The Miao minority in southern China celebrates the all-important GuZang festival every 13 years. They wear literally pounds of silver jewelry and take part in activities that date back thousands of years!
During the festival, the Miao always use good words to describe any detail of the occasion. For butchering a pig, they say kiss the big official; for taking a butcher knife, they say give me the leaf; for heating the stove with some straw to cook the pork, they say use the quilt to cover the official. By doing this, they try to avoid any unhappy feelings.
On the 5th day of the GuZang festival, the sacred bulls are led around the village, with firecrackers exploding all around. The bulls are adorned with colorful decorations.
The bulls are slaughtered just before dawn the next day. Their heads are put together facing east, which suggests the ancestors of the Miao come from east China. A ceremony is then held to release souls of these bulls from purgatory. At last people sing the old sacrificial songs together.
After the ceremony, the meat of bulls is divided and distributed for people to hold feasts at home.
In the next few days, the Miao continue to revel in their festival. They sing and dance with the beautiful drum music echoing through the mountains.
Bullfighting is an exciting game held during the festival. Bullfighting means two bulls fighting with each other. The bull killed in the game is considered a hero and will be buried with a big funeral. On the gravestone, his battle story is recorded.
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