Huijie Festival of Achang Ethnic Minority

Overview

Chinese Name: 阿昌族会街

English Name:Huijie Festival of Achang Ethnic Minority

Date: during the eighth and ninth months of the lunar calendar

As a traditional holiday of the Achang people, theHuijie Festival usuallyfalls in mid-September of each Chinese lunar year. The Achang people believe in the Hinayana. Huijie used to be a religious get-together. Legend has it that a Ge Da Ma (In Achang language, it means Bodhisattva) overcame many difficulties on his way to the heaven for acquiring the scriptures and finally succeeding in it. Then he decided to return to the world on September 15. To welcome his return, the Achang people arranged the black dragon and white elephant; young men and women collected rice and prepared vegetarian diet for the offering. This gradually became a traditional festival.

On the occasion, men dress in blue, black or white frocks with buttons down the front and black trousers, with a bag on the shoulder. And they wear a long piece of headcloth. Married women put on clothes buttoned down the front with long and narrow sleeves, and skirts covering the knees. They also wrap puttees and black or blue head cloth. Girls mostly set their braids over their heads. They have on their chests four ranges of silver buttons on juxtaposition, on which hang four silver chains. They also wear ornaments such as flowers, chaplets, and earrings. During the holiday, the main activities includeplayingwhite elephant and black dragon dance.The white elephants and black dragons are made by handicraftsmen in the villages, who use bamboo as the frames, paper as body cover and cloth as trunk. While playing the white elephants, a man hides himself inside and draws the rope on the pulley to control the swing up and down of the trunk. Young men in attires wave the black dragons.

At the beginning of the Huijie, people tie red silk on the white elephant and black dragon. By beating drums and gongs, men and women, young or old, gather around the elephant and dragon playing team, going around the village once. Then they all come to the square, and encircle the elephant and dragon. Abruptly the drums, gongs and cymbals start beating together. People begin to perform the merry and bold Elephant-Leg Drum Dance. While dancing, the cymbal beaters keep standing side on side with the drummers, jumping left and right, extending and drawing back from time to time, body heaving like wave. They make a large stride ahead while dancing, then squat by retreating, with striding, retreating and squatting three times. When the performance reaches the upsurge, the crowd of onlookers cheer and applaud. At the same time, the white elephants shake their trunks much more frequently and the black dragons dance more fiercely.

Festival Introduction 

The Achang people regard the Green Dragon and White Elephant as symbols of good fortune and happiness. Before the festival, they must prepare the Green Dragon and White Elephant properly. On the day of the festival, as the first light of dawn breaks, young men carry long knives on their backs and play the elephant foot drum, while the young women wear vibrant ethnic costumes. They gather around the Green Dragon and White Elephant, adorned in red and green, entering the festival square amidst the sounds of drums and firecrackers. When the elder presiding over the festival announces its commencement, the sounds of drums, gongs, and clanging instruments intertwine into a harmonious medley. The Green Dragon and White Elephant come to life, with the dragon shaking its head, swaying its tail, and opening its mouth to laugh; the white elephant swings its long trunk, moves forward, and retreats, performing sliding steps, kneeling, tilting backward, and leaning forward, its clumsy antics provoking waves of laughter from the crowd. At this moment, the young men and women dance gracefully around the Green Dragon and White Elephant, leaping and moving their feet, their bodies undulating like waves, dancing and squatting together. The festival site is alive with the sounds of drums and music, with the dragon dancing and the elephant leaping, creating an atmosphere of jubilance.

Making the Green Dragon and White Elephant is not a simple task. Skilled artisans first build a frame from wood, then cover it with paper, and create the elephant’s trunk, dragon head, and dragon tail from cloth. They need to be sturdy yet lightweight, and visually appealing. During the performances, the performers hide inside the dragon’s body and the elephant’s belly. Some are responsible for lifting the dragon or moving the elephant, while others handle the dragon’s head, tail, and the elephant’s trunk. As a result, the Green Dragon can raise its head, open and close its mouth, and sway its tail, while the White Elephant can toss its trunk up and down and side to side.

Significance

The Achang people worship white tin, and the most captivating aspect of their festival is the men’s lively dance around the white elephant while playing the elephant foot drum. This also serves as a great opportunity to showcase their skills. They play and dance simultaneously, with the drumbeat varying in tempo—sometimes slow, sometimes fast—creating a brisk rhythm. The performance is often accompanied by various impressive movements involving shaking, tossing, and displaying the drum, all performed with vigor and ease. When the joyful atmosphere reaches its peak, the sound of the “chachacha” from the drums blends with laughter, expressing the open-heartedness of the Achang people and their joy in the harvest.