About Dong Totem Worship

The Dong is an ethnic minority in China, one of the pre-Qin Baiyue tributaries. The inhabited area is mainly in the border of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and some Dongs also live in Enshi, Hubei. The total population of the Dong is about 2.96 million (2000), and in the 6th population census of 2010, the population of the Dong was 2.87 million. Below I have compiled knowledge related to Dong totem worship for you, I hope it will be useful to you.

Dong Totem Worship

The dragon is an animal god imagined by the ancients, and one of its prototypes is the snake. The dragon is the totem worshipped by all Chinese nationalities***.

The Dong people are after the ancient Yue people, in the ancient Yue people, the dragon and snake are their totems. Dong people inherited the worship of dragon and snake totem, which later evolved into dragon god. Images of dragons are common in the Dong region. In the villages of Dong people and the flags of "paragraph" organizations, there are many embroidered patterns of "flying dragon through clouds".

The Dong nationality was developed from the ancient "Baiyue" nationality, and the ancient song "Ancestors Entering the Village" says "We are the descendants of the king of Yue".

And the ancient Yue prevalent tattoo custom; "the ancient Yue is known for tattooing like a dragon, its spiritual life is also governed by the belief that the dragon and snake", this is the ancient Yue ancestors in the unimaginable fishing and hunting in the life, they found that snakes, insects and beasts are always threatening their survival and development, they are in the production of the long years in order to decorate the body, Smear snake figure "like a dragon" by chance to "avoid the harm of dragons and snakes," the opportunity to make them recognize the necessity of tattooing and eventually that they find "take sex" of the dragon and snake formula, so since then "Tattoos, carved on their skin. Tattoos originated from production skills and then developed into a social consciousness.

Snake as the image of the group developed into a powerful snake clan, gradually joined the crocodile, fish, turtle or even sheep, eagle and other clans, formed a tribal alliance, compounded into a "dragon" emblem, resulting in the Dong people's dragon totem to maintain to date.

History of Dong nationality

For the history of Dong nationality, it was developed from one of the ancient Baiyue. The place where the Dong now live belonged to Shangyu (Yue) Land of Chu in the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, Qianzhong County and Guilin County in Qin Dynasty, and Wuling County and Yulin County in Han Dynasty. It was called "the land of five streams" from the Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties to the Sui Dynasty, and "Xidong" in the Tang and Song Dynasties. From ancient times to the present, this place has been an area of minority activities. From the literature of the past dynasties, from the Spring and Autumn Period to the Qin and Han Dynasties, here are the activities of the "Yue people", "Qianzhong barbarians", "Wuling barbarians"; Wei, Jin, North and South Dynasties to the Tang and Song Dynasties, the minorities here are insulted and called "Wuxi barbarians". The minority groups here are insulted as "Wuxi barbarians" or "barbarians", and insulted as "Xidongzhou barbarians" in the Tang and Song dynasties.

This ethnic group was called "Bong" during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. In the Tang and Song dynasties, the bureaucrats further polarized into many ethnic minorities, including the Dong. Song Zhu Xi, "remember" three Miao "said:" he was in Hunan, see said Xidong barbarians Autonomous slightly four: said bureaucratic, said Gelao, said Ling, and its most efficient said Miao." Here appears "伶", is the previous Song history and Lu You writings mentioned in the "仡伶" and "仡览". In the Ming Dynasty, although the Dong people had been separated from the Bong people, there were still people who called the Dong people "Bong". For example, Kuang Lu said in his book "Chiya" at the end of the Ming Dynasty that "the Dong are also a kind of bureaucrats". Gu Yanwu of the Qing Dynasty, "the book of the world's county profits and illnesses," said: "Dong bureaucrats, the people of the mountain surface Xidong, anciently known as the mountain Yue, since the Tang and Song dynasties, the development of the immersion of the broad." Thus, the Dong, Bong, Yue several kinds of name series together.

In the early Qing Dynasty, the implementation of the "land reclassification", the Qing Dynasty on the Dong people for direct rule, the land is increasingly centralized, into the feudal landlord economic development stage. However, some remnants of clan organizations within the Dong society, such as the tribal alliance nature of the territorial bond, are still prevalent. In each clan or village, "elders" or "township elders" preside over affairs and maintain social order by customary law. The "Hepai" is divided into large and small ones. The "small section" consists of a number of neighboring villages; the "large section" consists of a number of "small section" joint. "Small paragraph head" by the village public election, "big paragraph head" by "small paragraph head" agreed. *** with the agreed "paragraph contract" must be observed, the paragraph of the people's General Assembly is the highest power organization, all adult men must participate in *** discussing matters within the paragraph. This organization has been preserved until the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China.

