Huayao folk custom

★ The mysterious Huayao ―― a gorgeous nation named after flower picking. According to Ying Shao's "Customs" in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Yao ancestors "wove veneer, dyed grass and wore five colors". Before the Han Dynasty, Yao people picked flowers. The importance of picking flowers, in a humanistic sense, is that among Huayao people who have no words, they wrote a history book in their own unique way and put it on. Huayao women usually pick flowers on dresses, leg straps, trouser legs, belts, sleeves, jackets, headscarves, suspenders and aprons. Every flower picking work is a superb work of art, with many patterns: flowers and trees, birds and beasts, people's lives, ancient legends and so on. Its ingenious conception, reasonable layout, simple and complex patterns and overall symmetry reflect strong national characteristics and local flavor.

Huayao women choose flowers (called "holding cups" in Yao language), but they have a pair of discerning eyes and skillful hands. They embroider what they see and choose what they think. They fix the position of patterns according to the size of roving homespun, and then use various yarns, silk threads and wool to pick out various colorful patterns without designing, typing, tracing and lofting, and fly needles according to their pregnant drafts.

The earliest theme of flower picking was flowers and trees: large-character flowers, rock flowers (Yao language called "cup-dry contract") and flower clusters (Yao language called "cup-dry support"). Animals appear most frequently in Huayao's flower picking content, such as "Double Dragons for Treasure", "Double Lion Bowl", "Double Snakes for Potential", "Cockfighting", "Double Goose for Good News", "Hundred Birds Get Up Early", "Carp yue longmen" and so on .... Influenced by the Han culture, the theme of Huayao women hunting and picking flowers has reached the ancient legend: "What's the trouble with the sea" and "The Monkey King was born", which has become a masterpiece of flower picking art.

Huayao's flower picking is not only practical, but also pursues beautiful color decoration. They like to use strong exciting colors, such as bright red headdress hat (called "Paite Dian" in Yao language) and headscarf (called "Xiao Zi" in Yao language), dark blue coat (white in summer), colorful belt (called "special file" in Yao language) and gray uniform flowered skirt (called "Dun" in Yao language). If the headdress and dress are mainly grayish white and the color is dim, it is a dress to wear when mourning. Huayao picks flowers with ordinary hand-sewn stitches, and picks them one by one on indigo or white roving homespun with a single white thread or multicolored thread and wool. It takes more than 250,000 stitches to sew a dress worn by an adult woman, and it takes more than six months to pick and paste it. It is called the "Great Wall" on the flowing homespun by Huayao people. Judging the value and talent of a Huayao woman, the ability to pick flowers is the most important. Huayao women have been influenced by flower picking skills since childhood. They began to learn to pick flowers when they were six or seven years old. A stupid woman who picked flowers when she was old and dizzy could not find a good husband's family. Flower-picking clothes are still the traditional dowry of Huayao girls. When they got married, they had more than a dozen dresses, belts and leg straps ... those dowry flowers were enough to hang a small exhibition hall.

The fabric used for flower waist pick-up is polyester fabric, which is twisted by ordinary polyester yarn in both warp and weft directions, and is divided into full elastic and semi-elastic. If it's filament twisting, it's single-jet. 1S* 1Z or 2S*2Z is a double-flowered Yao, which looks like a shallow horizontal plain weave with fine weft and thick warp. Huayao women also have a unique skill-weaving patterned ribbons (called "tread code" in Yao language). Bamboo BBQ 17 holes, 9 holes on the top and 8 holes on the bottom. Pass 17 multicolor wool through the small hole and tie it between the waist and the big toe. Tie a set of lifting pins on the 17 colored thread, and then pop up the lifting pins, and freely weave different patterns and colored strips with double threads, which can reach tens of meters in length. Sew patterned ribbons (called "special code" in Yao language) on bamboo baskets, and colorful headdresses and hats will be made.

Yao is a nation that loves beauty. The primitive and simple natural scenery of Yaoshan gives Huayao women unlimited inspiration, and the skill of picking flowers deeply attracts guests coming and going. ★ Mysterious Wonders of Ancient Trees in Yaoxiang No matter what season, when you set foot on this land of Yaoxiang, the first thing that catches your eye is those ancient trees that are lonely or clustered in hills and hinterland.

