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Dong
The Dongs are distributed in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces. They take agriculture as the prime industry. Their agriculture is mainly paddy. The Dongs have their own language.The Chinese is common in use today. The Dongs excel in architecture.
The Dong Year is the traditional festival of the Dongs. The Dongs in the Rongjiang River celebrate the Dong Year from the end of October to early November of the lunar calendar. Prior to the festival, every family does cleaning, slaughters swine and sheep.
On the festival, people dress up, dancing with the Lusheng melody (a reed-wind instrument), organizing a collective dance party and bull-fighting. The celebration is held one month later in Jinping area, where similar large entertainments take place, and people visit their friends and relatives as well as arrange weddings.
On the festival, people eat rice and dishes cooked on the day before, indicating the surplus from the previous year and surplus of every year. On the second day, women in the village will go to worship and pray for god's blessing. On the third day, there will be the Dong opera or Dragon play. Friends and relatives invite each other to drink the New Year wine. Boys play with girls, kick shuttlecock or amuse themselves in the field. The Spring Festival will not end until January 15 of the first lunar month when people send off the dragon to the sea.
The Dongs have passion for the bull fighting. Every village breeds the bull king designated to the game. The bullpen of the bull -king is normally built near the drum-tower, as it is clean and ventilated. Hence it is also named bull palace. A person is specially assigned to supply it with forage grass and water. Food such as honey, lard, rice wine is provided indeed. The bull king is big and strong with sharp horns like open forks.
On the Hai date (the last of the twelve Earthly Branches), February and August of each lunar year takes place the Bull-Fighting Festival of the Dongs. Prior to the festival, the young people, playing the Lusheng, will go to other villages to invite their rivals. After sending the invitation of the challenge, they go to the Bull Palace and playing the Lusheng in front of it. The worship is to be made three days to cultivate the bull's mood. Once the festival comes off, people gather around the game spot. The contest bull kings start taking first round to the accompaniment of Lusheng. A young man, perky and arrogant, holds a horse card that reads Bull King, and walks in front of it. The guard team and band follow the horse card. The horn of the bull king wears a bright iron harness. Its head is wrapped with red satin. It has a Bull King Pagoda on its back, where 4 command banners and 2 long pheasant feathers are planted, just like the general of the ancient times.
When the inauguration is finished, the bulls exeunt. There are three bangs as the canon is fired. The fight begins in a formal way. The cowboys respectively throw two fires in front of the bull king and unlash the halter. Two bulls charge to each other. The viewers cheer by beating drums and gongs. It is allowed for the girls to rob the color banner from the loser. The winner bull king will reappear on the ground to celebrate its victory. In case they fight to deuce, they have to be interrupted by hitching the rear leg of the bull with palm rope and compromise.
A string of bell hangs on the bull' neck and suspends on the chest and plinks. A few days later, the girls from the winner will remand the color banner to the loser. Boys from the loser will arrange a feast for reception and a party where they sing with the girls in antiphonal style. The redeemed banner will be a gift in return. The glory belongs to the village, which owns the bull winner. Hence there are celebration and entertainments after the bull fighting. In recent years, the bull kings from the Dongs in Guizhou Province were given the chance to display their wrestle in some big cities so as to make this special entertainment culture more popular.
According to the custom, the one who got the fireworks will be safe and healthy in the year, so they act bravely in grapping for fireworks. People contest to get the fireworks so as to win the honor for their own villages. There is no deadline time for the game; the one, who hands the firework to the command platform, will be the winner. Then the contest is over, which announces the commencement of various entertainments. The Lusheng teams hold a playing contest; the elders display their thrushes and have a chat; boys and girls take their good chances to court by singing. The festival atmosphere animates the Dong's villages.
It is the song party held by the Dongs of the Tongdao Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province and those in other areas. The Dongs' calendar is based on the 12 branches, a Center Day every ten days. The Singing Party is held on the Grand Center Day, around 18 days prior to the beginning of the summer. It lasts three days.
According to the custom, once upon a time, there was a young man named Menlong in Guzhou (today's Rongjiang River area in Guizhou Province). He fell in love with a girl. They often dated in Liangmeng. Later, they kept secret love-promises and went to Guzhou. As they arrived at the Yatunpu River, Menlong, carrying his lover on his back, fell into the water because of a false step. And then they were whirled by flood. After their death, both turned into two big stones and erected near the river where they fell victims. Since then, no matter how high the flood rises, the stone's peak is never submerged. At last, the Dongs yearn towards the young couple and gather together at their dating place generation after generation. It has evolved to today's Dawuliang Singing Party.
