ROCK CLIMBING & CAVING

How Chinese Miao people celebrate their new year and other interesting holidays?

Who are the Miao?

Residing in the mountainous south and southwestern China, the Miao minority group have holidays in each month. They sing, dance, and prepare big meals to feast on with friends and neighbors. Holidays offer a good opportunity for young people to seek for their lovers. Girls are especially beautiful on such occasions, with their huge sets of silver jewelry and embroidered garments.

The Miao New Year

Because they follow the lunar calendar, the Miao New Year can come in September, October, or November. With the New Year coming, the Miao will give their house a thorough clean, and prepare some specific dishes like bean curd, sausage, like sticky rice paste. Women at this time will prepare new clothes for their family.

Everyone stays up until midnight on New Year's Eve, then they take dragons into their home by lighting firecrackers. After daybreak, they will hold a ceremony to worship their ancestors. A cow is regarded as an auspicious animal, so its nose will be put some wine to show that people respect it. After breakfast, people go to their neighbors' home to say: "Happy New Year!".

On the first two days of the New Year, people are not allowed to cut wood on the mountains, or do cleaning work at home. Women are liberated from housework like cooking, and men will cook for their family.

Girls dress up with beautiful silver ornaments and embroidered garments to go to meet the boys. Some young men will go to other villages on foot to join in different kinds of social activities.

The Miao New Year is over after nine exciting days. It's the golden time for young people to get married.

Huashan Festival

There are various Huashan, or “Flower Mountain,” festivals held in different Miao areas. Some are in August, and others are in January or May of the lunar calendar.

On that day, people will adorn a pole with colorful flags and place it at the center of a playground. On top of the pole is a red pouch with reward inside. A man declares the beginning of the festival, and a pole climbing game starts. The first man who climb to the top of the pole to catch the pouch, while playing Lusheng instrument, will have the reward. It's hard to climb a pole with playing an instrument at the same time! The pole is smooth, tall, and slender because it's made of peeled pine wood. The champion will be able to get the respect of other people, especially the single women.

The exciting bullfights and horse races are also held during this festival. Women show great interest in exhibiting their perfect sewing skills and the men are busy displaying their superior physical strength.

By singing love songs, youngsters will use this time to look for lovers. If they find someone they are interested in, they will give each other some presents, like a silver hairpin or waistband. Older people go to visit friends and exchange their ideas about farming. The festival lasts a whole day and ends in the late evening.

Sister Festival: Miao Valentine’s Day

The Miao Sister Festival is also called Miao Valentine’s Day, as it’s a holiday for single women to invite young men from other villages to meet. The festival occurs in mid-March on the lunar calendar.

On March 13th, girls go to select some particular leaves and flowers growing in the mountains to dye their food. They then prepare sweet and colorful glutinous rice. There are five different colors mixed together in the rice. Blue typifies wealth, yellow stands for a good harvest, white indicates their true and pure love, green means their pretty hometown, and red hopes their village will go for prosperity.

The second day they go to fish mountain streams. In the afternoon, they go to buy some duck and duck eggs to prepare a great meal. The duck is indispensable to their meal, because a duck can swim which implies the girls' freedom to see men from the other side of the river.

When the men come in the evening, they will eat together while chat to exchange their ideas. The girls will be sure to wear their most beautiful silver jewelry like silver bracelets, as this is a symbol of beauty and status in Miao culture.

The holiday lasts four days until March 17th. Various games and activities are held during this time, like horse races, bullfights, song competitions, and so on.

A basket of fish, meat and glutinous rice will be sent to the men by the girls before the men go back to their home. They may put some special things in the basket to tell how they feel about the men. Cotton means they will miss the men who go back home. A pack of pine leaves suggests that they want men to send them some needles and thread as present. Pepper or garlic means the relationship won't work out.

When the men come to visit again the next year, they will bring the girls some silk in these baskets.

Dragon Boat Festival

The Dragon Boat Festival falls on May 5 of the lunar calendar, and thousands of people gather together to watch the exciting boat races. The competing teams row their boats in the shape of dragons on a river or lake, while drums are beat and loud firecrackers are set off from the banks.

April 8 Festival

The April 8th festival is held to remember the Miao’s hero Yanu, who died on this day while fighting against an invading tribe. The Miao will get together to hold traditional activities like playing Lusheng music, singing, and performing the lion dance.

Climbing South Sister 2010