The towering ancient trees in Yaoxiang are protected by Huayao people with their lives. For thousands of years, the tree protection tradition of "cutting trees without cutting people" has been passed down from generation to generation, which has made the trees in this land still bathe in today's sunshine and dew after thousands of years of wind, frost, rain and snow, forming a unique spectacle of Yaoxiang.

In Yaoxiang, where there are ancient trees, there are people, and the village does not leave the tree, and the tree does not leave the village. The tree is the patron saint of the flower-waisted people and ancient villages. There are several reasons why flower-waisted people love and protect trees so much. First, Feng Shui Powder Mountain said that the ancestral graves of Huayao people are generally buried in a treasure trove of Feng Shui according to their surnames. From then on, they can't break ground here, let the vegetation thrive into a dense forest of powder mountains, and put a curse on every grass and tree here: if a hair is disturbed here, the underground soul will not be peaceful, and ordinary people will not be peaceful. Therefore, the trees in the powder mountain forest are not allowed to be cut down, and no one dares to cut them down, leaving the towering ancient forest on the mountain.

Second, Fengshuikou said that Huayao Shanzhai is generally located in the hinterland of the mountains. The mountains meet in front of the stockade, and the place where the water flows out is called Shuikou, which is the front door of the stockade. Here, ancient trees must be allowed to guard the water mouth. Legend has it that the decline of the ancient trees in Shuikou can predict the good or bad in the stockade: if the biggest ancient tree in Shuikou dies, the big shots in this stockade may also leave. No one dares to touch the ancient trees in Shuikou, for fear of attracting the superstitious "five-faced mountain evil spirit". Of course, the flower waist people will never let people touch these sacred trees, leaving a dense ancient forest in the hinterland.

In Huayao people's mind, the old tree has aura and it is impossible to touch him again. If someone's baby is too big for parents to take care of, or his life is full of parents, and no one dares to accept it, the best way is to send it to an old tree, recognize it as the father, and go to worship on holidays, which can also eliminate disasters and turn evil into evil. Any ancient tree covered with red cloth, with a small porcelain bowl and traces of burning incense under it, proves that its human beings have sent many children to their grandchildren.

In the long feudal history, Huayao nationality was an excluded and expelled nationality. During the great national migration, they went deep into the dense forest and used the dense ancient forest to avoid the pursuit of swords and shadows. After a long time, they regard trees as protectors and worship and care for them as if they were protecting their own lives.

Walking into the mysterious ancient forest of Yaoxiang, I felt feelings, joy, sadness and fear, as if I were a devout believer in worshipping ancient trees.

Walking into Huayao Ancient Village, on the 28th of the twelfth lunar month in the ninth year of Guangxu, a stone tablet of "Forever Storage and Forbidden" stood at the foot of the ancient forest, which was the earliest well-preserved stone tablet of closing hillsides to facilitate afforestation in Yaoxiang. Although the inscription has been weathered, the content is vague and illegible, but the theme of "forever sealed and forbidden" and the time of erecting the monument are still clear. From the theme of the forbidden monument "forever storing the forbidden monument", it can be seen that Huayao people at that time were determined to close the mountain to facilitate afforestation and protect their green homes.

The ancient trees in Yaoxiang are evergreen, deciduous and strewn at random. Cyclobalanopsis glauca and Quercus variabilis are the most abundant, and the four seasons are monotonous. The scenes in different seasons have their own characteristics, which makes people tired of seeing them all year round.

When you step into the ancient forest of Yaoxiang, you enter the endless forest of legends and stories. Flower waist people are named according to the shapes of crown, branches, roots and trunks, the combination between trees, and the baking lining between trees and their surroundings. What are "Husband and Wife Never Leave", "The Millennium Rich Man", "The Besieged", "The Goddess Scattered Flowers" and "Drunk on the Tower Tip" ...

