The customs of the Spring Festival in Nanning area
The Spring Festival is the biggest festival in the Nanning area. Starting from midnight on the first day, every family sets off firecrackers, representing bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. On the second day, relatives bring gifts to visit each other for "New Year's greetings". On the evening of the 15th day of the first lunar month, there are lantern displays during the Lantern Festival. On the 16th day, rural areas in the suburbs hold temple fairs and "抢花炮" (firecracker competition). According to the unique customs of the Zhuang people, they also perform activities such as picking up new water, drinking "Lingli Water", lion dances, chicken dances, and ox dances. Before dawn on the first day of the New Year, Zhuang women have already gone to the small river to fetch new water for their families. When fetching new water, they also pick up a few stones that resemble livestock and imitate the sounds of animals while walking home. Upon returning home, they place these stones in the pigpen and cowshed, praying for the prosperity of livestock. Then, they use the new water to cook tea for the whole family to drink. Zhuang women drink "Lingli Water," which means before fetching new water, they rush to drink clear water offered by the village's recognized "Lingli Auntie," believing this will make them more clever and capable. Brides-to-be especially take this opportunity to pray for finding a suitable husband in the new year. The chicken dance and ox dance in western Guangxi are particularly distinctive. On the first day of the New Year, young people carrying two wooden or papaya-made roosters go to each household to greet the year. They sing cheerful and humorous chicken songs, making the household happy. The host takes a few feathers from the "rooster" and places them on their own chicken coop, praying for the prosperity of livestock. The ox dance is even more interesting. The "Spring Ox" is skillfully woven from bamboo sticks, with the head and horns covered with cotton paper and painted eyes. One person holds the ox head in front, and another bends over to shake the tail behind. A man holding a plow follows behind the ox. There are also people beating drums and gongs, singing spring ox songs, forming a lively and joyous procession.
Ox Dance
In some areas of western Guangxi, the traditional chicken dance and ox dance activities add to the festive atmosphere of the Spring Festival. Young people carrying two wooden or papaya-made roosters go to households in the village to greet the New Year. Their cheerful and humorous chicken songs make the household happy. The host gives red envelopes to the chicken dancers and pulls a few feathers from the "rooster" to place on their chicken coop, praying for the prosperity of livestock.
The ox dance is even more fun. The "spring ox" is made of bamboo sticks, with the head and horns covered with cotton paper and painted eyes, and the body is a black or gray cloth. The ox dancers perform with drumming and gong beating, with two people crawling under the cloth, one holding the ox head in front and the other bending over and shaking the tail behind. Behind them is a man holding a plow. Others beat drums and gongs, sing spring ox songs, creating a joyful and vibrant atmosphere wherever they go. After finishing in one village, they move to another, continuing until the Lantern Festival. The ox dancers bring joy to the farmers and also express their wishes for a bountiful harvest and peaceful life.
Beating the Mortar - Celebrating the New Year
“During the first month, the sound of the mortar echoes loudly, and the rice and millet this year will be abundant.” This is an ancient proverb passed down among the Zhuang people in areas like Mashan, Duan'an, Shanglin, and Xincheng in Guangxi. In his book "Lingbiao Lu Yi," Liu Xun of the Tang Dynasty vividly recorded the rhythm of the mortar: “The mortar is a deep wooden trough carved into two sides, where men and women stand to pound rice, hitting the sides of the trough with rhythmic beats, producing a sound like drums heard for miles. Even the skilled wife beating her autumn mortar could not match its bright and clear sound.” Today, instead of using bamboo, the mortars are replaced by farm tools called "flat sticks," and wooden boards replace the large wooden troughs. The ancient mortar has taken on a new form of entertainment known as "beating flat sticks."
