Archive for June, 2012

  • Maonan Festivals and Construction

    Date: 2012.06.04 | Category: General | Response: 0

    The Maonan people celebrate many festivals throughout the year.  However, their major one is the The Fenlong Festival which takes place following the Summer Solstice. It is on that day, that the Maonan people steam rice; pick a willow twig home, and then paste the rice onto it. The reason they do this is to symbolize fruitfulness and a good harvest.
    Another big festival is The Dragon Boat Festival which is also significant for the Maonans. On that day, the Han worship the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, the Maonans pick and boil medicinal herbs to eliminate disease. On these festive days, the Maonans always pay homage to their ancestors and sing to each other which is something they really enjoy doing. Interestingly, when they start to sing, they usually do so without stopping and can be seen to be singing for many hours.
    When it comes to construction, Maonans enjoying building houses, utensils with stone, tables and sculptures.  Possibly the most famous of these is the chiseled works on the tumulus groups.  They create a variety of lively fish, bird and insect sculptures, without even drawing or drafting them ahead of time.

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