February 3 is the southern New Year, in Guangxi Liuzhou City, Sanjiang Dong Nationality Autonomous County Chengyang Eight Villages scenic area, accompanied by a burst of ear-splitting firecrackers, dozens of people of the Dong ethnic minority lined up, carrying glutinous rice, rice wine and red pork through the Drum Tower and the Wind and Rain Bridge, to escort the well-dressed bride home.
Every year when the Spring Festival is approaching, this wedding tradition with Dong ethnic characteristics - "the bride returning home" will attract many tourists. Mr. Chen from Nanning, Guangxi province, after experiencing carrying a red pig smeared with pig's blood and labeled with the word "blessing," said, "I came here on Little New Year just to experience the authentic Dong New Year."
On that day, lanterns were hung all over the Chengyang Eight Villages, which has a history of thousands of years, and the atmosphere of the New Year of the Dong minority spread in the villages, attracting many tourists from home and abroad. In front of the Wind and Rain Bridge, people of Dong minority in gorgeous costumes sang road-blocking songs and toasted road-blocking wine for the tourists; in front of the warm bonfire, Dong people played musical instruments and sang beautiful songs; and tourists who love to take photos changed into bright and shiny Dong costumes and took photos inside the Dong village.
Kong Anfa, an international student from Bosnia and Herzegovina who came to China last year, said after touring around with her friends, "I am getting to know more about China. It turns out that China's Spring Festival culture is so diverse, and the traditional folk culture of the Dong people surprised and intrigued me".
Specialties of the Dong minority also attract visitors. Wu Niyan, the county-level representative inheritor of the Sanjiang glutinous food culture, has already made a large quantity of five-color glutinous rice and triangular zongzi, which are favorite foods of the Dong minority at New Year and other festivals.
"As farmland is far from home, glutinous rice becomes a necessity for Dong people. The five-colored glutinous rice signifies good luck and a rich harvest, and we believe that consuming it can bring us good luck for a whole year." Wu Niyan introduced.
Dong people in the New Year will also carry out the custom of "Yueye" (i.e., a village collectively visit another village), on the day of the 2024 National Spring Festival "Village Eve" and "Spring in Ten Thousand Homes "mass cultural activities held in Chengyang Eight Villages. About 1,200 people from 22 mass cultural teams from all over Guangxi participated in the performances at the main venue, including more than 1,000 villagers.
At the same time, a grand Dong Banquet is also in progress. In the sound of "yahoo" toasting, tourists from home and abroad gathered at the long table to taste patties, local chicken and local pork in a lively and peaceful atmosphere, and to feel the New Year's atmosphere in Dong minority.