Religious Beliefs of the Dong Group

The Dong Group believes in many gods and worships natural objects, such as ancient trees, boulders, wells and bridges. The female god "Sasu" (meaning the first grandmother who founded the village) is the supreme god, and "Sasu Temple" is established in every village. Chicken divination, grass divination, egg divination, snail divination, rice divination, and trigram divination are used to determine good and bad luck. Some places are influenced by the Han Chinese and believe in some Han Chinese gods. Believe in the immortality of the soul. Buddhism has also been spread, there are nunneries and temples, but not many people believe. ____ and Catholicism have also been imported, but not many believers.

Culture and art of Dong nationality

The culture and art of Dong nationality is rich and colorful, and it has the reputation of "the hometown of poems and the ocean of songs". Dong poems have strict rhymes, a wide range of subjects, healthy and bright moods, and lively metaphors. Lyric poetry is beautiful and delicate, sincere and passionate. Narrative poetry, with its twists and turns and deep meaning, is an extremely precious cultural heritage of Dong folk literature. Most of the poems and lyrics are about the origin of human beings, migration and customary law, which have historical value. The most popular ones are "Zhulang Niangm", "Mangyao", "Sanlang Wumei" and "Song of the Cicada", etc. The musical tunes are many and beautiful. The musical tunes are both numerous and beautiful. The "Great Song", which is a chorus of many voices, has a loud and majestic sound and a free rhythm. Pipa Songs, named after the accompaniment of pipa or "Geyiqin" (ki212 in Dong language, commonly known as ox-legged zither), have cheerful and smooth tunes, which are unique to the Dong people. Folk tales and legends, with a wide range of subjects, diverse forms, twisted and fascinating plots, and romantic expressions, embody the rich imagination of the Dong people and the pursuit of light and the desire to overcome evil. Dong opera was developed from the original narrative rap, which began in the early 19th century, and is said to have been created by Wu Wencai (about 1798-1845) of the Liping Dong ethnic group. The steps are simple, the movements pure and simple, and the tunes are sung in a variety of voices. When singing, it is accompanied by huqin and "geyiqin", beating gongs, cymbals and drums to make a scene, wearing Dong costumes without face painting, which is rich in national colors. Dong folk dances include "Doe", Lusheng Dance, Dragon Dance and Lion Dance. "Doye" is a mass collective song and dance, either male or female, holding each other's hands and shoulders, forming a circle and singing while walking. The Lusheng Dance is a group dance in which the dancers play the Lusheng and dance at the same time. Musical Instruments In addition to the above, there are also Dong flutes and suona. The "Great Song" of the Dong people, which is a chorus of many voices, is magnificent and free. Pipa songs, accompanied by pipa or gueyiqin, are also unique to the Dong. Dong opera, which began in the early 19th century, was developed from the original narrative rap, with simple steps, simple movements, various tunes and singing voices, Dong costumes, no face painting, and strong ethnic colors. Handicrafts include flower picking, embroidery, color painting, carving, paper-cutting, paper-carving, rattan weaving and bamboo weaving. Embroidery is a craft that Dong women are good at, and they have embroidered all kinds of patterns, figures, animals, flowers, grasses and insects on their costumes, with vivid images and gorgeous colors and harmonies. Silver jewelry includes necklaces, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, silver hairpins and silver flowers. The textiles include Dong brocade, Dong Pa and Dong cloth. First indigo-dyed, then coated with protein "egg cloth", bright colors, for the inherent Dong clothing.

Drum towers and wind and rain bridges are typical representatives of Dong architecture. The Dong people are good at stone and wood construction, the drum tower, wind and rain bridge is the crystallization of its architectural art. The drum tower is a wooden structure with mortise and tenon joints and no iron nails. There are three, five to fifteen layers, 4 or 6 sides or 8 sides inverted water, 4 to 5 feet high, heavy eaves, like a pagoda, magnificent, is the clan or village signs, but also the public meeting place of the proceedings. The storm bridge is a wooden bridge with stone pier, promenade and pavilion, which is majestic and magnificent, Chengyang Bridge in Sanjiang County is the most famous, and has been listed as a cultural relic unit under national key protection.

Dong embroidery

The first China Intangible Cultural Heritage Expo, jointly organized by the Ministry of Culture of China and Shandong Provincial Government, was grandly held in Shungong International Convention and Exhibition Center in Jinan, Shandong Province. Sanjiang County Dong embroidery and Dong brocade, two autonomous region-level intangible cultural heritage projects, participated in the fair and won the "Excellent Organization Award", and Shi Dongjuan and Shi Hanqun of Sanjiang County won the "Inheritor's Display Award".

Dong embroidery has become one of the famous embroideries in China with its unique production technology, rich national characteristics, rich and deep cultural connotations, bright and harmonious colors, elegant and dignified quality and distinctive national style. In the exposition, the production techniques of Dong brocade and Dong embroidery, the exquisite and incomparable weaving and embroidery crafts attracted tens of thousands of visitors to Guangxi exhibition area.

The artworks of Dong embroidery are numerous, and the embroidery of headscarf pattern, baby carrier, women's breast pocket, cloth flower shoes, shoe insoles, tobacco bag and satchel are quite extensive.