Qiang Waerezu Festival
01 · Historical Records
The folk culture and art displayed at the Wa'er Ezu festival is also of important significance for research on the development and evolution of the folk dance "Shalang".
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Qiang are one of China's ancient peoples. They call themselves Erma, and because they live against the mountains they are known as "the people among the clouds"; they are concentrated mainly in Mao County of the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. In Xihu Village and Hexi Village of Qugu Township in northern Mao County, a custom has been passed down for centuries: to worship Shalangjie, the song-and-dance goddess of heaven, an activity called "Wa'er Ezu" is held every year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. In Chinese it is commonly known as the "Song Immortal Festival" or the "Song Receiving Festival". The activity program of Wa'er Ezu mainly consists of: 1. The program on the eve of Wa'er Ezu: the women of the village gather around the hearth to make the sun-shaped, moon-shaped, and mountain-shaped steamed buns offered to the goddess (their maternal uncles keeping them company); the maternal uncle opens the altar and recites the blessing words; the offerings are arranged. 2. The program on the day of Wa'er Ezu: going to the goddess ridge to worship (led by the maternal uncle); holding the offering and goat-sacrifice ceremony; the maternal uncle chants the scriptures, rewards the deity, and prays to the deity; leading the songs and dances; a respected elderly woman of the village recounts the story of the song-and-dance goddess Shalangjie so that people understand the traditions concerning love, childbirth, and household duties; the men cook and serve at the side; the songs and dances are passed on.
Making the offerings on the eve
On the eve, the women gather by the hearth to shape offerings for the goddess: sun, moon and mountain forms, with the uncle watching over.
The uncle opens the altar with words of blessing
The maternal uncle opens the altar and recites the blessing himself, no one else being entitled to speak it.
Worship at the Goddess Ridge
Led by the uncle, the whole village worships at the Goddess Ridge before the day's singing and dancing begin.
Offering and the killing of the goat
Offerings are presented and a goat sacrificed under the uncle's direction, the meat later shared among the village.
Leading song and dance
A leader sings the opening line and each singer takes up the next, the whole dance depending on who can lead.
An old woman tells of Shalangjie
A respected elder woman recounts the goddess's story to the listening young women, passing on ideals of love, birth and household.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Since it is a customary activity with Qiang women as the principal participants, local people also call it the "Women's Festival".
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
In the main activities of Wa'er Ezu, the maternal uncle participates from beginning to end, which reflects the great authority of the maternal uncle in the group activities of Qiang women in ancient times. It carries a strong color of primitive matriarchal worship and is of important value for studying the cultural connotations of the ancient Qiang people and their women's customs. Yu Wuziman (from the official archives of an associated inheritor): Female, Qiang, born in March 1942, from Mao County, Sichuan Province. For several decades she has participated in and organized Wa'er Ezu activities, fully mastering the craft involved and holding the costumes used in the activity. She can organize and complete the whole set of activity procedures, and she makes the offerings and ornaments the activity requires herself. She can sing and dance the twenty-nine Wa'er Ezu songs and is a local expert at leading, receiving, and passing on the songs in Wa'er Ezu activities. Committed to passing on the craft, she has taken disciples during festivals and in the agricultural off-season, teaching more than 150 people, over forty of whom have become qualified inheritors of Wa'er Ezu. Representative inheritor of the fifth national-level batch of the Qiang Wa'er Ezu Festival intangible cultural heritage project.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yu Wuziman 05-2977
- Luo Gaoyingjie
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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