The word Dawuliang is the toponym, and it is named in Dong language Liangmeng. It is of the picturesque scenery. During the song party, boys and girls in groups show up on the way to Dawuliang, and block the way to invite the other side to sing in antiphonal style. This is considered as the sinfonia of the singing party. When both parties enjoy singing to their heart's content, they go to the high mountain together and take part in the singing party. After people have returned from the hill, the aftersound still lingers in the neighboring villages. The boys pay visits to the girls outside their homes. The girls set 12 wood sticks as roadblocks. The boys are not allowed to pass until they have correctly responded 12 songs. Afterward, the boys are invited to the girls' homes and they start the singing party around the fireplace over night.
The Dawuliang Sing Party is also regarded as the local articles exchange fair, where people can sing on a hill and go shopping in the fair on the piedmont. In the shops and booths, full of beautiful things, a great variety of commodities are displayed. The participants of the Dongs, Miaos, Zhuangs, Yaos and Hans come to the fair from Guangxi and Guizhou Provinces in groups. They are huge crowds of people. Standing or hunkering, boys and girls sing in antiphonal style. The lyric is about a wide range of subjects, the singing sounds distinct and melodious. Peoples of different minorities exchange products they need and shop there. When the sun sets, people drop off with gladness and wares they purchased.
-- Mulberry-Leaves Picking Festival
It is a traditional program of the Dongs in Xiaoguang of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It falls on April 8 of each lunar year, but it is also celebrated in April 4 by the Dongs in some other places.
According to the custom, long ago, a young man in Xiaoguang herded cattle and sang on a slope. His song was so elegant that he attracted a girl who picked mulberry-leaves on the hill. She began to sing with him in antiphonal style. Day after day, they fell in love with each other. As the girl raised many silkworms, and the mulberry-leaves she had picked did not meet the demand. So she led a group of girls to collect mulberry-leaves on April 8. Aware of this, the boy also called on some fellows to help. They talked and sang while collecting. When the work was finished, the girls caught fish in a river as thanks for their help. When they parted, they felt that it was the happiest day they had ever spent. Since then, they had gathered together to sing. Day after day, the number of the participants increased, which shaped a festival.
On the festival, men and women dress up, and pretend to go to the mountain to pick mulberry leaves. In fact, they do so for singing and dating. When both of them fall in love, they have an intimate talk in the wood, and do not get back until the sun sets.
In lunar November, whatever their names are, many landlords celebrate this festival, which are from the Dong's villages near Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces. But for some landlords, only those whose family name is Yang celebrate it, which is referred to the Yang Festival or Chiyang. Once it is celebrated on November 1 of the lunar calendar, it is called Chuyi Yang. They term their father as Ya (or Yai). To celebrate the festival on November 6 is called Chuliu Yang. They call their father Pu. In some regions, each family celebrates one day from the 1st to 9th of lunar November. In some areas of Guizhou Province, people celebrate it in turn from lunar November 1 to 31 so that each family could junket with their friends and relatives.
During the festival, what is omnipresent is to grind sticky rice for making the Zamba cakes. Besides, chooks and ducks are slain to serve on the table with the Chongyang wine. They taste the Hehua fish (a kind of cyprinoid) made in the time of harvesting the early paddy. Some people slaughter swine and sheep to treat their friends and relatives. People do not work in the field on the festival. They take a rest, have coshery and entertain themselves. For the areas where the Dong's Year is celebrated, the married daughters and son-in-laws will go back to their parents' homes to pay the New Year's call. The bull fighting is also held in some regions.
On the 1st day of the June of the Dai calendar, the Dongs in Zhaimu of Jinping County in Guizhou Province celebrate the Forest King Festival.
People from Zhaimu celebrate the festival at the Chen time. The Dong villages in the neighborhood do it in the Yi time. During the festival, the large sticky rice cakes are made. They are as big as human's arms. The Forest King Festival is a very important local festival after the Spring Festival. On the occasion, each family prepares the sticky rice cakes, meat and wine under the old maple trees to worship the Forest King. Once the guests pay visits, they have to go to worship under the maple trees. All people, old or young, gather together under the trees to sing the Old Song of Forest King. One leads a chorus and others follow him. After singing, the elder will recite the story of the Forest King.
In lunar December, young men and girls invite love-song masters to teach them how to sing, perform operas, and play Lusheng. From lunar January 2 or 4 to 15 or 31, they visit friends and relatives. Before the visits, people will have a notification sent to the counterpart village, and stand in a line in front of the Xianmu Altar and sing the Goddess Song, praying for a successful visit. The disciples and remarks will be made prior to the departure. The visiting group includes the Lusheng team, twin singers, singers in chorus, the Ye Song team, Dong drama troupe as well as participating people. Among them, the young people are in majority.
