The GuZang Festival is a great occasion for the Miao people to worship their ancestors. They sacrifice bulls, beat drums, and hold other exciting ceremonies. In the Chinese language, the word Gu means a bull, while Zang means viscera of an animal. The festival only happens once every 13 years, at end of September or November.
One of the most important part of the festival is beating drums. A Miao drum is crafted with maple wood. People use cowhide to cover both ends of the drum. The Miao think the soul of their ancestors exists in this huge drum. So during the festival, they beat the drum very loudly to wake up their ancestors, who take part in their exciting worshiping ceremony.
The Miao use two different types of drums for their festival: double drums and single drums. The double drums comprise two identical drums which are 170 cm long and 30 cm in diameter. The double drums are usually kept by a couple who has been married for a long time but doesn't have a child. They believe worshiping the double drums can bring them children. On the day of festival, the double drums are taken out and used for the ceremony.
The single drum is smaller than the double drums. The Miao make a new single drum for each GuZang festival. After the festival is over, the single drum is left in a cave until it rots.
In the August before a GuZang festival, people take the old single drum out of the cave and hold a praying ceremony. Then they start to make a new single drum.
An elderly man is selected as the leader, who presides over the worshiping ceremony a full two years before the festival! This man is in charge of choosing the sacred bulls. The sacred bulls can't be used for farming, and they are fed carefully until the ceremony.
During the festival the leader in a unique costume is most noticeable. He wears violet clothes, with a few dried fish tied up around his head. This reveals that their ancestors ever dwelt in along the Yangtze river in east China and made a living on fishing.
On the first few days of the festival, people sing, dance, and hold numerous banquets to feast friends, neighbors, and relatives. Anyone who visits their village is warmly welcomed! They have meat and bean curd, but they can't eat vegetables. The festival lasts 13 days.
There are a few more things you absolutely must know about the Miao GuZeng festival, so visit my website below!
One of the most important part of the festival is beating drums. A Miao drum is crafted with maple wood. People use cowhide to cover both ends of the drum. The Miao think the soul of their ancestors exists in this huge drum. So during the festival, they beat the drum very loudly to wake up their ancestors, who take part in their exciting worshiping ceremony.
The Miao use two different types of drums for their festival: double drums and single drums. The double drums comprise two identical drums which are 170 cm long and 30 cm in diameter. The double drums are usually kept by a couple who has been married for a long time but doesn't have a child. They believe worshiping the double drums can bring them children. On the day of festival, the double drums are taken out and used for the ceremony.
The single drum is smaller than the double drums. The Miao make a new single drum for each GuZang festival. After the festival is over, the single drum is left in a cave until it rots.
In the August before a GuZang festival, people take the old single drum out of the cave and hold a praying ceremony. Then they start to make a new single drum.
An elderly man is selected as the leader, who presides over the worshiping ceremony a full two years before the festival! This man is in charge of choosing the sacred bulls. The sacred bulls can't be used for farming, and they are fed carefully until the ceremony.
During the festival the leader in a unique costume is most noticeable. He wears violet clothes, with a few dried fish tied up around his head. This reveals that their ancestors ever dwelt in along the Yangtze river in east China and made a living on fishing.
On the first few days of the festival, people sing, dance, and hold numerous banquets to feast friends, neighbors, and relatives. Anyone who visits their village is warmly welcomed! They have meat and bean curd, but they can't eat vegetables. The festival lasts 13 days.
There are a few more things you absolutely must know about the Miao GuZeng festival, so visit my website below!
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Author C. Liu has been studying sterling silver jewelry, for years. She occasionally promotes the work of select silversmiths. Go to her website to see great examples of fine silver jewelry.
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