Various Festivals of the Yao Nationality

The Yao ethnic group has many festivals, such as the Spring Festival, Lantern Festival, Qingming Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, Ganba Festival, New Rice Festival, Mulian Festival, Panwang Festival, etc. The Panwang Festival is the biggest among the Yao people. The Yao ethnic people like singing loud, clear and beautiful ballads whenever there is a festival or happy event. The festivals mentioned above can be divided into big festivals and mini-festivals. Big festivals include the Panwang Festival, Spring Festival, Danu Festival, Ghost Festival, Shewang Festival, Qingming Festival, etc. There are less important festivals almost every month. Danu Festival, which is held among the Yao people in the Duan Yao Autonomous Region in Guangxi, is very popular and ceremonious.

Panwang Festival

It is said that this is a festival to commemoratehe struggle of their ancestors against the exploitation of ancient hereditary chieftains. Panwang Festival has been commonly referred to as Entertaining God of Panwang and thanking him for making their wishes come true. It is held on October 16th according to the local calendar every three or five years; however, in some areas, the Yao people have this festival once in twelve years. The frequency of this festival depends on the traditions of different Yao branches, how good the harvest is and the health of both people and their livestock. Usually one, several families, or maybe even the whole village celebrate this festival together. During the main ceremony, the folk master will entertain the God of Panwang, pray and sing songs for him. One method of prayer is the long-drum dance which asks Panwang for protection. This festival is usually celebrated ceremoniously by the Mianzhi branch of the Yao people.

Taonianbai Festival

The name of this festival means a festival celebrated in the middle of the month. It is celebrated from March 15th to March 17th every year according to the local calendar. During these three days, all the people in the Yao villages are very excited and happy. Young girls who have grown up playing and swimming in the clean creeks all look slim and naturally pretty; however, during these days, they all dress up and look much more lovely and beautiful. All of them wear embroidered blouses and straight skirts with various patterns. In addition, they also wear silver necklaces and gilded earbobs, and can be seen smiling under beautiful silk umbrellas. While the young men have their heads wimpled with checkered turbans, and wear pants with their own ethnic features. All of them look energetic and robust. Even the elderly grandpas and grandmas coming from near and far dress up especially for this festival and gather together to celebrate this traditional event.

There is a moving and tragic story that surrounds the evens of the Taonianbai. It is said that during Emperor Kangxi's Reign in the Qing Dynasty, troops from the government came to conquer the regions where the Yao ethnic group lived, and pillaged the Yao villages killing a lot of innocent local people. Consequently, all the Yao people lived a very miserable and abject life, and faced the threat of extinction.

Just at this moment, with danger prevailing all over these regions, Fengjie, who was a smart, brave, capable and experienced girl from the Yao nationality, with all her heart and soul as well as grief and indignation, organized all the brave and robust young men and women from different Yao villages. They worked hard and steadfast collecting stones and rocks to build fortifications, cut trees to make strongholds, and guarded their homeland against the invaders. When the invading troops were defeated, she and the Yao army chased the remaining invaders back to their base, which was then burned by the Yao army and turned into ashes.

After the first failure, the local governor asked the emperor to dispatch more and more government troops. With the advantage of the complicated local topography and Fengjie's intelligent leadership, all the Yao people held together, adept at defending and attacking. The government troops could do nothing to win the war. At last, they devised a deceptive plan.