Two girls at the Fresh Flower Festival

The wine custom of the Six-Four Festival, a traditional festival observed by the Nu people of the Nujiang River drainage area, is the best example of wine being deified. Held in March of the lunar calendar when many flowers are in full bloom, the Six-Four Festival is also called the Fresh Flower Festival. During this particular festival, people carry homemade rice wine to mountain caves to fetch  the "celestial milk," (water dripping from stalactites) which is regarded as sacred by the locals. People "invite" the "celestial milk" to their homes, dance around the indoor pillar three times and mix the sacred substance to make wine. Everyone present -- women and men, both young and old -- drink a bowl of the wine. Then there is a feast where everyone drinks wine, sings and dances. The Nu people believe by drinking the wine, celestial beings will bring happiness and safety to their families and villages.

While nearly every region and ethnic minority has a legend about the direct link between wine and the gods and dispelling evil, the most influential one is the legend about the origin of the Water Splashing Festival observed by the Dai people. According to the legend, a long time ago, there was an atrocious fiend who lived among the Dai. He disturbed the order of rain and wind, making it difficult for plants to survive and forced seven Dai girls to

"Celestial milk" in mountain caves

be his wives. The girls, however, used trickery to discover the fiend's Achilles' heel. They made him drunk on good wine and fastened his neck with a hair from his head so that his head would roll off. However, when the fiend's head reached the ground, a gust of smoke rose up, sparking a rapid fire. The oldest girl then picked up the fiend's head and the fire was thus extinguished. The seven girls took turns carrying the fiend's head in their bosoms, splashing some water to keep their clothes clean. To show their respect, the Dai people hold a large-scale Water Splashing Festival on the day the girls killed the fiend.

The Munao Singing Party celebrated by the Jingpo ethnic minority is a festival that gives full play to the supernatural powers of wine. The event is designed to ward off disaster, dispel evil spirits, pray for safety and celebrate the harvest. During the festival, Dai villagers gather together to drink wine and feast on good food.

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