Taijiang Sisters' Meal Festival
According to Miao old folk songs, the Miao had the tradition of spending sisters' meal festival in the past from the 1st lunar month to the 3rd lunar month, different ceremonious activities will be held on different days at various places. The sisters' meal festival in Shidong, Taijiang is regarded as one of the most interesting and the representative of the Miao's festivals, it's the Miao' festival for the young lovers, thus named a festival hidden in the pistil.
It is said that long time ago, there was a boy called Jindan, and a girl called Ajiao, they grew up together and played together since childhood. When growing up, they fell in love with each other, no one wants to marry the others. Ajiao's parents want her to marry her cousin(the son of her mother's brother) due to Miao's old tradition, it is called " returning mother's head" in the past according to Miao's old custom. Ajiao was not willing to marry her cousin, Jindan vowed to marry Ajiao, not someone else and waited for her. Every day they secretly made an appointment with each other in the open country field for not been seen by their parents and the village old. Every time Ajiao carried steamed stick rice in the bamboo basket which is usually for storing silk floss for making embroidery. After many years, they finally married each other through long period of hard revolt, thus " sisters rice, also called sisters' meal" is popularly practiced and spread.
Afterwards, we don't know how many years has gone, they say there are 800 girls in Shidong area, they can not marry because they can't find boy friends, 800 boys in Datang, Sanbin area can't find girl friends, and become singles. So the old thought of the story of Ajiao and Jindan, they told the girls to prepare steamed sticky rice and invite the 800 boys to eat the rice, thus everyone found his own love partner and finally married.
In Shidong area, on the 13th day of the third lunar month, the girls
from nearby Miao villages climb to the mountains and pick edible juice
from plant leaves or flowers and dye glutinous rice into yellow, purple,
green or red, then invite boys to eat the steamed sticky rice at night,
they sing love songs to each till middle night.. The color of the sticky
rice has some meanings. Yellow means bump harvest of rice, red is for
the prosperity of the villages, white indicates pure love, purple symbolizes
the weath of a family, green signifies the beautiful Qingshuijiang river.
They put some gifts such as pine needles, bamboo hooks, cotton, chili
or garlic in the steamed sticky rice. Pine needles mean the girl wants
the boy to give her some silk floss to make embroidery, bamboo hooks mean
that she wants the boy to give her some umbrellas, the numbers of the
hooks is the same as the umbrellas', if the two bamboo hooks are connected
with each other, that means she hopes to meet the boy more times in the
future so as to know each other more. Cotton means she wants to marry
him. Chili or garlic means she is not willing to make friends or know
more about him in the future, that means she refuses him.
During the 16th and 17th day, in the afternoon, the girls in gorgeous
festive dress with plenty of silver ornaments together with their mothers
come to the riverside of Qingshuijiang river in Pianzhai, they dance with
the rhythm of wooden drum, the boys also come to join the dance in traditional
brown shiny clothe. some boats are busy loading local Miao people, sometimes
several cormorants are relaxing on the boats, everything is good looking.
Every year I had tours to see this festival, and I really enjoyed my
time with my groups there. Unfortunately this year(2011)they changed the
place for the dance on a big new opened ground near the main high way,
not at the former place near the river, and less girls came to join the
festival, I think maybe the government changed this, it's a pity. So if
you go there, please don't hope to get so much as before, if you wish
to get more, you will be more disappointed. Finally I just hope this festival
still can keep it's original tastes at the former place, hope the government
won't do any wrong actions to it any more, just let it be naturally.
Witten by Along-a Miao guide and tour operator from Langde villa
Sisters'Meal Festival Tour(April 2013)--accepting travelers!!
Group size: 2-4,6-9,10-26 people
Group feature: Inclusive private tour
Guide:
Price: USD/pax, Single supplement: USD/pax
The price includes all meals, accomodation, entry fees, car, English-speaking
guide, drinking water and tip for guide, driver and hotel bellboys.
It does not include your departure air fare, personal expenditure such as shopping, hotel phone call, laundry, any damage to hotel facility.
