The festival begins in the early hours of the fourth day of May. On this day, the township of fifteen villages of young men and women, pairs of back with abundant food and barley wine on the back of the rattan, into the depths of the dense forest, to pick the loquat flower is in full bloom (Du Juan flower), of course, is also a young man and woman kissing and embracing the love of indulgence moment. In the evening, loaded return flower pickers head inserted, hand holding, rattan basket carrying a variety of flowers, from the winding forest trails on the romantic song, joyfully back. At this time, the village walled village, crowded with people, scrambling to flower pickers received home to sing. It is said that whoever receives the flowers picked today will receive happiness and good luck at home. The real festival is held on the fifth day of the fifth month. On this day, the four neighboring villages of Tibetan girls dressed to travel, they wear gorgeous and colorful hand-woven embroidered dresses, chest hanging shiny silver plate, head full of flowers, dressed more beautiful than flowers; young men also put on holiday costumes, groups of three or five to the Boyu River square crowd. Elderly people pay tribute to each other's khata and wine; young men sing and dance to their heart's content, and children happily chase and play with each other. The entire Boyu River a happy, a flower, until the sunset, and sometimes have to light a bonfire, enjoy the next morning.
In this festival, the flower picking girls are regarded as the messengers of good luck and happiness. So people always like to invite them to their homes on this day, and the girls dance and sing in these people's homes, wishing their hosts good luck and happiness.
Flower Picking Festival every year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, living in the Bailong River Basin in Gansu the southern end of the Boyu Tibetan area, will be held once a year a grand, cheerful flower picking festival. The custom of flower picking festival has a history of hundreds of years in Boyu Tibetan area. It is also a traditional folk festival to devote themselves to nature and worship the mountain gods.
Flower Picking Festival activities are kicked off by the "water grabbing". Before sunrise on the first day of the festival, people have to run to the nearby mountain springs to grab spring water, some hands cupped water to drink, some carry water home to wash their hair and body. Legend has it that drinking from the spring before sunrise on this day can eliminate disasters and diseases, and bathing can bring good luck. After the end of "grabbing water", the parents of each family will dress up their daughters beautifully. Boyu Tibetan area is known as Gansu's "Xishuangbanna", the mountains and beautiful water, Tibetan daughters mostly look beautiful, plus carefully dressed up, all as beautiful as heavenly fairies. They are in the festival this day head stacked into several layers of green new bandana, and with colorful ornamental belt ramp; wide-sleeved flower skirt layer by layer set, layer by layer exposed, there are up to seven layers of; chest wear corset strung by red coral, wear to the soup box large onyx silver plate; ear with silver earrings, hair combed into dozens of fine braids, wearing red silk pants, calves wrapped in white "wrapped child "
When the wedding ceremony was held, the bride and groom were invited to attend the ceremony.
When the sun rises, the village folks come to the mouth of the village in full costume to see off the girls on the mountain. During the festival, young daughters-in-law married outside the home to return to their mother's home, with their mother's cottage girls accompanied by older brothers, younger brothers, accompanied by cousins, girls who do not have brothers can be accompanied by cousins. The girls on the mountain in the Walled City first in the "Ao Lao" (leader) under the leadership of the people who came to see off the "farewell song", to the effect that: "Flower God" in the call, we went to the flower mountain, pick back the flowers to offer loved ones. The crowd also sang, blowing suona, firecrackers, send them out of the village ...... on the way, across the bridge to the flower mountain, the girls also sing each other questions and answers about the knowledge of mountain flowers, sing the "song on the mountain". Flower picking place is generally chosen in the region's highest, most prestigious sacred mountain "Prickly Can" on. After crossing the mountain into the flowery mountain, the girls set up pots and pans for cooking, and the young men came to the peak of the mountain to worship the "Flower God", inserting new wooden knives, axes and arrows to symbolize the protection of the "Flower God", and praying for the "Flower God" to bless the wind and the weather. Flower God" to bless the wind and rain, people and animals, a good harvest. In the warm and humid climate of the Boyu Tibetan area, "Flower God" acts as a village, tribal "God of protection" role. After the sacrifice, flower picking began. Girls, boys and girls in pairs, while singing the God of Flowers to the mountains while walking in the bushes, collecting those white loquat flowers, red magpie flowers, pink Malan, red peony flowers ...... until these beautiful flowers inserted full of the girl's hair braid. At this time, the boys drink and sing, and climbed up the cliffs, folded down the cedar branches, wild vegetables, medicinal herbs, etc. filled with back pockets ...... to the evening, the people raised a bonfire, around the bonfire while eating and dancing and singing to their heart's content, often all night long.
When the next day, when the east is white, the young people who have had a night of fun, eat the last meal, finishing the head of the garland, back up the tent, herbs, cedar branches, etc. to the God of the mountains sing "parting song", people with the song down the mountain. When the procession passes through the bridgehead of the village, they will meet the villagers who have already waited for them. On the bridgehead, three middle-aged women with outstanding singing voices selected by the village sing and toast to the flower picking girls with the "Toast Song". The flower girl takes the wine, drinks it and returns it with the "Song of Thanks", and has to answer all kinds of philosophical questions about life raised by the three women with their songs.
