The Water Splashing Festival is actually the Dai New Year, one of the grandest traditional festivals in Xishuangbanna, which is usually held in the middle of June of the Dai Calendar (that is, about ten days before and after the Lunar Qingming Festival) and lasts for a period of three to four days. It is usually held for three days from April 13 to 15 on the solar calendar.
Origin
The Dai Water Festival, also known as the "Bathing Buddha Festival", the Dai language known as "Bimai" (meaning New Year), the Dai people in the Dehong region of Xishuangbanna, also known as this festival for the "Shanhan" and "Shangji", the two names are derived from the Sanskrit language, which means that the turnover, change and transfer of the sun has been in the twelve zodiacal houses run 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 Brahmin ritual, later absorbed by Buddhism, about the end of the twelfth century to the beginning of the thirteenth century A.D. through the Myanmar 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.
Second, the legend
On the origin of the Water Splashing Festival, there is such a vivid legend: a long time ago, in the area where the Dai people live, there was a brutal demon king, who did no harm, burned, killed, robbed, raped and defiled women everywhere, making the crops not harvested, and people's hearts were restless, and people did not have enough to live. People suffered from his cruelty, hate him to the bone, but no one can kill him.
The devil has 6 wives, but he is still not satisfied, and snatched a beautiful and clever girl. These 7 girls saw their compatriots living a miserable life and were determined to find a way to destroy the devil. The clever one hated the devil in her heart, but on the surface she didn't show her face, pretending to be very close to the devil. One night, the devil king from outside to snatch back many treasures and slaves, she took advantage of the devil king happy not to be prepared to try to find out with the devil king hair can strangle the devil king's secret. So, in the dead of night, while the demon king was sleeping, the girl quietly pulled out a hair of the demon king and strangled the demon king's neck. In a few moments, the devil's head rolled to the ground, but as soon as the head hit the ground, the ground burst into flames. Seeing that it would become a disaster, the girls immediately picked up the head, and the fire was extinguished. But wherever the devil's head rolled, there was a disaster; thrown into the river, the river flooded; buried in the ground, everywhere the stench of heaven, only the devil's wife held to be safe.
In order to avoid the disaster scourge of the people, the girls will take turns to hold the devil's head, one person to hold a day. A day in the sky, equal to a year on the ground, every year the girls rotate the day, that is, the Dai New Year, the Dai people with admiration for the girls, to hold the head of the girl splash water, in order to wash away the body of the blood stains and adult fatigue, as a kind of blessing to wash the dirt and purify the body.
Later, the Dai people in honor of the seven brave women, on this day every year to splash water on each other, since the formation of the Dai people to celebrate the old and welcome the new grand festival - Water Festival.
Three, the main activities
The Dai Water Festival lasts for three to four days. The first day is "Mai Day", which is similar to the New Year's Eve of the lunar calendar, and is called "Wan Duoshanghan" in Dai language, meaning sending the old. At this time, people have to tidy up their houses, clean up, and prepare for 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, it is "empty day"; the third day is called "MaiPaYa evening horse", it is said that this MaiPaYa evening horse of the spirit of the new calendar to return to earth with the day, the people used to be regarded as the day of the king of the day to come, is the Dai calendar of the New Year's Day.
To the festival, the Dai men, women and children will put on festive 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 in full 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 Duohua string smile, Water Festival has become a sea of joy.
The content of the festival, in addition to splashing water, there are catching pendulum, dragon boat racing, bathing Buddha, chanting, Zhangha singing, cockfighting, dancing peacock dance, white elephant dance, throwing bags, put Gaoxiang, release the lanterns and other folk activities, as well as other artistic performances, economic and trade exchanges.
1, Water Festival "blessing": Bathing Buddha
In the "Mai Day", early in the morning, people have to pick flowers and green leaves to the Buddhist temple offerings, and bring water to the "Bathing Buddha" - for the statue of the Buddha to wash the dust." Bathing Buddha" finished, collective mutual water splashing began. A group of young men and women with a variety of containers of water, gushing out of the streets and alleys, chasing and playing, splashing everyone." Water flower release, Daijia crazy", "splash wet all over, happiness for life"! Symbolizing good luck, happiness, health, a flower in the air bloomed, people splashed to their heart's content, laughter, soaked to the skin, interest in the high ......
2, the Water Festival "love": throw the bag
The Water Festival is also a good time for unmarried young men and women to seek love and cultivate happiness. During the Water Festival, the Dai unmarried young men and women like to do "throwing bags" game. The flower bag crafted with flower cloth in the girl's hand is a token of love. Throwing package day, the girls dress up as much as they can, and then hit the flower umbrella, carrying a small flower package to the "package field", and the lads are divided into two sides, 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.
3, the water festival "power": dragon boat
Dragon boat race is one of the most exciting projects of the water festival, often in the water festival "Mai Paya 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 and colorful dragon boat, the boat sits dozens of sturdy sailors, the horn, ready to start the dragon boat like an arrow flying forward, at once the whole river, drums, gongs, trumpets, cheers, one after another, sound corresponding to the festive atmosphere here reached a climax ......
4, the Water Festival" Dance": Elephant's Foot Dance and Peacock Dance
The Dai people are good at singing and dancing, and the Water Splashing Festival is naturally full of dances. Large-scale dances are mainly arranged on the third day of the Water Splashing Festival, such as the Elephant Foot Dance and 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 many dancers to show off their own improvisation, some sing and dance, some even dance and drink, such as intoxicated, wild and unrestrained, jumping for several days and nights also do not know how to get tired.
5, the Water Festival "Gao Sheng": put Gao Sheng and Kongming Lantern
Put Gao Sheng is the Water Festival is another reserved program. Gao Sheng is a kind of fireworks made by the Dai people, the bottom of the bamboo poles filled with gunpowder and other ingredients, placed on the bamboo built into a high frame, connected to the fuse, often burned 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. Gao Sheng flying higher and farther away from the village, people also feel more colorful, more auspicious.
Playing 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 large "balloon", 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.
Fourth, the value of heritage
The Water Festival is a comprehensive stage to show the traditional culture of Dai water culture, music and dance culture, food culture, dress culture and folk veneration, etc. It is an important window to study the history of Dai people, and has a high academic value. The artistic performances such as Zhangha and White Elephant Dance displayed at the Water Splashing Festival can give people artistic enjoyment and help them understand the national characteristics of the Dai people, such as their sense of nature, love of water and respect for Buddha, and gentleness and serenity. At the same time, the festival is also an important link to strengthen the unity of the people of all ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna, and has played a positive role in promoting the social, economic and cultural development of Xishuangbanna and Southeast Asian countries.
The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage, on May 20, 2006, the folklore approved by the State Council included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage list.