About Bai nationality

Since ancient times, the ancestors of the Bai nationality have lived together with the ancestors of the brotherly nationalities in southwest China and have close contacts with Southeast Asian countries. To this end, the brothers have more than 60 different names for the Bai nationality. The Han people call the Bai nationality "Goucuo" (actually the Chinese translation of the white language Godmipzi- Erhaizi and Kunmingzi), "Jia Min" and "Seven surnames" (the appellation of Guizhou people); Most Tibetan and Burmese people call themselves Bai, which means "Tiger" or "White Tiger". Xishuangbanna calls the Bai people "river" (the "river" of Erhai Lake). However, whether it is the southern dialect represented by Dali, the central dialect represented by Jianchuan, or the northern dialect represented by Bijiang and Lanping, Bai dialect claims to be extremely unified, calling it Baiphox (White Gang), Geilho (Chicken Family) or BaipziBaipyvnx (Bai Zi White Girl).

The Bai people and the aborigines around Erhai Lake include Kun, Zuo, Bai, Wu, Saburo, Wu and He, as well as Yunnan Bo in east Yunnan and Cong Man in middle Yunnan. In the long history of thousands of years, due to historical reasons such as exploration, land expansion, commerce, stationing troops to defend the border, Bian Jiang, Chu people, Shu people (including Miao Yao and Baiyue), a large number of Han people in the north and south, and some brothers in the "Thirty-Seven" in the province have been merged together, thus diversifying the ethnic origin of the Bai people.

Two festivals,

The main festivals of Bai nationality are New Year's Day, March Street, Around the Three Souls, Torch Festival, Going to the Sea and Watching the Sun. Like the Han nationality, Qingming Festival, Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival are also celebrated. Among them, "March Street" and "Torch Festival" are famous for their distinctive features. ?

the Spring Festival; Chinese New Year

The Bai people living in Bijiang, Yunnan have their own unique calendar. They decide the seasons according to the growth of trees. When the peach blossoms are in bud, this is their March, and when the leaves of sumac trees grow to five inches, this is May ... In this way, they regard a year as thirteen months, not twelve months.

March and March are their rest months in a year. March is March Festival, and March is China New Year. However, there is only one day for Chinese New Year, which is not fixed. It is agreed by the old people of all clans in the village every year. On the morning after the New Year was decided, the whole village, led by the prestigious old people, held a tree sacrifice ceremony under the big tree in Zhaitou with homemade rice wine and glutinous rice cakes, wishing good weather, prosperous livestock and bumper crops in the coming year. After the memorial service, people will first pay New Year greetings to the old people, and then exchange New Year's wine and Baba. ...

After the memorial service, everyone went back to kill Nianzhu. If it is agreed that cook the meat is the partner to eat on this day, the pig slayer will take out one-tenth of the meat and cook it for everyone. If you don't eat together, the family that kills pigs should also give the pork to those who don't raise pigs to show solidarity and friendship.

march street

March Street: Known as Guanyin City or Guanyin Club in ancient times, it has a history of 1000 years. The annual summer calendar is held in March at the foot of Zhonghe Peak in Cangshan, western Dali. The content of the festival was originally a Buddhist temple fair, with a grand lecture and worship activities. This is a traditional festival of the Bai people, which is held every year at the foot of Zhonghe Peak in Dali and in the open space beside the Xi Zhong River. During the "March Street", businessmen from thousands of miles away and neighboring counties came from all directions to participate in the transaction. There are all kinds of goods in the market, from medicinal materials to food, furniture and livestock. It is the largest commodity trading gathering place in western Yunnan.

It is said that a long time ago, there was a tyrant who wanted to live forever. He listened to a follower's words and ate a couple of people's eyes every day, which brought profound disasters to the local Bai people. At that time, there was a warrior full of magical power. One day in March, he tricked the tyrant into the foothills of Cangshan Mountain and Fengfeng Mountain, called a god dog to bite the tyrant's throat, drank his blood, wiped out the demon king and eliminated evil for the Bai people. In order to commemorate the great day when the warriors and the Bai people were saved, people gathered at the foot of Cangshan Mountain from March 15 to 20 every year, singing and dancing. Year after year, the annual "March Street" was formed. At present, during the "March Street", in addition to exchanging materials, folk songs and dances, sports and other activities are also performed. Especially the riders of all ethnic groups who participated in the Jockey Club gathered at the foot of Cangshan Mountain, whipping horses and rushing to Erhai Lake like a cloud. The scene is spectacular.

Torch Festival

June 25th of the annual summer calendar is the most grand festival for the Bai people. On this day, every village will erect a high torch and every family will set up a small torch. As night falls, the torches are lit together, just like thousands of fire dragons flying all over the mountains. People walk in the fields, catching insects and killing pests. Families with newborn babies invited villagers to drink "wedding wine" under the fire to congratulate their mother and son on their safety.

