Special festival of Maonan people in China: Fenlong Festival
By admin on 2014-12-23

Maonan people belong to montagnard of China. They called themselves "A'nan" which means "people of this place". They are well known for their long history and unique culture. Maonan people have many special festivals and the grandest one is "Fenlong Festival".

The Maonans in the Huanjiang Maonan Autonomous County in Guangxi hold a traditional festival around the Summer Solstice of each year -- the Fenlong Festival, also called as the Temple Festival. It takes place in May of the lunar calendar each year, and usually lasts for two or three days. It is said that the dragon in the Heaven will supply water during this season to facilitate farmers' plowing so as to have a bumper harvest. The name came from the day when the dragon supplied water.

During the festival, no matter men and women, young and old, they dress themselves up. The young daughter-in-laws will go back to their parents' home for family reunion. They collect flowers and maple leaves to cook five-color sticky rice and worship the Supernatural Farmer in the field with sticky rice and meat hoping for a good weather and a bumper harvest.

People also wrap the five-color rice and meat with a sort of large fan-shaped leave and visit friends and relatives for the festal celebration.

The Fenlong Festival is also the day when young men and girls gather and date. The contents of the entertainment include antiphonal singing, etc. But nowadays, besides the worship to the ancestors and antiphonal singing, they also organize the contests of entertainments and sports.