In the ancient forest of Chongmudang, two ancient trees with different purposes were born together, which is also called "childhood friends, two children have no guess". The stout old tree is the husband, and the slender tree next to it is the wife. When the height of the trunk reaches tens of feet, they suddenly embrace each other, snuggle together and become one. From here, they branch and grow leaves in all directions, making visitors imagine that "they love life and have a full house of children and grandchildren", hence the name "husband and wife cannot be separated".

The "Millennium millionaire" also lives in Chongmudang. According to the preliminary identification of scientific researchers, this tree is 1500 years old and belongs to the Millennium Tree King of Yaoshan. It is called "Zabiduo" in Yao language and belongs to Shuiqinggang. In local Chinese, it is called "Three Man Zi" tree. Legend has it that a long time ago, the fruit of "Zabiduo" was a tribute given to the emperor by Huayao people every year. Charcoal roasting this kind of fruit is crisp and refreshing, and it can prolong life. A liter of fruit is worth a liter of golden melon seeds, and it has been called "rich tree" for generations.

The tight encirclement is located behind the diaojiao building in Chongmudang ancient village, and now it is called Dui Gelin, which is the best place for Huayao to sing folk songs. Here, the old trees cover the sky, the thick trunk groups are piled up on the rocky hillside, the bare roots are criss-crossed, like dragons playing in the water, like silver snakes arching the ground, and the roots and waves are layered and pushed into the distance. You can't run without singing folk songs, and you can't run without winning. The branches and leaves in the sky are blocked, and the roots and nets in the ground are also blocked. There are ruthless old trees and enthusiastic Huayao boys and girls all around. Once you throw yourself into their arms, you will be punished-throw you high and grab you and swing around on all fours; I also reward you-countless donkeys have webbed on your legs, so that you can enjoy the highest etiquette of Huayao Dai people in hospitality-knotting donkeys. So "tight encirclement", everyone wants to go in, and no one wants to escape.

It's hard to meet "split flowers". If you catch up with the beginning of March in the solar calendar, you will come to the temple and thatched cottage to wait for the "heavenly daughter to scatter flowers." A thousand-year-old tree standing in front of the stockade is tens of meters high in Gu Zhuo. It is vigorous and needs four or five people to hold hands to enclose it. Every year in early spring and March, in a short time, clusters of white flowers, shaped like horns and about two inches long, will bloom on the branches. The rich fragrance is refreshing, and people call it "Bai Shu". This kind of flower is very special, it seems to bloom overnight and soon wither. The scene of falling flowers is very beautiful, and artists visiting from other places call it "goddess scattered flowers" The local Yao villagers can judge the success of the year from the number, length and coverage of the scattered flowers, which is said to be very accurate! In people's minds, "goddess scattering flowers" is the most effective ceremony that nature did to predict the success of that year.

At the top corner of Xianglushan Temple, the first fairy peak in Yaoxiang, a big stone with a hat looks like the top cover of the pagoda from the foot of the mountain. Looking from a distance, a drunk is lying on the top of the tower, with a vivid image. A closer look shows that this is also a Millennium Gu Song, too old to stand up, lying on a big stone, and people also call it a "husband and wife tree". It's a pity that this "thousand-year-old couple" has been separated by Yin and Yang. Before liberation, my wife died of old age, and now she has no bones. Since then, the "husband" has been drowning his sorrows in wine all day, living an ignorant life of "dry wine" and mistaking the spire for his own bed. How dangerous!

There are many kinds of ancient trees in Yaoxiang, and stories and legends can never be told.

Looking back at the ancient forest in Yaoxiang, there is another scene that is shocking. The old tree is still standing, and the fallen tree is still lying. These lifeless postures give you a lot of reverie: "Roaring in the sky", "Raptors crossing the river" and "the imperial concubine is drunk" ... This kind of incomplete and lifeless beauty is even more exciting.

