What's the festival on April 8th? How do Miao people spend the eighth day of April?

The eighth day of April every year is a traditional folk festival of many ethnic minorities in China, among which the Miao people's festival on this day is the most distinctive. So how do Miao people spend the eighth day of April?

The eighth day of the fourth lunar month is a traditional Miao festival every year. Legend has it that in ancient times, there was an Yayi Miao leader who was smart and brave, and led the Miao people to fight against the cruel rulers. After the uprising, the insurgents won successively and arrived in Hunan, Sichuan, Guizhou and other places. On April 8, the following year, Yayi died unfortunately near the existing fountain in Guiyang. In order to commemorate this national hero, remember the achievements of Yayi and carry forward the spirit of national heroism, the Miao people hold a series of grand commemorative activities every year on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.

On the eighth day of the fourth lunar month, Miao people put on silver ornaments and new clothes, and gathered from the top of the mountain, the mountainside and Pingba to the meeting place on the eighth day of April. On this day, there will be Nuo opera, going up the knife ladder, going down the fire, dancing lions, playing flower drums, singing competitions, playing suona, playing konoha, playing autumn cricket and asking for help. In recent years, with the in-depth development of reform and opening up, commemorative activities have added new contents such as economic and trade negotiations, artistic and cultural discussions, and tourism. Today's traditional Miao festival on April 8th has become a comprehensive activity for the Miao people to show their national culture, strengthen national unity, attract investment, promote economic development and build spiritual civilization, attracting more and more scholars, tourists and businessmen. The activities are also increasing year by year.

The commemoration of April 8 held by Songtao Miao people has never stopped since ancient times. Even after the Qing Miao uprising, the Miao people in Songtao always take various ways to commemorate this event on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month. After liberation, inspired by the Party's ethnic policy, the traditional Miao festival was held more grandly on April 8th.

In recent years, the Songtao Miao people have held the commemoration activities of the Miao people in the Hunan-Guizhou border region on April 8 in Sheji and Daxing. At the same time, grand commemorative activities were held in Pan Xin, Niulang and Xiangshui Cave. In addition to the Miao people, there are Miao people in Hunan and Sichuan, as well as scholars, businessmen and tourists from Shanghai and Beijing, attracting a large number of foreign tourists from Japan and South Korea.

Songtao Miao festival flower drum is quite famous, and its forms mainly include two kinds of drums: two-sided drum and four-sided drum. In addition to a fixed drum in the middle, the other two drums play against each other, and men's and women's doubles are also allowed.

Four-sided drum, also called octave ensemble, is the king of flower drum of Songtao Miao nationality and the main symbol of flower drum art of Songtao Miao nationality. The performance is both complicated and difficult. There are four performers and eight performers. When performing for four people, each person plays drums, which requires that the drums, drums, rhythm and movements must be consistent, the speed should be coordinated, and the drums should be transposed from time to time, which is complicated and not chaotic. Eight people perform, two people on each side, one drumming and the other two performing side by side; The steps of the octet must correspond. Four-sided drum is evolved from double-sided drum. The drums on all sides are magnificent and magnificent, and the colored silks are intertwined, which is dazzling, exciting and lingering.

Songtao Miao nationality is inspired by flowers, with clear and cheerful rhythm, meticulous and generous coordination, rich and beautiful movements and simple and novel style. It has been praised as one of the treasures of contemporary China folk culture and art by Chinese and foreign scholars and tourists, and its performances have spread all over China, enjoying a good reputation at home and abroad.