The players of Lusheng team wear various bird feather clothes, insert bird feathers and silver badges on their heads, full of antique flavor.
When the Yehengnian Team passes by a village, it plays the Pass-by Village Tone for greeting: As it arrives at the host village, it plays the Village Entrance Tone. The village master will receive the guests outside the village. The hosts set roadblock on the way by the spinning wheel, fir wood, paddy, hencoop and windmill. They sing the Block Way Song when the guests perform the Free Way Song. Both sing in antiphonal style. Once a question is correctly answered, a block will be removed. When all questions get the right answers, the road is cleared. The guests are met to the village and led to the Drum Tower Ground. Both Lusheng teams play and dance together. After the Singing Party, the singing team will perform Blessing Song. The next item is juveniles making elocntes.
When the village entry ceremony is finished, the guests will be invited to dine and stay over for three days. In the daytime, they hold entertainments such as Lusheng contests and Dong dramas; and they play shuttlecocks. At night, they organize collective entertainments. The midnight snack is soup made of the cole seed oil or sweet conjee made of sweet-scented osmanthus.
On the final day, the Laye feast is held in the drum tower. All families of the village carry their tables and combine to make up a long one. Every family offers wine and sticky rice to compose a feast. The hosts and guests enjoy themselves together. They sing and drink to wish a bumper harvest in the coming year. Before departure, the Lusheng Team plays the Valediction Tone. The village master sings the Road-Block Song to detain the guests, and the latter perform the Free Way Song to say good-bye, though they are reluctant to leave. The friendly sworn villages are formed between the villages. They exchange visits every year and their friendship last for generations.
It is the lantern festival of the Dongs in Jinping. The dragon lanterns and flower lanterns are daintily made. The lantern players visit one village after village. The Dragon Lantern Team will sing the Dragon Lantern Song, and each lantern is accompanied with a riddle, which is about the astronomy, geography, or propagation.
The festival falls on lunar October 1. There are often several ten young couples who get married on this day. It is similar to today's Collective Wedding. This custom is still practiced in Xiaoguang and Huaao of Jianhe Country in Guizhou Province.
It is said that the ancestors of the Dongs developed their family via bridge construction. The date of bridging happened to be lunar February 2. In order to commemorate this day, the Dongs have appointed it as the Bridging Festival.
The Dong ethnic minority preserves the custom of celebrating the Fresh Tasting Festival. It occurs mostly in June and July. When the early paddy gets ripe, every family reaps fresh grains, tastes fresh rice, and worships the forefathers with offerings of chicken, ducks and fish. The entertainments such as singing Dong songs, Dong opera and bull fighting are organized at the meantime.
The Dongs have a great festal event on March 3. The festival lasts five days. On lunar March 1, every family is busy with the preparation.
On the second day, girls will go to the riverbank together to fetch fish and prepare for the picnic on the slope with boys.
On the morning of the third day, girls carefully get dressed up, and go to the kale yard with refined bamboo basket to collect shallot and garlic. They wash them at the spring. Afterwards, they stand in line on the path near the river. They shyly wave the basket and look around waiting for their lovers to ask for their baskets.
On the slope stand crowds of people, among which there are family members of the girls, who try to find out which boy will get the basket. Boys, dressed up, walk in a group on the path one after another.
When a boy gets the basket from the girl he likes, the crowd will cheer at him. The boys and girls stealthily make the date for returning the basket. The boys that fail to get any basket will be laughed at by people. Then, boys and girls sing in antiphonal style, and look for lover via songs. They keep singing till the daybreak. On that noon, people gather together on the ground. They dance and sing to their hearts' content.
On the fourth day, a large make-up dance party will be held. On the afternoon of the fifth day, the ceremony of seeing off will be held for the guests from the neighboring villages.
According to a tale from the Dongs about the March Third Festival, in the past time, the Dongs set the flowering season of the tung trees as that of the paddy seedling transplanting. However, one year tung trees failed to bloom, and as a result, the farming season was delayed. People had no other choice but to flee to Baojing area. In order to draw lessons wherefrom, people play the Lusheng and sing, visit friends and relatives and remind each other of the farming business on March 3 of each year. |
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Dong Year
Spring Festival
Sama Festival (Sa-Worship Festival)
Bull-Fighting Festival
Fireworks Festival
Dawuliang Singing Party
Winter Festival
Forest King Festival
Yeheng Festival
Lantern Festival 
Newly-Married Festival
Bridging Festival
Fresh Tasting Festival
March Third |