The year of Miao

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: the year of Miao

Applicant: Leishan County, Guizhou Province

Item No.: 990

Project No.: Ⅹ - 83

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Guizhou Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Leishan County, Guizhou Province

Protection unit: Leishan County Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

Introduction to Miao Nian

Applicant: Leishan County, Guizhou Province

The Miao new year is the Miao new year, which is usually held after the autumn harvest and the end of a year's agricultural work. The first purpose of passing the Miao new year is to commemorate Chiyou, the ancestor of the Miao nationality, who was killed in the tribal war more than 5000 years ago. The second is to celebrate the harvest of a year's labor. The third is to offer sacrifices to the ancestral gods and the maple, bamboo, rock mother, water well and so on, which the Miao nationality regards as the protection gods.

The year of Miao is the most important festival in Qingshui River and Duliu River Valley of Guizhou Province. Since ancient times, the Miao people in this area have been using the Miao calendar, which is different from the Han Chinese lunar calendar. In order to celebrate the Miao new year, different Miao villages can become the center of festival Carnival in different years.

The Miao new year is the end of the Miao family's labor and the beginning of their happiness. During the Miao new year, people come from villages to welcome me, killing New Year's pig, making glutinous rice cake, offering sacrifices to ancestors, eating reunion dinner, drinking village wine, and dancing Lusheng dance. In some areas, bullfighting, bird fighting, singing competitions and other activities are held. One after another, Lusheng Festival after another, and the joy lasts until the "drum turning" in early spring and February Section.

In Danzhai county and its surrounding counties and cities of Guizhou Province, the four sub branches of the Miao "ganao" branch had the custom of the year of Miao. Among them, "you" branch mainly lives in the north of Danzhai, the south of Kaili and the east of Majiang, "Gong" branch mainly lives in Danzhai, the south of Kaili and some areas of Jianhe, Taijiang, Huangping and Majiang, "white-collar Miao" branch mainly lives in the south of Danzhai and the north of Sandu, "Qingjiang Miao" branch mainly lives in the west of Leishan and the east of Danzhai.

With the all-round development of social economy, the process of rural urbanization is accelerating, people's living standards have been greatly improved, and the people's expectations for the festival have gradually weakened. The younger generation who come out of the Miao village do not go home during the new year of Miao, so the festival atmosphere of the new year of Miao is greatly weakened, which leads to the decline of the traditional festivals and customs of the whole new year of Miao, which needs to be protected and revitalized.