TheDuanFestivalwaslistedinthefirstgroupofChina鈥檚NationalIntangibleCulturalHeritageListin2006.PEOPLEoftheShuiethnicgroup,withatotalpopulationofabout340,000,mainlyliveinsouthernandsoutheasternGuizhouProvince.AsmallnumberalsoliveinwesternGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegion.
Engagingmainlyinagriculture,theShuipeoplehavedevelopedtheirownlanguage,bothoralandwritten,andaspecialcalendar.TheShuicalendardividestheyearintofourseasonsand12months,basicallyinlinewiththetraditionallunarcalendarwidelyusedinChina.ThebiggestdifferenceisthattheyearoftheShuicalendarstartswiththeninthChineselunarmonthandendswiththeeighth.
TheDuanFestivalistheShuiNewYearcelebration,startingfromthe12thmonthoftheShuicalendar,ortheeighthmonthofthelunarcalendar.Theirgrandestfestival,itlasts49days,toaccommodateasmanyassevenbranchesofthecommunity鈥檚celebrationofthefestival.Theseven(oncenine)branchesfollowafixedorderofcelebration,whichmustbestrictlyfollowed.
TheDuanFestivalcelebratesharvestandalsomakesofferingstoancestors.In2006,theDuanFestivalwaslistedinthefirstgroupofChina鈥檚NationalIntangibleCulturalHeritageList.
Traditions
TheoriginsoftheDuanFestivalcloselyrelatetothehistoryoftheShui.TheyusedtoliveinGuangdongProvinceandGuangxiAutonomousRegion,butforsomereasonhadtomovenorthward.FollowingaleadernamedGongDeng,theyeventuallysettledinSandu(nowaShuiautonomouscounty).DifferentbranchesofthiscommunityspreadaroundtheSanduarea,andpromisedtomeetthreeyearslater.
Attheendofthethirdyear,everyonereturnedtoGongDeng鈥檚house,bringingwiththemcrops,vegetables,andfruits.Theysang,sharedfoodanddrink,andbeatdrums,celebratingtheirreunionandtheirnewlives.Theythenmadeitaconventiontogathertogetherandcelebrateattheendofeachyear.GraduallythisbecametheDuanFestivalannualgathering.
Asthefestivalnears,thewholecountyisinfusedwithexcitementandjoy.Eachhouseholdisbusywithpreparations鈥搕horoughcleaningofhomes,poundingofrice,makingricewine,grindingtofu,andcatchingfish.
OnNewYear鈥檚Eve,familymembersgatherforreuniondinnersandthesolemnritualofreveringancestors.Onasquaredinnertable,tablewareisplacedforeachmemberofthefamily,butthetotalsettingsshouldbeanoddnumber.Closetotheshrineareplacedaplateof鈥渇ishstuffedwithleeks,鈥漮neofstickyrice,andseveraloffruits.Eightemptychairsareplacedaroundthetable,awaitingthereturnofthesoulsofancestors.
Wheneverythingisprepared,allfamilymemberssittogethertoenjoydinner.YoungstersandchildreningroupsthenvisiteachhousetoringintheNewYearbybeatingdrumshunginthecourtyard.
Aroundmidnight,theeldestmaleinthefamilyleadsallmemberstoenjoythefoodofferedtoancestors,andreplenishescupswithwineandteaasnewofferings.Theeldestfemaleinthefamilysetsaspecialofferingtablebythestaircaseforsoulswithnowheretogoor鈥渉ungryghosts,鈥漚llowingthechildrentoenjoytheseofferings.
EarlymorningonNewYear鈥檚Day,eldersofthefamilyfirsttastethosefoodofferings.Thenfreshlycookedfishstuffedwithleeksandstickyriceareplacedonthealtar,andcupsarerefilledwithteaandwine.Thewholehousebrimswithafestiveatmosphere.
FishStuffedwithLeeks
AccordingtotheDuanFestivaltradition,vegetariandishesareservedonNewYear鈥檚EveandNewYear鈥檚Dayuntilthehorseraceisover.Theexception,however,isfishstuffedwithleeks,whichisalsoamustforofferingsaswellforservingguests.
