Dedoumengguquanxi
01 · Historical Records
The origins of the Dedu Mongolian Full Feast must be traced back to the nomadic life of the Mongolian people in Qinghai. The Mongolians who have long lived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau move their herds to follow water and grass, rotating pastures through the four seasons; the least busy time of the year usually falls in mid-summer, when the herds are fat and dairy products abundant — just the moment for holding a proper feast. The full feast takes fresh chagan yide, that is, "white food," as its main ingredient, precisely seizing the season when milk and meat are at their richest and choosing the finest materials to perform the weightiest rites. Worship of heaven, earth, and the ancestors comes before the banquet, laying on the table what has been received from heaven, earth, and the ancestors over the year; the three bows, three recitations of blessings, three songs, and three banquets at the table come from the courtesies of seniority and hospitality observed at northern banquets. The two are layered together to produce this plateau feast that carries the weight of sacrifice without losing its liveliness.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
The Dedu Mongolian Full Feast is an ancient and solemn banquet custom of the Mongolian people, held at grand festivals, important gatherings, Spring Festival celebrations, weddings, and when receiving guests. "Dedu Mongolian" refers to the Mongolians living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, of whom the Mongolians of Haixi in Qinghai Province form the main component. Over their long historical development, the Dedu Mongolians native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau have created a rich and distinctive nomadic culture; the Dedu Mongolian Full Feast in particular preserves much of Mongolian history, culture, and custom, and is a banquet bearing the character of the northern nomadic peoples. Throughout their long history the Dedu Mongolians have preserved this ancient custom: in mid-summer they hold the grand "Dedu Mongolian Full Feast," based on fresh chagan yide (white food), to worship heaven, earth, and the ancestors. It signifies tasting the bounty bestowed by heaven, earth, and the ancestors and praying for the peace and prosperity of the nation, expressing the aspiration to and pursuit of freedom from worry over food, abundance and wellbeing, and a happy and beautiful life. This custom is the most representative traditional culture of the Mongolian people of Qinghai; with its own distinctive historical background and cultural content, it has developed into a showcase of traditional ethnic culture and art with its own special character. The Dedu Mongolian Full Feast involves the three bows of the grand ceremony, the recitation of the three blessing texts, the singing of the three ceremonial songs, and the holding of the three ceremonial banquets; it also includes offering khata scarves, presenting chaga and deji, and other acts. There are different types of feast: the ten-thousand-household feast, the thousand-household feast, the hundred-household feast, and the ten-household feast. The Dedu Mongolian Full Feast is a traditional custom of broad popular participation, social character, and ethnic distinctiveness; it is rich in content, including the ceremonial worship of the grand rite, the recitations of the feast, musical accompaniment, and the choral singing of banquet songs. Its basic conception and theme both express the lofty spiritual realm and beautiful hearts of the Mongolian people and serve as spiritual nourishment and impetus for their survival and development, for encouraging themselves, and for educating the young; it reflects the pursuit of a better life, enhances social cohesion and ethnic unity, and has positive practical significance.
The summer milk feast
The feast is usually held in midsummer on a base of chagan ide, fresh milk foods made on the day for their freshness.
Sacrifice to heaven, earth and ancestors
Rites to heaven, earth and the ancestors precede the banquet, so that the feast begins only after the year's blessings are counted.
The three reverences
The banquet opens with three reverences following a fixed order, after which blessings, three songs and three courses unfold in layers.
From the ten-household to the ten-thousand-household banquet
Banquets are graded by household numbers, making the weight of a settlement part of the name guests hear.
Presenting khata and the chaga and deji
Khatas are presented and chaga and deji recited at the moments of welcome, drinking and blessing, defining the duty between host and guest.
Communal feast songs
A leader starts the feast songs and all join, with blessing texts running through the meal until table after table answers each other.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The main areas of distribution of the Dedu Mongolian Full Feast custom are Delingha City, Golmud City, Mangya City, Dulan County, Wulan County, and the Da Qaidam Administrative Committee in the Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai Province; Henan Mongolian Autonomous County in the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; and Subei Mongolian Autonomous County in Gansu Province.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The preservation and transmission of the full feast rest on the craft of organizing the banquet: the order of the three bows, the manner of reciting the blessings, and the coordination of songs and banquets are all passed on in person by the master of ceremonies and the musicians. Feasts are graded by breadth into the ten-thousand-household, thousand-household, hundred-household, and ten-household feasts, and the old pattern in which settlements responded to one another, layer by layer, is preserved in the order of seating and the sequence of offering khata scarves. In watching a full feast, one first looks at whether the courtesies of welcoming guests are complete, then listens to whether the blessing recitations and the three songs are sung in unison, and only finally tastes the chagan yide and the meat; this layering of rite, song, and fine ingredients is why diners of every era can recognize it. The banquet relies not on decorative show beyond the occasion but places all distinctions of seniority and closeness in the order of proceedings, which is also why it can be used again and again at weddings, festivals, and occasions of hospitality.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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