On August 7, which marks the beginning of autumn, the Miao Ganqiu Festival was held at the Biancheng Chadong Scenic Area and Pailiao Village in Shuanglong Town, Huayuan County, Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. More than 20,000 Miao people dressed in festive costumes participated in the festival.
The intangible cultural heritage projects such as Miao drum dances, Miao costume shows, and Miao ancient songs were staged to welcome autumn.
The Miao Ganqiu Festival was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage item in 2006, and included in the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016 as an important component of the 24 solar terms.
The Miao people are hardworking and have been engaged in farming for generations. They worship the God of Cereals. A grand sacrifice ceremony was held on the day to pray for good weather, abundant harvests, and prosperous industries.
Autumn harvest is one of the greatest joys of the Miao people. On the site, Miao songs, Miao martial arts, and dragon and lion dances were performed in turns. 20 Miao women holding cyan umbrellas performed movements of a dragon turning over. The teenagers presented an exciting martial arts performance.
The Miao unique skills like the fire-breathing show and swallowing bamboo sticks received applause and cheers from the audience.
On the stalls outside, there were a dazzling array of characteristic intangible cultural heritage products such as Miao ethnic costumes, Miao silver jewelry, wax printing artworks, and Miao medicine.
“Ganqiu is a part of culture accumulated and developed by the Miao people in thousands of years of life and production,” said Wu Haishen, a national representative inheritor of the Miao Ganqiu.
Wu Haishen, 78 years old, arrived at the site at 6 a.m. “Ganqiu Festival is my lifelong career,” he said. He felt relieved to watch younger generations performing on the stage to celebrate this festival.
In order to better inherit the tradition of Ganqiu Festival, he studied computers, compiled relevant materials into books, and provided training for tourists. Nowadays, he has more than 70 apprentices, with the youngest being only 15 years old. Through oral communication, data transmission, and practical guidance, he has given everything he has learned throughout his life.
Liu Yani, a member of Miao Opera Troupe in Huayuan County, was responsible for the stage scheduling of this event. “As Huayuan people, we have a greater responsibility to protect, inherit, and promote the Miao Ganqiu Festival,” she said. The Miao Opera Troupe has made efforts to promote the culture of Ganqiu through various forms.
Wen Huibao, a photography enthusiast, came from Changde City specially to take more photos of this Miao cultural activity in Biancheng Chadong and Pailiao Village.
Nowadays, there are 2 million people in the border areas of Hunan, Hubei, Chongqing, and Guizhou greeting the Miao Ganqiu Festival together. The festival has become an important carrier for promoting ethnic unity, progress, and communication.
