Speaking of the New Year, the first thing I think about is the Spring Festival. Every year, dragons, flights and phoenixes dance, firecrackers are singing together. It's very lively to welcome the new year except the old one. However, we are a multi-ethnic country. As early as the first day of October of the lunar calendar, the Qiang people in the depths of Aba Dashan began to celebrate the Qiang Festival for 3-5 days, and some villages had to celebrate it until the tenth day of October.
The Qiang people, originating from the ancient Qiang people, are one of the oldest nationalities in the family of Chinese nationalities. Most of them live in the Western Alpine or semi-mountainous areas. They call themselves "Erma" or "Erka", and they are called "the people on clouds". The Qiang people believed in all things to be spiritual and worshipped white stones from ancient times, and expressed their respect for heaven by offering sacrifices to mountains. They also hoped that the God Mu Bita would bestow on the people the prosperity of cattle and sheep and the prosperity of grain in the coming year.
Qiang ethnic group
Alcun is located in the deep mountains of Longxi Township in Wenchuan County. In the Qing Dynasty Wenzhi Jiluo, it is called "Qiangji, the extinction of birds, the first line of Zhongtong, and the road is not allowed to drive". It is not only a centralized residence of the southern Qiang people, but also a Qiang village with primitive and perfect customs and inheritance culture, and the "original taste" of the Qiang people's intangible cultural heritage, as well as the interpretation of the Qiang people's non-material cultural heritage. The place of inheritance. When we first met Al village, we were shocked. It was surrounded by mountains, and only a mountain road meandered along the mountain. It was not difficult to imagine how difficult the traffic was and how inconvenient it was to get in and out of this place in the past. It is also because of its isolation from the world that it has the original flavor of today. The Qiang people's houses built on the hills lie quietly in the mountains, smoke rises, and the sound of festive sheepskin drums spreads in the distance, breaking the tranquility of a mountain shop. By the way, today is the mountain sacrifice meeting in the village of Al.
Shibi wore a monkey cap, Rosary beads, holding a battle of gods and sheepskin drums, singing epics with sheepskin drums, praying for the people of the clan through their specific ways, conveying the wishes of the gods of heaven. Liquor was opened by the respected elders of Zhai Zhongde. According to custom, during the festival, the whole village people would light a campfire, jump up Sharon, eat reunion dinner, and drink until the end of the festival. The sacrificial offerings of the Mountain Festival are usually sheep, dogs and chickens slaughtered, as well as sun steamed buns and moon steamed buns made of flour.
After the sacrifice of mountain gods, the special literary performances of villages and villages made people bright. As early as in the early primitive society, people in the mountains did not have any recreational ways. While working, they also created many interesting folk songs and dances, which were presented one by one in the venue. They had to marvel at the wisdom of the ancients.
From Alcun to Wenchuan County, everyone can feel the warm festival atmosphere everywhere. Guozhuang Square is crowded with people. In the warm winter sun, Ginkgo biloba leaves are shining golden yellow. Qiang people dressed in festive costumes are singing and dancing. Passers-by, visitors who come and admire them, all gather to applaud.
Next to the West Qiang Cultural Street, although there are no crowds of people in Guozhuang Square, it also has its own secrets. The whole street is a display of Qiang folk culture inheritance, such as Qiang flute, linen production, Qiang oral chords, sheepskin inspiration, embroidery and so on.