Taiguanren Festival in Congjiang

The Dong use the lunar calendar and hold numerous festivals throughout the year giving the young an opportunity to meet boys and girls from neighboring villages.

Taiguanren, in Chinese, it means 'Carrying the Governors Parade', it is an interesting folk activity remaining among the neighboring villages of TangAn, Jitang, congjiang and Zhaoxing, has a history of 300 years. It has an obvious local cultural characteristic.

Actors turgidly reappear historical society lifestyle, legends etc. via dressing and face painting. They dress themselves as face painted beggars, face covered knights, brandishing-stick fighters, nude lifters and the 'governor'. The 'governor' is usually impersonated with male youth or child. It is usually held by Dong people during the New Year days when they go to neighboring village as guests.

The action going to neighboring villages to be guests during New Year's days is called 'Yuehuo' by Dong people, is their unique habitude. During the process, they perform Dong operas, have parties to sacrifice Sasui, hold games of performing lusheng, perform cantatas, sing songs with pipa obbligato, sing toasting songs etc, the activity uplifting governor is the whoopee upsurge of 'Yuehuo'. It is so interesting that all of actors and spectators are usually mad with joy.

After the main events of a festival, girls and boys sit opposite each other singing together until dawn. The next morning, dressed in their best costume, the girls sit under the drum towers while the boys and men persuade the girls and women to go with them to their village to continue the festival.

Men from a neighboring village dress up as government officials and soldiers and visit local people who are dressed as bandits, goblins, and strange animals.

A man dressed in silk like government official is paraded through the village in a sedan chair. Everyone asks him for money and it is only when his purse is emptied that the girls clear the way for him to continue. The money is a New Year gift given by the guests to the host village dressed in their festival clothes. After the parade both villages entertain each other with songs under the drum tower. It can be regarded as an excuse for fun by the Dong people.

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