Bai ethnic group's religious beliefs and culture

Author: Huang Yiren
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: "From Shamanism to Lamaism": The Mongolian people are a historically long-standing, hardworking, and brave ethnic group that have lived and thrived on the northern grasslands of China. Through long-term historical development, the current Mongolian population in China is 4,802,407 (statistics from 1990). They primarily reside in the rural and pastoral areas of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, with some living in urban areas. The region currently has a Mongolian population of 3,779,000, accounting for approximately 73% of China's total Mongolian population. The majority are also distributed in Bayanbuluk Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, and Baiseer Mongol County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, as well as in Kalarqin Left Banner Mongol Autonomous County, Fuxin Mongol Autonomous County in Liaoning Province, Qianjiang Luoerhe Mongol Autonomous County in Jilin Province, Duer Mongol Autonomous County in Heilongjiang Province, Subei Mongol Autonomous County in Gansu Province, and Haixi Mongol Tibetan Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. A portion also lives in scattered or concentrated communities in provinces and autonomous regions such as Hebei and Henan.
The Yao people have their own language, which belongs to the Hani-Kadai language family and the Miao-Yao branch. Due to the complexity of its subgroups, the languages spoken in different regions vary significantly. The Yao people commonly use Chinese or Zhuang scripts, as they do not have their own written language.
"Ancestor Worship and Yao Culture": The Yao people share ancestral roots with groups such as the "Jing Man" of the Qin and Han periods and the "Wuling Man" of Changsha. The religious beliefs of the Yao people vary by region, including nature worship, ancestor worship, and totem worship. Some areas also practice witchcraft and Taoism. The architectural styles of Yao houses are diverse, with the most distinctive being wooden houses. These houses are built near mountains and water, with lower front floors and higher back floors, and can face any direction. Typically, wooden houses have three floors: the lower floor is used for housing livestock, the second floor for living quarters, and the third floor for storing grain and items. These houses are built without a single nail yet remain extremely sturdy. The interiors are well-lit and well-ventilated, making them very comfortable.
Yao clothing is often adorned with embroidered patterns using five-colored silk threads, and it is said that the Yao people "love wearing colorful clothes." The headwear of Yao women is particularly elaborate. There are various styles, such as the "Dragon Coiling" shape, where a ten-meter-long embroidered cloth is coiled on the head; the "A" shape, made by wrapping an embroidered cloth into a narrow top and wide bottom, adorned with colorful silk threads and beads; and the "Half-Moon" shape, which features three silver plaques shaped like half-moons placed on the head. There are countless other types of Yao headwear.
The patterns on the upper clothing of Yao men are rich and varied, including depictions of birds, flowers, fish, insects, geometric designs, and human figures. The collars come in round or vertical styles, with open front designs, no buttons, and a belt tied around the waist. The lower clothing includes long pants, short pants, cloth skirts, and embroidered skirts. Leg bands are an essential part of Yao men's attire, serving both to protect the legs and to enhance aesthetics.
The Yao people primarily consume rice, sweet potatoes, and taro as staples and enjoy drinking sweet wine. When guests arrive, the host first offers them a cup of sweet wine. There is also a special sweet wine consumed by Yao women during postpartum recovery, which differs from ordinary sweet wine. It is cooked with ginger slices, brown sugar, and eggs, making it a nutritious supplement. Drinking this sweet wine helps postpartum women regain strength, replenish blood, and recover their health.
The Yao people have numerous ethnic festivals, with the most important being the Pan Wang Festival (also known as the Pan Hu King Festival, the legendary ancestor of the She and Yao peoples, said to be a dragon-dog named Pan Hu) and the Dan Nu Festival. The Dan Nu Festival is celebrated to honor the creator goddess Miluo Tuo and falls on the 29th day of the fifth lunar month. On this day, families sacrifice pigs and sheep, sing, and dance together to celebrate. The Pan Wang Festival commemorates the birth of Pan Wang and falls on the 16th day of the tenth lunar month. On this day, apart from sacrificing to Pan Wang, young men gather to sing and socialize, a tradition known as "singing in the song hall." The song hall lasts for three days: the first day is for sacrificing and parading the deity, with the statue temporarily placed in the village; the second day, unmarried young men and women gather in the square for the "song hall," singing from morning to evening; the third day, all the people parade the statue back to the temple, and as night falls, drums and music fill the air, marking the end of the song hall in a festive atmosphere.
The folk literature of the Yao people is very rich. "Miluo Tuo" is a famous creation epic; "Pan Wang Songs" depict the broad picture of ethnic history and cultural life; and the handwritten Chinese manuscript "Ping Huang Quan Die" records the origins, migrations, and agricultural practices of the ethnic group, holding significant historical value. This series of books consists of a total of ten volumes.