The villagers surrounded the flower girl to the threshing floor, everyone pulled together, formed a circle and danced the unique local "Luo Luo dance". Circle head, the girl leading the dance hand shaking string bells as a guide, the dance crowd according to her string bells issued by the different rhythms, changing the formation and dance steps ...... Flower Picking Festival is the festival of the God of Flowers is the daughter of the festivities. People pray for happiness and good luck in the sea of flowers and songs.
Picking Flowers Festival
Tibetan "Picking Flowers Festival"
Every year on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, in the northwest plateau of the Longnan mountainous area of the Tibetan people living in the cottage of Boyu, to live their own traditional festival - in the local has been passed down for more than 500 years! "Flower Picking Festival". According to the old man said: in a long time ago, Boyu place is very poor, people live very difficult. One day, there came a young man named Zahai, whose wisdom was as clear as spring water and whose character was as noble as snow-capped mountains. He enthusiastically taught the locals how to cultivate the land, and often gave people forecasts of the weather changes he observed. With his help, the people lived a happy life with plenty of food and clothing.
The king knew that the king wanted him to serve the king in the palace, but was refused by the young man, the king was ready to kill him, in the emergency, there is a girl called Dama came up with a brilliant idea: let Zahai change into the girl's clothes, in the cover of the girls singing a song of joy on the mountain to pick flowers, hidden from inspection, escaped into the mountains. Later, Dama and Zahai became happy partners. However, the good times didn't last long and they were finally killed by the king. Because the day they were killed was the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. So every day, girls and boys come here to pick flowers, dance, sing songs and hold grand commemorative activities, which have been passed down from generation to generation. On this day, people want to use the spring water before sunrise to wash their faces, shampoo, dress up the girl in the young man's company, stepped on the goat's intestinal tract, questioning each other and sang "on the mountain song". When they came to the various colors of the "sea of flowers", after sacrificing to the "God of flowers", they began to pick flowers everywhere, and sang the "flower picking song" cheerfully. The girls also wear the white loquat flowers all over their bodies. At dusk, they sat around the campfire, ate a delicious picnic, sang and danced to their hearts' content, and spent a joyous night under the moon.
At dawn the next day they began their journey home laden with flowers and cedar branches symbolizing happiness and joy. Several respected elders were waiting at the foot of the mountain. The elders prepared a bowl of barley wine for each member of the flower-picking team, wishing them a safe return. The happy crowd welcomed the flower-picking girls into the village. In the drums, firecrackers, the girls stepped on the crisp horse bells, and jumped up the rich ethnic characteristics of the "circle dance", began to bless the activities. Finally, flower picking girls will pick flowers to send to the family of the marriage, wishing the newlyweds a happy and fulfilling life; wish their children as hard-working and brave as Zahai, as smart and beautiful as the Dama girl.
Flower Picking Festival
Flower Picking Festival in the Cave Early on the morning of the first day of the new year, Dad announced to the whole family, "Today we are going to Pu'an's Flower Picking Cave for the Flower Picking Festival!" After driving for nearly 3 hours to the town of Qingshan in Pu'an County, one of Dad's acquaintances led us to a winding path next to the highway and drove in. Fellow people told us, this neighborhood of ethnic minorities over the Caihua Festival, generally in a place called Shiqiao River, where several holes are called Caihua Cave, Caihua Festival, also known as the Caihua slope, the original is Pu'an, Qinglong area of the Miao annual festival, every year on the first day of the first month of the Lunar New Year to the fifteenth, the local young people, with lusheng, xiaojiao flute and other musical instruments, coming from all directions, the clouds gathered in Pu'an and the Panxian County border Caihua Pi, and the Caihua Pi, the first day of the first lunar month of the year. On the hillside, in the jungle, next to the caves, "You Fang" (Miao language, meaning talk about love).
After nearly half an hour of bumps, in the nearest mountainside, there is a very large cave, which is the largest one near the flower cave, so it is also the most lively hole every year flower festival, the most time there are nearly 1,000 people to the "tour party".
Waiting until about 1:00 p.m., Caihua Cave has gathered hundreds of people, the girls put on their best clothes, and around the partner quietly discussing in the distance peeping their own young man; the young man over there in the other with the encouragement of the same people, in the stalls where to buy snacks, red-faced, please eat the girl, as long as the girl took, the crowd is a cheer. There are also like to sing and dance, but also do not miss this opportunity to show, as long as someone started a head, whether it is a folk song or the current popular songs, there are people answering the song, answering the dance ...... to four or five o'clock in the afternoon, the girls and boys only to be reluctant to leave. The dreams of every young man who attended the rally must have been colorful and sweet.
Flower Picking Festival
Baima Tibetans Flower Picking Festival In Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Zhouqu County, Boyu Township, every year the fourth to fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, living here in the Baima Tibetans have to hold a "Flower Picking Festival" to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival, a custom that has been handed down from ancient times to the present day from generation to generation, and so far retains its original style. Boyu Township is located at the junction of Gansu and Sichuan, just one mountain away from the famous tourist attraction Jiuzhaigou.
