Huagan
01 · Historical Records
It originated in the activity "Carrying the Youngest Sister by Shoulder Pole, Praying for a Bumper Harvest," held every year in the third lunar month so that local people could conveniently take young women up Mount Huaying to worship Buddha and sightsee. Its earliest origins can be traced back to the Tang dynasty; it flourished in the Qing dynasty, and has a history of more than a thousand years. Mount Huaying is regarded as one of the eight great Buddhist sacred sites of China and enjoys the reputation that one "pays homage to Emei in the west and to Baoding in the east," with flourishing incense offerings. The Baoding Guangming Temple, located on Mount Huaying, is the main place where local people come to burn incense and worship, and is also the site of the "Huaying Mountain Shoulder-Pole Carrying of the Youngest Sister" competition.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Huaying Mountain Shoulder-Pole Carrying of the Youngest Sister is a traditional athletic competition passed down in the Huaying Mountain area of Guang'an City, Sichuan Province. The Huaying Mountain area of Guang'an City has steep, precipitous mountains and rugged roads; since ancient times it has been the main post road linking Sichuan and Chongqing, and is known as the "Gateway of Eastern Sichuan." The lush, dense growth of spotted bamboo, mao bamboo, and cyclobalanopsis oak found everywhere provides abundant raw materials for making the shoulder poles. The race course is set on the rugged mountain roads of Mount Huaying, with no fixed starting point and the finish line at the Baoding Guangming Temple. The shoulder pole used in the competition is made of two spotted bamboo shafts about 3 meters long and about 5 centimeters thick, lashed together with a rattan chair. In competition, participants are divided into groups according to the weight of the load they carry. Along the race route, the front and rear carriers must simultaneously shift the pole to the other shoulder and turn 180 degrees; the order of arrival at the finish line determines the winner. During the race, the youngest sister sits in the chair, holding an umbrella for shade and waving a handkerchief; the carriers, one in front and one behind, complete the course through stages of raising the pole, bouncing the pole, and lowering the pole. The whole activity comprises five elements: the competition venue, the making of the shoulder pole, the pole-carrying technique, work songs calling out road conditions, and the competition rules. Its competition venue, carrying equipment, and the role played by the youngest sister all bear strong characteristics of the human geography of eastern Sichuan; the activity has considerable artistic appeal and is a comprehensive cultural recreation combining competition, singing, performance, and entertainment. The activity is typically competitive and artistically appealing, fully displaying the perseverance of the Sichuan people and their humorous character.
Building the sliding pole
The bamboo sedan is made from two mottled bamboos about three metres long and five centimetres thick lashed to a rattan chair.
The 180-degree shoulder change
The key difficulty: front and rear bearers must together turn and change shoulders through 180 degrees on the course.
Lifting, bouncing and setting down
Front and rear bearers lift, bounce and set down the pole while the girl in the chair shades herself and waves a handkerchief.
The road-call chant
One of the five elements: on steep mountain paths the bearers chant to signal conditions and synchronise their steps.
Guangming Temple as finish
The course ends at Guangming Temple on Baoding, one of China's eight great Buddhist sites, famed as the eastern counterpart of Emei.
Grouping by carried weight
Competitors are grouped by the weight carried, the main equaliser of the contest held in the third lunar month.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The Huaying Mountain Shoulder-Pole Carrying of the Youngest Sister is passed down in the Huaying Mountain area of Guang'an City, Sichuan Province; the Huaying City Cultural Center is the designated protection unit. The local mountains are steep and precipitous and the roads rugged; since ancient times the area has been the main post road linking Sichuan and Chongqing, known as the "Gateway of Eastern Sichuan." Lush, dense spotted bamboo, mao bamboo, and cyclobalanopsis oak are found throughout the mountains, providing ample raw materials for making the shoulder poles. The race course is set on the rugged mountain roads of Mount Huaying, with no fixed starting point and the finish line at the Baoding Guangming Temple; in competition, participants are divided into groups according to the weight of the load carried. The whole activity comprises five elements: the competition venue, the making of the shoulder pole, the pole-carrying technique, work songs calling out road conditions, and the competition rules. Its transmission has no fixed master-apprentice lineage; the skills are naturally learned and passed on through mass participation in folk competitions and folk-custom exhibitions and performances.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Its transmission has no fixed master-apprentice lineage; the skills are naturally learned and passed on through mass participation in folk competitions and folk-custom exhibitions and performances. The Huaying Mountain Shoulder-Pole Carrying of the Youngest Sister is an important component of Sichuan's plural culture, with wide coverage and deep roots among the people; it plays a positive role in promoting recognition of the value of local traditional culture and in building a harmonious society.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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