Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival of Zhuang Ethnic Minority in PIngbian County, Honghe

In the sixth month of the lunar calendar, the Zhuang people celebrate the well-known festival called the Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival. Recently, in Baihe Town, Pingbian County, at the Baihe Village Committee in Tuanjie Village, the Zhuang Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival took place as scheduled.

On July 17th, Zhuang people residing in Sanjia Village, Baihe Township, Pingbian County, engaged in colorful activities to celebrate the traditional Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival. People from villages and various ethnic groups within ten miles dressed in festive attire and gathered in the village to experience the enthusiasm and exuberance of the Zhuang community.

The Zhuang people are one of the main ethnic minorities in Pingbian County, mainly residing in Baihe Township, Xinhua Township, and Heping Township. In the long history of conquering and transforming nature, the Zhuang people have created a vibrant ethnic culture, and the Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival is a unique flower in the garden of traditional Chinese culture.

The Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival is generally held on the first day of the sixth lunar month. In the early morning of the festival, Zhuang men, women, and children change into festive attire to welcome the festival. Men slaughter chickens and ducks, while women use plant dyes like indigo leaves to prepare colorful rice. Young girls and daughters-in-law bring homemade rice wine to the village entrance to greet guests. While singing graceful toasts, they offer guests the fragrant rice wine, making visitors feel the warmth of the Zhuang people before entering the village.

At noon, on the roadside of the village, several graceful Zhuang beauties performed a lively bamboo pole dance, attracting a large crowd of onlookers. Shortly after, on the square of the village, 64-year-old ritual master Lu Yongguang conducted a sacrificial ceremony in front of a table of sumptuous dishes and fine wines. He raised his wine cup, reciting prayers for heaven, ancestors, and benefactors Yang Liulang and Yang Qilang, praying for favorable weather and abundant harvests in the coming year. Facing guests from all directions, Lu Yongguang raised his cup and made a meaningful statement: “This cup is a toast to the Party and the government, thanking them for helping us build villas and providing subsistence allowances, making the lives of Zhuang people as colorful as the flower rice, becoming increasingly beautiful.” Following his words, music began, and cultural troupes from Sanjia Village and cultural groups from He-kou County performed 15 original and self-directed programs such as “Threshing Girl,” “Zhuang Family Style,” and “Eight Angle Fragrance,” showcasing the rich Zhuang cultural characteristics and receiving applause from the audience.

The most lively part of the Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival is the face-smearing activity. At half-past three, dozens of banquet tables were set up on the square, and villagers of all ages, along with guests from all directions, enjoyed the feast, eating flower rice and drinking rice wine. Seven or eight beautiful Zhuang girls carried wine glasses, shuttling through the banquet, singing toasting songs, and offering wine. They also used paper cups filled with red paint to surprise guests by smearing their faces. The more they smeared, the deeper the blessings. With full bellies and happy hearts, people smeared each other’s faces, chasing and playing, while the sounds of singing and laughter echoed, immersing the entire Sanjia Village in a sea of joy and igniting wave after wave of enthusiasm for the Colored Glutinous Rice (Huamifan) Festival.

Chinese Version:
http://www.gxmzb.net/content/2015-07/21/content_9535.htm
https://www.kunming.cn/news/c/2018-08-20/10592917.shtml