Intangible Cultural Heritage Introduction to Xianglang Festival

Introduction to Xianglang Festival

Xianglang Festival is a traditional festival popular among Tibetan people in the Gannan a

Intangible Cultural Heritage Introduction to Xianglang Festival

Introduction to Xianglang Festival

Xianglang Festival is a traditional festival popular among Tibetan people in the Gannan area of ??Gansu Province. The festival originated from the annual activity of monks from Labrang Monastery going out to collect firewood, and gradually evolved into a festival for monks and laypeople to go out together. "Xianglang" means collecting firewood in Tibetan. Because firewood is called "Xiang" in Tibetan and firewood is called "Lang" in Tibetan, it is named "Xianglang". The Xianglang Festival is usually held around the 15th day of the 6th lunar month every year and starts on the 6th day of the 6th lunar month. During the festival, there were originally rituals such as simmering mulberry and inserting arrows, which later gradually developed into pure entertainment.

The Xianglang Festival is mainly spread in the Xiahe area in southern Gansu. Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture borders Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture to the north, and Dingxi and Longnan regions to the east. It is a multi-ethnic area with Tibetans as the main body. Xiahe County is a quiet town surrounded by mountains and grasslands. Because of Labrang Monastery, Xiahe has been the political, economic, religious and cultural center of the Amdo region for a long time.

According to historical records, the "Xianglang Festival" was first created by Master Jamyang, the fourth generation of Labrang Monastery, during the peak season of Gazang Tudan. Over time, people living in the villages near the temple followed suit and promoted and passed down the activities of the monks as a very good labor and entertainment custom, and it became a habit. Later, the content of the "Xianglang" festival continued to be enriched and its influence continued to expand, becoming a common festival for all ethnic groups living in the Labrang area.