Flowers Festival (Fairy Festival) of Nu Ethnic Minority

Chinese Name:怒族鲜花节/仙女节/乃仍节
English Name: Flowers Festival of Nu Ethnic Minority in Gongshan County, Nujiang
The Fairy Festival, also known as the Flower Festival (怒族仙女节/鲜花节), is a traditional folk festival celebrated by the Nu ethnic group (怒族) in the Gongshan area (贡山) of Yunnan Province. It takes place on the fifteenth day of the lunar third month each year. During this time, villages choose caves with stalactites as fairy caves, and people bring sacrificial offerings to worship in a procession. The festival includes activities such as offering sacrifices to the fairy caves, greeting holy water, singing and dancing for joy, and engaging in various sports.

Legend

A long time ago, there was a girl named A Rong (阿茸) from Nujia Village. She was not only beautiful but also intelligent and resourceful. One day, while weaving at home, she noticed a spider under the eaves spinning a web. Inspired by this, she invented the slip rope. With the help of her villagers, she cut golden bamboo and wove it into slip ropes, which they erected over the torrential Nujiang River (怒江), solving the villagers’ difficulties in crossing the river. A Rong’s invention earned her the title of a fairy. However, when a slave owner learned of her talents, he sent slavers to propose marriage to her, which A Rong firmly rejected. In retaliation, the slave owner ordered his men to kidnap her relatives. A Rong, aware of the danger, sought refuge in a stalactite cave in the deep mountains. The slave owner then commanded his men to set fire to the mountains, resulting in A Rong’s tragic death. To honor her memory, the Nu ethnic group designated the day of A Rong’s passing as the Flower Festival.

Activities

Every year, thousands participate in the Flower Festival, donning festive costumes and gathering in front of the fairy cave with sacrifices and wine from surrounding villages. Lamas from Puhua Temple (普化寺) beat drums and chant sutras as everyone bows and offers flowers, seeds, and wine. According to legend, the stalactites transformed by A Rong will release holy water from the cave. Young women enter the cave to receive this holy water, and then everyone gathers to drink, sing, and dance throughout the night, praying for the blessings of fairies and mountain gods for well-being and happiness, and for the prosperity of crops and livestock. Additionally, national sports activities such as crossbow shooting, races, and wrist wrestling are also held during the festival.

Chinese Version: http://www.ynich.cn/view-ml-11110-1404.html
Translated by Olive Zhang/张银芳

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