FishstuffedwithleeksisthemostfamousShuidish.Eachfamilypreparesasmuchas30to50kgoffishfortheDuanFestival.Itissaidthatthisdishistopaytributetoancestorswhohadlittlefoodduringtheirlongmigration.
Cookingthisfishisdelicatework.Firstthefishiscutintotwo,theinsidescleaned,andredchili,leeksandguangcai(awildvegetable)areplacedinside.Thenthetwohalvesareputtogetherandwrappedinstraw.Thefishcanbestewed,steamed,orbraised,thelastthemostpopularmethod.
Theleeksandguangcaiareputatthebottomofaceramicurn,andthenalayerofchilies,followedbyalayeroffish,withsomehomemadericewinesprinkledonthefish.Thisentirelayeringprocessisrepeateduntilthepotisfull,andawoodenorbamboolidisthenplacedoverit.
Atthesametime,abigironwokisreadiedonthestove.Itisfilledwithwater,someseasoningisadded,andawoodenframeisplacedinthewok.Theurnisplacedontheframe,andthewokandurnarecoveredbyawoodenbarrel.Ittakesabout12hourstocompletethebraising.
WildleeksarealsoconsideredacommonmedicinalingredientbytheShui,mixedwithotherherbs,totreatsuchtraumasasfractures,bleeding,bruises,andotherinjuries.Anotherremedyistochopwildleeksandstewthemwitheggtokillroundworm.ContainingVitaminA,calcium,phosphorus,iron,andhighincellulose,wildleekscanregulateandstimulatethestomach,whilestimulatingtheappetite.Alongwiththenutritionalvalueofthefishitself,fishstuffedwithleeksisaveryhealthydish.ThehorseraceistheclimaxoftheDuanFestival.HorseRacing
Thehorserace,theclimaxoftheDuanFestival,isheldafterlunchonNewYear鈥檚Day.
Theeventalwaystakesplaceonachosenhillside,whichiscalledtheDuanSlopeorNewYearSlope.Peoplefromeveryvillageflocktoit,makingtheraceagreatopportunityforromance.
Asimpleancestorworshipingritualisheldbeforethehorserace.Itisperformedbyarespectedelderwho,holdingafullcupofwine,praysforasaferaceaswellasgoodweatherandharvestsinthenewyear.Aftertheritual,theeldermountsahorseandridesaround,markingthestartoftherace.
Theraceisuniqueforits鈥渏ostling.鈥漌henthestartinggungoesoff,dozensofhorsesraceforwardatthesametimetothetopoftheslope.Theridersspurtheirhorseswithwhips,accompaniedbycheersandapplausefromtheonlookers.Therearenojudgesappointedfortherace;instead,everyoneisthejudge.Theyallhailtheriderthatisfastestandbest,andregardhimastheherooftheday.
Aftertherace,friendsandrelativesreturnhometoenjoyfishstuffedwithleeks.Itisasleeplessnightfullofdrinking,dance,song,andthebeatingofdrumseverywhere.Thisjoyousandharmoniousatmospherelastsfortheentirefestiveperiod.
TheDuanFestival,withitsdistinctivefolkfeatures,istheworld鈥檚longest.ThehorseraceisauniquetraditionaleventfortheShuipeople,rarelyseeninotherpartsofthecountry.Manyothersuchfestiveactivitiesasthebullfightingdance,drumdanceandantiphonalsingingaddevenmorecolortothefestival.
(CompiledbyChinaToday)
AccordingtotheDuanFestivaltradition,vegetariandishesareservedonNewYear鈥檚EveandNewYear鈥檚Dayuntilthehorseraceisover.Theexception,however,isfishstuffedwithleeks.
Itisasleeplessnightfullofdrinking,dance,song,andthebeatingofdrumseverywhere.Thisjoyousandharmoniousatmospherelastsfortheentirefestiveperiod.