Folkways and customs of the Buyi people

The Buyei people, who live on the border of southwestern China, keep vigil all night long on New Year's Eve every year. At dawn, the girls compete to go outside their houses to pick water, and whoever picks back the first load of water is the most diligent girl. The Jingpo people there like to hold target shooting activities before the Spring Festival, and the girls are the organizers and referees of this activity. They hang embroidered purses on bamboo poles with threads and swing them from side to side in the tips of trees, inviting young men to shoot. Whoever shoots down the purse first, the girls give the wine as a prize. The purse usually contains a coin, a few grains of grain and a few decorative beads as a symbol of happiness.