Miao Tiaoxiang Festival, with a long history, is one of the three most representative sacrificial activities of the Miao ethnic group in Xiangxi. It expresses the gratitude of Miao people to their ancestors and gods after the harvest, and wishes for good weather, abundant harvests, and national prosperity and peace in the coming year.
The event was centered on the sacrifice activity, and villagers from the county and surrounding areas dressed in ethnic costumes presented various ethnic performances such as Miao harvest drum dance, Tiaoxiang dance, folk songs, Miao songs, three-stick drum dance, bamboo-pole dance, and agricultural walking show. All these were created and directed by villagers. The original song and dance performances ignited the on-site atmosphere, pushing the event to a climax.
“I came early this morning from Jishou specifically to participate in the festival. It was a worthwhile trip, and I will come next time,” said a resident of Jishou, who drove for more than an hour for the event.
Yantouzhai Town, mainly inhabited by Miao people, has rich folk activities, and the Tiaoxiang festival is a tradition here.
This year, Yantouzhai Town has produced over 5,000 kilograms of Tidu tribute rice, and increased the production of organic tea and free-range chickens by more than 20%, driving the surrounding villagers to increase their income.
An official of the town said that the festival is a national festival to celebrate the harvest and express gratitude, a window to showcase the happy lives of villagers, and a link between cultural inheritance and rural revitalization. Yantouzhai Town will continue efforts to explore diverse transformation paths between culture and agriculture, tourism, intangible cultural heritage, art, as well as festivals, to make culture a powerful engine to promote rural revitalization.
The festival in the town usually falls in early October of the lunar calendar, and the time to celebrate it varies from village to village. With the development of society, this traditional festival, endowed with more significance by the times, has developed into a grand gathering for people of all ethnic groups in the border areas to exchange and learn from each other.
Chinese source: voc
