statue into warm water sprinkled with flower petals to clean it. It has since evolved into a custom.
The Deang Water Festival is similar to and different from the Dai Water Festival, which is held around mid-April on the Gregorian calendar. Near the festival, people are busy making new clothes, making rice pudding, making water dragons, buckets and other water-splashing tools. Elderly believers gather at Buddhist temples to build huts and set up water dragons to wash the dust off the statue of Sakyamuni during the Water Splashing Festival. The water dragon is carved from a thick wood, about four or five meters long, painted a new, on the groove. When splashing water, the girl carries a bucket with a basin, and pours the auspicious water into the trough, which flows to the statue of Buddha in the hut to wash the dust for Buddha. Then, a respected elder holds a flower and dips it in the water and gently sprinkles it on the surrounding crowd to give his blessing and congratulate everyone on the beginning of the New Year. At this point, people start to get excited and congratulate each other on the New Year. Young people hold the buckets high above their heads and sprinkle drops of water on the hands of the elderly, wishing people a happy, healthy and long life. The old people, on the other hand, stretch out their hands, put the water stick in their hands, recite the words of blessing for the young people to say good luck and blessing. After this ceremony, people will take the elephant foot drum as a guide, formed a long line, crowded to the spring, the river, singing, dancing, chasing each other, splashing water. Water Festival is not only the De'ang people celebrate the New Year ceremony, but also a good time for young men and women to talk about love and find their sweethearts. Deang popular a gift of bamboo baskets, and take the late night string of girls, the basket will be given to their favorite girls, the most beautiful one, to give their favorite girl, as a way to express their love, test each other's reaction. Therefore, this time, each girl can often receive several bamboo baskets, but the girl in love with who? This depends on the girl on the day of the Water Splashing Festival is who sent her the bamboo basket. On this day, the girls all carry a delicate and beautiful bamboo basket, but whose is it? This can be busy bad lads, they opened their eyes, staring at the girls on the bamboo basket, carefully identify the sweetheart is carrying their own to give her the bamboo basket