Ethnic Minorities
Nadam Fair (那达慕节)
Nadam means game or recreation in Mongolian; this annual festival, held between July and August, is a chance for Mongolians to gather when the meadows are rich with grass and the livestock are healthy. Horse racing, archery, theatre performances and wrestling are some of the activities held at this fun, ancient festival.
More recently, it has become a grand occasion featuring sacrificial rites, athletic sports, celebrations, trade and entertainment. Animal and agriculturtual products from different areas are also exchanged at this time.
Danu Festival (达努节)
Falling on the 29th day of the fifth lunar month, the Danu Festival for Yao people is also known as the Yao New Year or the Ancestral Mother Festival. It is not celebrated every year; sometimes there are two, three or even five years in between celebrations, though in some communities, it’s held only once every 12 or 13 years.
The story goes that two mountains, Buluosi and Miluotuo, collided and a warrior and a woman emerged. They produced three daughters: the offspring of the eldest daughter are the Han people; the offspring of the second daughter are the Zhuang people; the youngest daughter became the ancestor of the Yao people. The 29th of the fifth lunar month is Miluotuo’s birthday; Danu means ‘don’t forget.’
Longduan Street Festival (陇端节)
This festival for the Zhuang people is held during the third lunar month and is popular among the Zhuang people who live in the Guangnan and Funing areas of Yunnan province. This festival attracts thousands of visitors, even though the ‘street’ is actually a field dam; during the festival, which lasts between three and five days, people gather in large fields and it is a time for young people to look for lovers. Trading, singing and dancing are also on the agenda.
A traditional Zhuang opera is performed in a makeshift theatre, attracting lots of people because of the noise of the gongs, drums and firecrackers. Looks and talent are the criteria for choosing a man and woman of the year among the young people. When a young man sees a woman he likes, he will sing a question at her; if she likes him, too, she will sing back at him and the singing conversation will then continue until dawn. Women give food and cloth shoes in return for men’s gifts of make-up, money or jewellery.