| The De'ang ethnic minority was previously named as Benglong before 1985. De'ang is one of the oldest ethnic minorities on China's southwest frontier. They mostly live in Yunnan Province. They have their own language, but no written characters. The current languages are the Dai language and Chinese. They believe in Hinayan. They are mainly engaged in agriculture. They grow paddy, corns, buckwheat and potato. They are adept at tea planting.
Most of De'ang traditions have something to do with the Buddhism, such as the Water Splashing Festival, the Close-Door and Open-Door Festivals and Burning Firewood Festival, etc. They are carried out to worship the Buddha.
Water Splashing Festival
The Water Splashing Festival practiced by the De'angs is somehow similar to that of the Dais. It mostly occurs around mid April. Near the festival, people are busy in preparing new clothing, rice cakes, water dragon and barrels. The elder adherents gather in the temple, and build a small room where the ceremony of Sakyamuni worship takes place. The water dragon carved out of a huge wood block of 4 to 5 meters long is erected. It is painted and equipped with groove.
When splashing water, girls carry a basin full of water, which flows to the Buddha figure in the small room through the groove. Then, the elder of prestige carries flowers, dip in the water and spread the water over people around to bless everybody with luck and good beginning in the coming year. At this time, people become excited, paying the New Year's call to each other. The young people lift the barrels over head and spread water on the hands of the elder to bless everybody with a happy life, good health and longevity.
The elders extend their hands and hold water greeting and blessing the young people. After the ceremony, people will stand in a line behind the elephant-leg drum, streaming on the spring side, riverbank and start singing, dancing, chasing and splashing to each other.
The Water Splashing Festival is considered as the ceremony that the De'angs celebrate the New Year and the opportunity when they look for their lovers. To send the bamboo basket is popular among the De'angs. In late night, boys visit girls and present the baskets to them. The most beautiful one is kept for his beloved girl to express their love, and in the meantime, to sound out the girl's feedback.
Hence, every girl can get several baskets, but who is the final lover? That won't be unveiled until the Water Splashing Festival to see whose basket the girl will carry. That day, each girl carries a pretty basket, but who is the giver? Boys are busy in looking for the baskets on the girls' backs carefully identifying whether the basket is the very one he has gifted to her. When two lovers meet, they splash water on each other as much as they like to express their agitation and gladness.
Open-Door Festival
When the Open-Door Festival approaches, the villages that have a temple will hold activities to celebrate the bumper harvest and taste fresh rice. Since December 13 of the Dai calendar, people have begun the preparation, including grinding fresh grains, making New Year food and cake. In addition, two pieces of cakes will be presented to the public house of the village (a room designated for the villagers to worship). On the morrow, the ceremony is open, and craftsmen of the village make a small bamboo room where the New Year cakes are put and carried to the temple for the pilgrimage.
Burning Firewood Festival
In the Burning Firewood Festival, every family will slay chooks and get wine ready. In addition, sticky rice cakes are to be made and wrapped in banana leaves, well cooked and always taken with to gift each other for tasting. The newly married couples have to bring the sweet New Year sticky cakes and pay visits to the village master and the elder.
Paddy Soul Festival
Another name of the Paddy Soul Festival is The Worship to the Corn Mother. It is the worship festival for the De'angs in Xishuangbanna area, which is respectively celebrated during the paddy planting and harvest. The De'angs consider that the paddy has the soul. In order to guarantee the harvest, the paddy soul is worshipped several times during the planting and harvest seasons. In the period of April and May of the lunar calendar when the plowing is finished, all villagers, beating gongs and drums, seed the crops on the field of every family.
At that time, people have to patter in the field, then women shout: guard our crop, Paddy Soul! Afterward, the host and guests will have picnic in the field.
Then, in every morning of the 13th, 15thand 30thof each month, people have to fill the basket with offerings. While threshing, women will carry meat, wine and food to the field for the worship asking the Paddy Soul to get up, wash up and take fish and meat, drink honey, enjoy candy and banana. After the worship, women will spread the paddy on the threshing ground. They pick up some fresh grains and put them in the basket where they place a small bamboo house for accommodating the Paddy Soul. Then the elder receive the basket and put it on the grain bin for the morning and evening worship every day.
Following the custom, people head towards home carrying the Paddy Soul, shouting on the way. When entering the village, they shout aloud: Here comes our Paddy Soul; this is your home.
The De'angs also have the custom of worshiping the Home God, Village God, gnome and Dragon. The most interesting is the dragon worship, which normally falls in spring. On the occasion, the flamen draws a paper dragon, to which people kowtow; then, all drink wine and have picnic. They strike and abuse each other to wreak their complaints. At this time, nobody is allowed to dissuade. They will scrap as possible as they could. On the morrow, they beg each other to excuse. |
