The year of the Yi people

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

Applicant: Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province

Project No.: 1204

Project No.: Ⅹ - 129

Time of publication: 2011 (the third batch)

Category: folk customs

Region: Sichuan Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province

Protection unit: Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture Intangible Cultural Heritage Protection Center

A brief introduction to the year of the Yi people:

Applicant: Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province

The year of the Yi people, known as "Kushi" in Yi language, is a festival of sacrifice and celebration, which integrates many folk matters, such as ancestor worship, entertainment, clothing system and so on. It is distributed in Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi. It will be held on an auspicious day around November 20 every year. Liangshan year of the Yi people is mainly popular in 17 counties (cities) including Butuo, Meigu, Zhaojue, Ganluo and Xide, among which Zhaojue, Meigu, Butuo and Xide are the most representative and characteristic counties.

The year of the Yi nationality originated from the sacrificial activities of the ancient Yi people. The earliest record of Yi nationality's year in Han literature is Tang Dynasty. In the period of Nanzhao, Puxin's xinghuijie had the characteristics of "feeling extremely xinghuijie without feeling the end of time". Yuan Chang is of one mind, and his son and grandson can Yijue. It is also recorded in Yuxi chronicle of the Five Dynasties that December 16 was the Star Festival of Nanzhao

The year of the Yi nationality is a living witness of the ancient civilization and ancestor worship of the Yi nationality, which shows their respect for their ancestors. The thoughts and ideas of bumper crops, prosperous animals, safe people, respecting the old and loving the young, happiness and peace are fully reflected in the festival. The rich and complicated folk customs of the Yi people reflect the Yi People's history and culture, economic life, human relations norms, customs and etiquette, clothing customs, aesthetic taste, taboos and many other cultural contents. Through these simple and vivid life scenes and humanistic information inherited from ancient times, we can explore the track of Yi People's economic and social development and cultural and historical changes, which is of great value to the study of religion, anthropology, folklore, sociology and other humanities.