The History and Culture of Gaoping Town

Gaoping people are simple and kind, warm and hospitable, respect the old and love the young, especially in welcoming guests, seeing them off and socializing at the age of 20, which has formed a relatively complete set of customs. They like to eat hot and sour food, are good at drinking corn wine, and entertain guests with wine when they have relatives and friends. Gaoping people like to eat dregs. Almost every family has a small stone mill (the existing one has been replaced by a steel mill), and almost every family has a pickle jar. The Tuling and Su Ping areas here make good use of ceramic pots to make tea. Put the tea in a pot, bake it with slow fire, then inject boiling water and soak it in a cup for three times, which is called "making tea with three fragrances". October, winter and twelfth lunar month are the seasons for farmers to kill pigs, and some want relatives and friends to eat pig rice together. After the pig was killed in 2000, it was salted for a few days, then it was taken out and slowly smoked to yellow with fireworks, commonly known as "bacon", which could be preserved for a long time until the next year. When friends and relatives came, they used pig's trotters to entertain guests. In Gaoping, men and women get married, build houses, have children, and children are admitted to universities, celebrate birthdays and entertain guests. Generally, through the matchmaker's "begging", betrothal, door-crossing, gift-giving, meeting the bride, returning to the door and other etiquette. Nowadays, most people can freely fall in love and celebrate weddings, and customs and habits have also decreased a lot. Have children and drink to entertain friends and family. Give good news to grandma after the child is born, and give the child "three washes" on the third day after the child is born. Children make wine before the full moon, commonly known as "celebrating happiness" or "delivering meals", and make wine at the age of one. Old people who have reached the age of 60 celebrate their 60th birthday, commonly known as "whole birthday wine" or "wine for making a living", and friends and relatives set off firecrackers as a gift to congratulate them. Where there are paddy fields in Gaoping, a few villagers have to "grow wine" on the day of rice transplanting every year.

After the death of the old man, it is commonly known as "ending the curtain", and children and grandchildren burn "falling paper". Relatives and neighbors heard the news and asked people to dress the deceased in long cloth shirts. The number of pieces is generally odd, and the cloth is generally cyan and white. After the deceased is dressed, he will "go to the couch" (that is, two wooden stools will hold a board) and then enter the coffin. When he dies, he will also put a bag of paper ash in the hands of the deceased and give it to them. The night before sending the dead to the grave is called "big night". When relatives and friends found out, they went to the funeral and invited a group of craftsmen (that is, gongs and drums) to attend the funeral. That night, Mr. Taoist was asked to "clear the way" for the deceased, and the dutiful son held a "funeral stick" for his wake. Before the deceased enters the tomb, he will also ask Mr. Feng Shui to see the auspicious sunrise coffin. When the deceased is sent to the tomb at dawn, a ceremony of "sealing the coffin" is held, that is, opening the coffin, so that relatives and friends of the deceased can cry goodbye to the deceased. Then mix it with raw lacquer, tung oil and lime, and seal the coffin before the funeral. The younger generation and all the relatives and friends carried the coffin to the cemetery, and the drums and firecrackers continued all the way. On May 5th, 15th and 25th in the ancient calendar, one day was chosen to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival every year. Every year, around the tenth day of July in the ancient calendar, it is a "half moon", and the parents-in-law take the girl, son-in-law and grandson back to their parents' house for dinner.