Yifan festival of Mulao Nationality

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Yifan festival of Mulao Nationality

Applicant: Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Item No.: 464

Project No.: Ⅹ - 16

Time of publication: 2006 (the first batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Type: new item

Applicant: Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Protected by: cultural center of Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County

Yifan festival of Mulao Nationality

Applicant: Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Mulao people mainly live in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and call themselves "Ling" and "Jin". Yifan Festival is a unique traditional festival of Mulao nationality, with a strong color of gratitude and wish. Yifan Festival is also known as "joy wish" and "Yifan Lord", which means "return a wish to ancestors".

There are two legends about the origin of Yifan Festival. First, it is said that the Mulao ancestor was released in the middle of the night with the sympathy of the guards Liang and Wu when he was in prison for committing a crime. But it was dark that night, and there were pursuers behind. At the critical moment, I suddenly saw a girl in white, leading a white horse to help. The ancestor rode away from danger. After the first ancestor made his fortune, he did not forget the kindness of Liang, Wu and Baima, and designated the day of death as "Yifan Festival". Second, it is said that during the reign of emperor Tianxi of Song Dynasty, mulaoshan township was invaded by foreign enemies. Liang and Wu led the villagers to fight fiercely and died bravely. In the fourth year of Jiaxi reign, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty appointed Liang and Wu officials, and built niches. It was stipulated that every year of Hai, Mao and the end of the reign, he would ask the master of the three Yuan Dynasty to pray for God's blessing, for the safety of human beings and animals, and for a bumper harvest of grain.

Three times every 10 years, Mulao people choose auspicious days at the beginning of winter in the lunar calendar. Taking the so-called "winter" in Mulao people's living area as a unit, they hold a grand and sacred Yifan festival in their ancestral halls and carry out devout sacrificial activities. The whole activity lasted for one day and one night, and consisted of seven procedures: setting up the altar, inviting saints, ordering animals, persuading saints, singing brother Niu, joining forces and sending saints. During the festival, the whole village is jubilant. Men, women, old and young celebrate the harvest together, share the joy, and wish each other a bumper harvest and prosperity in the coming year.

Yifan Festival is unique to Mulao people and is the crystallization of Mulao people's long-term belief and customs. It embodies the essence of Mulao culture and becomes an important symbol of Mulao culture. At present, many traditional folk customs of Mulao people are weakening day by day, the cultural space of Yifan Festival is gradually shrinking, and there is no successor, which needs to be rescued and protected.