To write Huayao culture into a book, the ancient trees in Yaoxiang are the most important lines and words in each chapter, which makes people fondle it. Dayuan, the most distinctive ancient stockade in Yaoxiang, is said to be Huayao stockade built on a big stone. "Waterfalls and flowing springs hang straight into the sky, and the scenery is beautiful and colorful." The beautiful natural ecological environment of Huayao Villa is composed of ancient villages, skyscrapers, grotesque boulders, beautiful streams and rivers, ancient trees in primitive secondary forests, newly revealed magical grand canyons, wild waterfalls and deep pools like fairy lakes. As for the mysterious Grand Canyon, it is under the jurisdiction of Dagu, with a total length of about 17.8 km. Originated in Qingshan 'ao Village, it passes through Sijiaotian, Datuo, Zhou Peng and Baishuidong Villages and extends to Jiuxijiang Township, Pu Shu. The four corners of the source field have beautiful scenery, and the river is clear and leisurely. Running water surrounds the valley, forming countless S-shapes. There are cliffs on both sides of the canyon, and the terrain is very dangerous. The flowing water forms a series of waterfalls, including more than 60 waterfalls with a height of15m and more than 80 deep pools.

In July, 2002, a team of scholars, including Professor Peking University, a famous poet and scholar Peng Menglong, a folk photographer Liu Qihou, a famous poet Kuang Guotai and a TV producer Liu Nianduo, discovered the deep and steep Yaoshan Grand Canyon when taking photos in Huxingshan Yao Township, Longhui County. Peng only said: "Zhangjiajie has mountains and no water, Huangguoshu has water and no mountains, and Jiuzhaigou has mountains and water, but how can it compare with Yaoshan scenery?" Yaoshan not only has mountains and waters, but also has strong folk customs, which can be regarded as a treasure trove of feng shui. " The second "begging for a bride" was held from the eighth day to the tenth day of the seventh lunar month in Chongmudang, a Yao township in Tiger Mountain today, and later in Xiaoshajiang Street, five miles away. The festival originated in the first year of Yongzheng in Qing Dynasty (1723). Seven Sisters, a Yao nationality in Lower Shandong (now Xiaoshajiang Town, Longhui County), was hunted down by more than 200 people led by Liao Yuanweng, a gentry of Han nationality, causing Yao resistance. Liao lied about the military situation, saying that the Yao people rebelled, and the Qing Dynasty immediately sent tens of thousands of troops to suppress it. Huayao people fought bravely and suffered heavy casualties. In Dashajiang, there was a big battle with the Qing soldiers. Xiaoshajiang was defeated and fought with the pursuers. Hundreds of Yao people were killed or injured in both places. Those who survived were forced to retreat to Matang Mountain for seclusion. The Qing soldiers took Wudu directly, with seven ridges and eight villages. The Yao people leaned on it and guarded it by one person. The steep terrain was inaccessible, and they constantly haunted the mountains and attacked the Qing soldiers, killing them with trepidation and being unable to join the army. Later, Pu Gongxiang, the leader of Xupu Yao nationality, led a crowd to attack Longtan, cutting off the rear road of the Qing army, causing the Qing army to be forced to stop fighting, and the two sides negotiated peace, and withdrew their troops from Longhui Temple (now Simenqian Town, Longhui County), Xiaoshajiang and Wulijiang (in Xupu County), and the Yao people only partially bypassed the caves. However, under the pursuit of the local Han gentry, most of the Yao people were scattered in the deep mountains and forests, and finally they could not return to the center where the Yao people used to live (about Dongjiang and Dashajiang in Xiaoshajiang Town today). Today, with this area as the center, a situation of "no Yao in ten miles" has also been formed. After the Yao people made peace with the Qing soldiers, they renamed Dashajiang and Xiaoshajiang as Dashajiang and Xiaoshajiang to commemorate the warriors who fought (later, more and more Han people moved to the local area to restore their original names in order to strengthen national unity) and held a grand rally to commemorate them.

The three traditional festivals of Huayao "herding Miao" were originally revenge gatherings to commemorate the three historical killings of Huayao ancestors. With the passage of history, these three traditional festivals have evolved into festive festivals where people go shopping, get together, young men and women sing and dance, and talk about love. Every year in this * * * nine-day festival, Huayao people, regardless of sex, age, family and mouth, all wear festive costumes, go to the gathering place, or go shopping, or visit relatives and friends, or sing to each other, or enthusiastically show Huayao's mysterious and simple customs ... Now people of all ethnic groups all over the world also participate in this activity.