On the traditional culture of Mulao nationality and its protection measures

They mainly live in Luocheng and other counties in Guangxi, and the rest are scattered in Yishan, Liupo and Du 'an near Luocheng. The word "mulao" means "mother" in Mandarin.

Mulao people have their own language. Mulao language belongs to the Shuiyu branch of Zhuang and Dong language family of Sino-Tibetan language family, but it has no characters. Most people speak Chinese and Zhuang, and use Chinese. Believe in Taoism, and some people believe in Buddhism.

Mulao people are mainly engaged in agriculture, mainly rice and corn. Farming techniques, crop varieties and production tools are basically the same as those of the nearby Han and Zhuang nationalities. Mulaoshan Township is known as the "hometown of coal", and coal mining has become an important part of production and life.

custom

The taboo of Mulao nationality is: don't say unlucky words when digging coal; Don't step on the threshold when entering the door; Don't eat cat meat, snake meat, and in some places, don't eat dog meat or pig heart.

Dietary customs

Most Mulao people are used to eating three meals in the solar eclipse, porridge for breakfast, porridge left over from breakfast for lunch, rice and rich dishes for dinner. In busy farming season, porridge is usually eaten for breakfast, and lunch and dinner are dinner. Sweet potato is one of the main auxiliary grains of Mulao nationality. Soybeans are generally fried and cooked before eating, and are used to make tofu during holidays and weddings. Every autumn, every household makes twenty or thirty Jin of bean paste with porridge.

Mulao people always like cold food. After the food is cooked, it should be cooled before eating. If you can't finish one meal, you don't have to heat the next one. Usually drink raw water.

When the Mulao people were in cook the meat, they used to "cook in white", that is, they boiled large pieces of pork or slaughtered whole chickens and ducks in water, then cut them into small pieces, and added salt or dipped in salt water when eating. Fish is often fried and beef is often fried alone.

Mulao people like to eat sour and spicy food, and every family has acid jars to pickle all kinds of pickles, such as sour beans and garlic. Folk breakfast and lunch are only served with hot and sour vegetables. Vegetables are used to boiling in water first, and then adding salt. The local specialty coal sand jar is a unique drinking utensil for cooking rice, vegetables and tea in Mulao nationality.

The typical food of Mulao people are: tofu dishes; White steamed bread is a traditional snack of Mulao nationality, which is made of cooked glutinous rice.

Holidays and festivals

In the past, the Mulao people believed in many gods and held many festivals. There are festivals almost every month of the year except October and November. The triennial "Fan Yi" Festival, also known as the "Happy Festival", is even more grand. The Yifan Festival is held on an auspicious day after beginning of winter. The main purpose of "relying on grain" is to make a wish to our ancestors, pray for the safety of people and animals, and reap a bumper harvest. The whole village danced with lions and dragons, singing and dancing, and singing opera for three days in a row. Now it is rare, because it affects production.

Every holiday, in addition to various celebrations, every household should buy rich food. Such as chicken, duck, fish, meat and glutinous rice, and different seasonal meals can also be made according to the season. Glutinous rice products are the main food for various festivals and festive days. In addition to tofu and banquets, weddings and children's full moons should also be made.

The sacrificial activities of Mulao people are mostly carried out on festivals. In the past, when there was a major festival, the whole village or several villages jointly held a collective sacrifice ceremony.