How do Miao men and women fall in love?

Most Miao areas have a high degree of autonomy in love, and Miao youth everywhere have traditional forms of free social activities with the main purpose of choosing a spouse. Xiangxi is called "rushing to the edge of the field" or "meeting girls", Qiandongnan Miao people are called "tourism", Guangxi Rongshui is called "sitting sister" or "walking in the village", Qianxibei is called "stepping on the moon", and the Miao people in central Guizhou and some western regions are called "jumping flowers" and "jumping fields". In this social activity, young men and women can sing and talk in groups of three or five or individually, openly or quietly. Love in duet is the most representative and national custom in Miao marriage custom culture. Some Miao communities also have places where young people fall in love, such as Youfangping in southeast Guizhou and Girls' Room in northeast Yunnan. Miao youth pay more attention to personal talent and character than property and family.

After finding the right lover, the two sides can exchange tokens. Marriage usually requires the consent of parents. In most Miao areas, the independent marriage of young people and the arranged marriage of parents coexist. These two situations are not necessarily irreconcilable contradictions, just to see which tendency is more serious. Generally speaking, parents and children respect each other and seek advice from each other. Few people are forced to get married. Moreover, social customs allow and maintain young people's free choice. Therefore, it is more common for parents to preside over marriage after free love. Miao Black Dragon is a favorite wind instrument of Miao people in Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, Guangxi and other provinces. Orange leaves, pomelo leaves and Hollyleaf are mostly used for playing. Miao people near rivers, as well as those who play with big fish scales, are durable and loud. Blowing wood leaves is especially favored by Miao youth and is closely related to love life. It is often said that love can be gained by blowing the leaves of konoha, and the sound of konoha is the first sound of happiness. A Miao folk song goes like this: "One konoha, one song, two konoha crossing the hillside, three konoha crossing the fork. When can A-mei see my brother? " In Miao areas, whenever the moon is bright and the wind is clear, there will be beautiful sound of konoha floating from the edge of the village. This is a young man's invitation to the girl to "travel", and the girl can also identify her lover according to the tune played by Konoha. Therefore, there is a saying in Miao folk songs that "blowing wood leaves takes advantage of Ye Ziqing"? Love should be young "and so on. In the Miao family, neither the old man nor the woman blows the leaves of wood, and only the young men are experts in blowing the leaves of wood. Today, whenever young men and women hold social and love activities such as "traveling", "rocking horses" and "picking flowers", the melodious sound of konoha comes one after another. In Pingbian Miao Autonomous County, Yunnan Province, the solo "Emotion" played by Miao youth has a soft and lively melody, pure and clear pronunciation, lyrical and natural sliding, and has the unique style of Miao village.

If young men and women are willing to become lifelong partners through free love, the man will invite several friends or brothers to bring or "rob" the woman to his home one night, which is marriage. Three days later, an old man who was "all blessed" was invited to take a chicken to "report the marriage" to the woman's parents and ask them to admit the marriage. Then the two sides agreed on the date and specific matters of the wedding.

The sixth day of the sixth lunar month is a large-scale song meeting of Miao people in Luxi County. The song will be held in the small market town of Liangjiatan Township at the junction of Luxi, Jishou, Guzhang and Yuanling counties. In the early morning, people rushing to the concert have flocked to hills, streams and roads. Many young people wear cardigans, black striped towels on their heads and small flowered umbrellas, swimming among groups of Miao girls in beautiful clothes. It is said that at the concert, if the man takes a fancy to the woman, he will hook the other person's hand and waist with a small umbrella, which becomes a feeling of communication. At eleven o'clock in the morning, the song concert began, and the market town square and the surrounding hillside were full of people. First of all, the person in charge of Liangjiatan sang an "Opening Song", and then two old singers in their fifties took the stage to sing "The First Song":