About three kinds of spirits

It is held every year from April 23rd to 25th of the lunar calendar. At that time, Bai people will worship Jingui Temple, Shengyuan Temple and Chongsheng Temple, and at the same time enjoy singing and dancing all night on the grass in front of the temple.

Grab the water above your head

New Year's Eve is an annual festival for the Bai people in Dali to grab the first water. When night falls, all the girls and boys are busy dressing up. They put on gorgeous national costumes, carried a string of firecrackers in their hands and a bucket on their shoulders. They marched in every corner of the village and came to the well with smiles on their faces. At midnight, only firecrackers were heard, and everyone scrambled to "grab the first sip of water". Every household picks up the robbed "head water" and goes home, then uses it to make soup balls, noodles and other foods, cooks them in bowls or plates, and respectfully sends them to the elderly from door to door to congratulate them on their happy, happy and healthy New Year. After the old man accepted the gift, he put a few cents on the plate when he returned it to show his age. I wish the younger generation healthy growth and happiness ... The activity of "grabbing the first water" fully embodies the national tradition of the Bai people to respect the old and love the young.

Play around the sea

The Bai people along the Erhai Lake in Yunnan hold a traditional sea-playing festival on June 24th of the lunar calendar every year. According to legend, there was once a vicious big black dragon in Erhai Lake, which made waves every year and harmed the people. The clever Bai people carved a yellow wooden dragon and put it into Erhai Lake to fight against the black dragon. Two dragons fought fiercely in Erhai Lake, and Bai people gathered on the shore to cheer for Huanglong. When Huanglong is tired, he sticks his head out and everyone throws steamed bread together: the black dragon sticks his head out and everyone throws stones. So Huanglong became stronger and stronger, and the black dragon was hungry and tired, and was bitten all over, and hurriedly fled to Yangbi River. Since then, the sea has been leaking and calm. In order to commemorate this victory, on this day every year, the Bai people dressed in costumes and propped up flower umbrellas came from all directions to play in the sea by boat or on foot.

In the days of playing in the sea, Erhai Lake is dotted with white sails and the shore is crowded with people. People just play suona, sing "Big Ben", and dance overlord whip and crane dance in tune, and have a good time. At the same time, the annual "Dragon Boat Race" is also being held. Dragon boats are generally converted from large wooden boats in Erhai Lake. The sail, about10m long and 3m wide, is decorated with red and green lights. There are three-level colored buckets on the mast, tied with gongs, pine branches on the stern rudder, all-powerful "Huanglong" and "Black Dragon" painted on the side of the ship, and a round "mirror" inlaid in the middle. With a call, dragon boat races were held in villages, and people sang the tune of dragon boat races, wishing good weather and good harvests.

3. Customs and habits of Bai people

Houses are mainly tile houses with civil structures. The Bai people living in the dam area live mainly on rice and also eat flour. The Bai people in mountainous areas live on corn and buckwheat. I like hot and sour, cold dishes and roasted tea. Baked tea is made by putting tea leaves in a small pottery pot on a fire pit, baking them yellow, and then brewing them with boiling water. It smells good. Clothing: advocating white, white clothes are more expensive. Men usually wear white or blue buns, white double-breasted clothes or black collar shirts, white and blue trousers. When they go out, they often carry bags, and some even carry long knives. Women's wear has more national characteristics and varies from place to place. Most Dali women wrap their heads in embroidered cloth or colored towels, wearing white coats, black velvet collars, coats and blue cloth pants. They are woven at the top and embroidered with geometric patterns at the edges of the waist and hem. Women in Jianchuan area are all wrapped in black buns, their underwear is blue cloth, and they have the habit of wearing sheepskin shawls. Female jewelry includes earrings, hairpins, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Marriage custom: Young men and women can choose their own partners and get married freely. Funeral: burial. Festivals mainly include the New Year Festival, March Street, Around the Three Souls, Torch Festival, Yutanhui and so on. Etiquette: hospitality, even if it is a strange uninvited guest, will also be warmly received by the host; People often add the word "a" before their titles to show respect and kindness; When the guests come, be sure to treat them with roasted tea. White tea ceremony is generally three inverted, commonly known as three teas, that is, the first is bitter, the second is sweet, and the third is ignorance. One is pure roasted tea, the second is walnut slices, milk fan and brown sugar, and the third is honey and some peppers. Three teas are the hospitality of the Bai people to distinguished guests; When eating, the elders sit in the first place, and the younger generations sit on both sides or opposite each other in turn, adding rice and soup to the elders at any time and serving them warmly. Taboo: visiting friends or patients, not in the morning, but in the afternoon or evening. On the first day of New Year's Day, you can't visit other families. It is considered impolite to pour only half a cup of tea and then continue after drinking it. It is considered impolite for a woman to avoid outsiders after giving birth.