"Flower Picking Festival" is held for two days each time. Early in the morning on the fourth day of the lunar calendar, the young men of the seven cottages in Boyu Township wear beautiful belt knives and dress up, the girls are heavily made up and wear colorful clothes, carrying pots of syrup on their backs and gathering in a place to the north of the "Seven Sisters Mountain", and after praying, they start to carry the seven sisters. After praying to the "Seven Sisters Mountain" in the north, they began to sing and dance and headed for this mountain.
Along the way every other journey to hold songs and dances "rest field", this is a good opportunity for girls and boys to show their singing voice to relatives, friends, lovers sing songs of blessing. A road while singing, to the "Seven Sisters Mountain" when it is nearly evening, people will set up bonfires in the mountains, the girls and boys hand in hand dancing, dancing to their heart's content until dawn. The next day at noon, the girls picked flowers to dress up their heads, braids, arms, back all full of flowers, and then began to go down the mountain. On the way down the mountain, they held the usual song and dance "break". To the village entrance, waiting for the old man blocked the flower girls sing, toast, and then the whole village came to the open space in the village, the village with young and old dancing, singing, toast, mutual blessing, praying for the village of the harvest, people and animals to flourish.
The Baima Tibetans, formerly known as the "Baima Fans", are the descendants of the ancient dizu tribe, and after the founding of New China were regarded as a branch of the Tibetan tribe and called the "Baima Tibetans", but their culture, religion and living customs are different from those of the Tibetans: they have their own language but use Chinese characters; both men and women, young and old, are able to sing and dance with each other. They have their own language, but use Chinese characters; men and women, young and old, are good at singing and dancing, and have been farming for generations; men and women wear braids, white dome felt hats with white rooster's tail plumes on them, and long robes with lapels, so their dresses are very different from those of other ethnic groups. Zhouqu County, Boyu Township is a white horse Tibetan an important settlement, the township of more than 4,000 people are all white horse Tibetan.
After Dama's death, the six sisters took her as an example and continued to relieve the local villagers of their illnesses, the six sisters passed away with Dama's "Flower Picking Festival" is an event for the Baima Tibetans in Boyu, the origin of this custom has a beautiful legend: a long time ago, there were six girls in a poor family in the Boyu cottage, and one year, they had to pick up flowers for the Dragon Boat Festival, which was held at the end of the year. Dragon Boat Festival, the little girl was injured when she went to the mountains to collect medicine, was a girl called Dama saved, but also carried her back home, Dama girl can sing and dance, dexterous, noble quality, she led the six sisters stepped all over the mountains and waters of Boyu, medicine to heal the folk injuries and illnesses.
Flower Picking Festival
After Dama's death, the six sisters took her as an example and continued to relieve the local villagers of their ailments, and the six sisters were buried together with Dama in a nearby mountain full of flowers after her death. In honor of Dama and the six sisters, the local people called the seven mountains in Boyu "Seven Sisters Mountains". In order to honor them, young people in the auspicious Dragon Boat Festival will go to the mountains in groups to sweep the graves of the seven sisters, pick auspicious flowers to take home, and slowly, the "Flower Picking Festival" has become a unique way of celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival in Boyu. As a unique folk custom, "Flower Picking Festival" has slowly received attention from various aspects, and many scholars and tourists come to see it every year during the Dragon Boat Festival. The original "Flower Picking Festival" is organized by the villagers of each village on their own initiative, every three years the township government will be the village united to organize a large-scale "Flower Picking Festival". Today, the festival has become a folk event that integrates culture, economy, tourism, sports, religion and folklore.
Grabbing water: On the first day of the festival, people went to the nearby spring to drink water with both hands, or to take water home to wash their hair and bodies. Legend has it that on the day of the festival, the water in the spring has the power to eliminate disasters and diseases, and can bring good luck to people.
Flower Picking Festival
The end of the water grabbing activities, people began to prepare for the next day on the mountain flower picking, the parents of the family will be their daughters carefully dressed up, the beauty of the beautiful Tibetan maidens as beautiful as the sky. When the sun rises on the next day, people will send off the girls to the mountain, the girls sing the "farewell song" under the leadership of the leader to the mountain. The atmosphere on the road is lively, with people singing in the form of a question and answer session or singing the Upper Mountain Song. When they arrived at the Prickly Cane, the girls set up pots to cook, and the men put wooden knives, axes and arrows in the place where they worshiped the Flower God, praying that the Flower God would bless the wind and rain, and that the grains would be plentiful. Sacrifice is completed, picking flowers began. The girls and boys walked to the flowers in pairs, collecting the flowers and inserting them in the braids of the girls' hair. The next day, the people who went up the mountain sang the "Parting Song", and when they came down the mountain, the villagers were already waiting there, greeted by the women who sang the "Toast Song" as they toasted the girls who went up the mountain to pick flowers to wash their dust. The girls, in turn, sang the Song of Thanks for Wine. People danced the local Luo Luo dance to celebrate the festival.