About Guangxi

Dong

(chinaculture.org)
Updated: 2009-08-13 11:02

Dawuliang Singing Party

It is the song party held by the Dongs of the Tongdao Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province and those in other areas. The Dongs' calendar is based on the 12 branches, a Center Day every ten days. The Singing Party is held on the Grand Center Day, around 18 days prior to the beginning of the summer. It lasts three days.

According to the custom, once upon a time, there was a young man named Menlong in Guzhou (today's Rongjiang River area in Guizhou Province). He fell in love with a girl. They often dated in Liangmeng. Later, they kept secret love-promises and went to Guzhou. As they arrived at the Yatunpu River, Menlong, carrying his lover on his back, fell into the water because of a false step. And then they were whirled by flood. After their death, both turned into two big stones and erected near the river where they fell victims. Since then, no matter how high the flood rises, the stone's peak is never submerged. At last, the Dongs yearn towards the young couple and gather together at their dating place generation after generation. It has evolved to today's Dawuliang Singing Party.

The word Dawuliang is the toponym, and it is named in Dong language Liangmeng. It is of the picturesque scenery. During the song party, boys and girls in groups show up on the way to Dawuliang, and block the way to invite the other side to sing in antiphonal style. This is considered as the sinfonia of the singing party. When both parties enjoy singing to their heart's content, they go to the high mountain together and take part in the singing party. After people have returned from the hill, the aftersound still lingers in the neighboring villages. The boys pay visits to the girls outside their homes. The girls set 12 wood sticks as roadblocks. The boys are not allowed to pass until they have correctly responded 12 songs. Afterward, the boys are invited to the girls' homes and they start the singing party around the fireplace over night.

The Dawuliang Sing Party is also regarded as the local articles exchange fair, where people can sing on a hill and go shopping in the fair on the piedmont. In the shops and booths, full of beautiful things, a great variety of commodities are displayed. The participants of the Dongs, Miaos, Zhuangs, Yaos and Hans come to the fair from Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces in groups. They are huge crowds of people. Standing or hunkering, boys and girls sing in antiphonal style. The lyric is about a wide range of subjects, the singing sounds distinct and melodious. Peoples of different minorities exchange products they need and shop there. When the sun sets, people drop off with gladness and wares they purchased.

-- Mulberry-Leaves Picking Festival

It is a traditional program of the Dongs in Xiaoguang of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It falls on April 8 of each lunar year, but it is also celebrated in April 4 by the Dongs in some other places.

According to the custom, long ago, a young man in Xiaoguang herded cattle and sang on a slope. His song was so elegant that he attracted a girl who picked mulberry-leaves on the hill. She began to sing with him in antiphonal style. Day after day, they fell in love with each other. As the girl raised many silkworms, and the mulberry-leaves she had picked did not meet the demand. So she led a group of girls to collect mulberry-leaves on April 8. Aware of this, the boy also called on some fellows to help. They talked and sang while collecting. When the work was finished, the girls caught fish in a river as thanks for their help. When they parted, they felt that it was the happiest day they had ever spent. Since then, they had gathered together to sing. Day after day, the number of the participants increased, which shaped a festival.

On the festival, men and women dress up, and pretend to go to the mountain to pick mulberry leaves. In fact, they do so for singing and dating. When both of them fall in love, they have an intimate talk in the wood, and do not get back until the sun sets.

Winter Festival

In lunar November, whatever their names are, many landlords celebrate this festival, which are from the Dong's villages near Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces. But for some landlords, only those whose family name is Yang celebrate it, which is referred to the Yang Festival or Chiyang. Once it is celebrated on November 1 of the lunar calendar, it is called Chuyi Yang. They term their father as Ya (or Yai). To celebrate the festival on November 6 is called Chuliu Yang. They call their father Pu. In some regions, each family celebrates one day from the 1stto 9thof lunar November. In some areas of Guizhou Province, people celebrate it in turn from lunar November 1 to 31 so that each family could junket with their friends and relatives.

During the festival, what is omnipresent is to grind sticky rice for making the Zamba cakes. Besides, chooks and ducks are slain to serve on the table with the Chongyang wine. They taste the Hehua fish (a kind of cyprinoid) made in the time of harvesting the early paddy. Some people slaughter swine and sheep to treat their friends and relatives. People do not work in the field on the festival. They take a rest, have coshery and entertain themselves. For the areas where the Dong's Year is celebrated, the married daughters and son-in-laws will go back to their parents' homes to pay the New Year's call. The bull fighting is also held in some regions.

Forest King Festival

On the 1stday of the June of the Dai calendar, the Dongs in Zhaimu of Jinping County in Guizhou Province celebrate the Forest King Festival.

People from Zhaimu celebrate the festival at the Chen time. The Dong villages in the neighborhood do it in the Yi time. During the festival, the large sticky rice cakes are made. They are as big as human's arms. The Forest King Festival is a very important local festival after the Spring Festival. On the occasion, each family prepares the sticky rice cakes, meat and wine under the old maple trees to worship the Forest King. Once the guests pay visits, they have to go to worship under the maple trees. All people, old or young, gather together under the trees to sing the Old Song of Forest King. One leads a chorus and others follow him. After singing, the elder will recite the story of the Forest King.

Yeheng Festival

In lunar December, young men and girls invite love-song masters to teach them how to sing, perform operas, and play Lusheng. From lunar January 2 or 4 to 15 or 31, they visit friends and relatives. Before the visits, people will have a notification sent to the counterpart village, and stand in a line in front of the Xianmu Altar and sing the Goddess Song, praying for a successful visit. The disciples and remarks will be made prior to the departure. The visiting group includes the Lusheng team, twin singers, singers in chorus, the Ye Song team, Dong drama troupe as well as participating people. Among them, the young people are in majority.

The players of Lusheng team wear various bird feather clothes, insert bird feathers and silver badges on their heads, full of antique flavor.

When the Yehengnian Team passes by a village, it plays the Pass-by Village Tone for greeting: As it arrives at the host village, it plays the Village Entrance Tone. The village master will receive the guests outside the village. The hosts set roadblock on the way by the spinning wheel, fir wood, paddy, hencoop and windmill. They sing the Block Way Song when the guests perform the Free Way Song. Both sing in antiphonal style. Once a question is correctly answered, a block will be removed. When all questions get the right answers, the road is cleared. The guests are met to the village and led to the Drum Tower Ground. Both Lusheng teams play and dance together. After the Singing Party, the singing team will perform Blessing Song. The next item is juveniles making elocntes.

When the village entry ceremony is finished, the guests will be invited to dine and stay over for three days. In the daytime, they hold entertainments such as Lusheng contests and Dong dramas; and they play shuttlecocks. At night, they organize collective entertainments. The midnight snack is soup made of the cole seed oil or sweet conjee made of sweet-scented osmanthus.

On the final day, the Laye feast is held in the drum tower. All families of the village carry their tables and combine to make up a long one. Every family offers wine and sticky rice to compose a feast. The hosts and guests enjoy themselves together. They sing and drink to wish a bumper harvest in the coming year. Before departure, the Lusheng Team plays the Valediction Tone. The village master sings the Road-Block Song to detain the guests, and the latter perform the Free Way Song to say good-bye, though they are reluctant to leave. The friendly sworn villages are formed between the villages. They exchange visits every year and their friendship last for generations.