Wooden Drum Festival of Wa Ethnic Minority

Chinese Name:佤族木鼓节
English Name: Wooden Drum Festival of Wa Ethnic Minority
Date: 13-14 April
Place: Menglian County, Pu’er City
Menglian is one of the two places called home by the Wa ethnic group in China, with the other one being Cangyuan County of Lincang City; and wooden drums are the most sacred religious instruments in the Wa ethnic society.

Wa Ethnic Group Wooden Drum Festival

The Wooden Drum Festival is divided into three parts: the “Lamu Drum,” the “Jumping Drum,” and the “Ritual Drum.” It is typically held before the sowing of dry crops and after the harvest. The wooden drum is considered a sacred artifact of the Wa ethnic group, said to have been created by the celestial god Mo Wei. The Wa calendar’s “Grey Moon” (equivalent to December in the Gregorian calendar) is the time when the Wa people historically held community-wide Lamu Drum festivals. In 2002, April 10-12 was established as the official date for the Wa Wooden Drum Festival in China. The wooden drum, unique to the Wa ethnic group, is often carved from a single piece of red-haired tree with a diameter of about 0.8 meters and a length of approximately 2 meters. The Wa people use it for rituals, alarms, gathering villagers, and entertainment, prominently showcasing their cultural arts and folk customs.

Introduction

The Lamu Drum, Jumping Drum, and Ritual Drum activities are generally held before the sowing of dry crops and after the harvest. During this period, there is no specific unified date for the festival across villages; each village selects its own date. To respect local customs while allowing all ethnic groups in the county to celebrate together, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Ximeng Wa Autonomous County determined that April 10-12 would be the Wa Wooden Drum Festival in 2002. The “Grey Moon” is the historical time for the Wa community to hold the Lamu Drum festival.

Customs

The Wa people use the wooden drum for rituals, alarms, gathering villagers, and entertainment. Each Wa village has one or several wooden drum houses where the drums are kept. Festival activities emphasize showcasing ethnic cultural arts and folk customs. Additionally, tours are organized to scenic spots such as Longtan, Tianchi, Masan Reservoir, Yongdong Waterfall, Likang Waterfall, Gale Waterfall, caves in the Daigela River, Mo Wo Cave, Mangxing Cave, and various tropical rainforest landscapes. If the weather is favorable, visitors can also enjoy the vast sea of clouds over the Wa Mountains. During the festival, committee members are responsible for introducing Ximeng’s economic development resources and conducting trade discussions. The three-day festival features stage performances of ethnic cultural arts, large-scale folk exhibitions, rural folk performances, ethnic sports competitions, and a bonfire night of ethnic singing and dancing, providing diverse activities and colorful content.

Legends

The Wa people regard the wooden drum as a supreme artifact that connects them to the heavens, serving as a protector of the villagers. Its origins lie in the totem worship of ancestors during matriarchal society. Every Wa village has a wooden drum house dedicated to the drum. For centuries, the sound of the drum has echoed through the mountains, allowing communication with ancestors and deities, driving away evil spirits, praying for village safety, and rallying community members to fend off invasions.

The grand activities surrounding the wooden drum mainly include Lamu Drum, Jumping Drum, and Ritual Drum. Although these events do not occur consecutively, they are all celebrated with enthusiasm, grandeur, joy, and spectacle. They showcase the rich local ethnic characteristics of the Wa people, including their religion, songs, dances, food, clothing, and etiquette.

Process

April 10
On the first day of the festival, the village chief and “Moba” (the priest) travel at night to a selected tall red-haired tree to perform rituals (offering sacrifices, exorcising demons, and reciting prayers). After the rituals, the Moba chops the tree a few times, and others work overnight to fell the tree. They place three stones on the tree stump, signifying a sacrifice to the tree spirit. The trunk is then cut to the desired size, and drum ears are carved out, while vines are tied around it.

April 11
On the morning of the second day, all the village men, young and old, dress in festive attire and head up the mountain to pull the drum. The Moba leads the singing of the “Lamu Drum” song while coordinating the movements. People sprinkle water and wine on the ground as the drum is being pulled, with the men dancing and singing, while others cheer and offer food and drink. The drum is temporarily placed outside the village gate for two or three days. The Moba sacrifices a chicken, after which the large trunk is taken to the drum house for crafting. During this day, both men and women participate in pulling the drum, with many claiming it’s a good opportunity for romance, leading to long-lasting fun and festivities. Once the drum is finished and satisfactory, it is carried into the drum house, where people celebrate again, dancing to the rhythm of the drum.

Significance

1. Rituals: The Wa wooden drum serves multiple purposes, including rituals. Before 1958, Wa hunters would use the drum to perform rituals when they hunted large animals like tigers and leopards. The Moba would make offerings and pray for the village’s safety and bountiful harvests.
2. Alarms: The drum is also used as an alarm. It is sounded when the village faces external threats or fires, calling the villagers to defend against invaders or extinguish fires.
3. Entertainment: The drum is primarily an instrument for songs and dances, being the most important use of the wooden drum since the liberation.

Other Related Information

Lamu Drum
The Lamu Drum is one of the major ritual activities of the Wa people and a significant event for the entire village. It usually occurs in the 11th lunar month (the 1st month of the Wa calendar) and lasts six to seven days. Before the festival, the village leaders and the Moba discuss arrangements and send people to select trees suitable for making the drum, preferably red-haired or flowering peach trees. They determine the “main sacrificial family,” with the headman deciding through divination if there are many volunteers. Before the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, each Wa village had at least one pair of wooden drums (one male and one female) kept in the drum house, which were not to be touched except during festivals, rituals, and alarms. Generally, the drums are replaced every ten years, making the Lamu Drum festival especially grand and sacred.

There is a legend that the Wa people have an ancestor named Anmu Guai, who knew many ways to overcome floods and wild beasts. One day, a large tree fell in front of her cave. This ancient tree, with a hollow center, produced a loud sound when struck. Anmu Guai would strike the tree during the day to gather people for hunting and collecting, and at night, to lead them in singing and dancing around the bonfire. At that time, people could only fight wild beasts with sticks and stones. During the day, humans could defeat them, but at night, the beasts would attack people. After Anmu Guai began striking the ancient tree, the beasts were frightened away by the sounds and dances of humans, allowing people to survive in the mountains.

Another legend suggests that the Lamu Drum is used to worship the god Mo Wei, whom the Wa people regard as the embodiment of their ancestors. He resides in the heavens but descends to earth when the wooden drum is sounded, protecting the people and sharing in their joy. Therefore, the Wa people view the wooden drum as a connection to the heavens, and the first major task after establishing a village is to hold a Lamu Drum ceremony to honor their ancestors.

Wa Calendar’s First Month

On the morning of the Lamu Drum day, a bull is sacrificed as the first ritual of the Wa ethnic group during major festivals. The bull is tied to a “bullhorn fork” (a wooden fork resembling bull horns placed in the village square), where the Moba performs a dance and recites prayers before signaling the men holding spears to thrust into the bull’s right shoulder. A successful sacrifice occurs when the bull falls to the left, spraying blood upwards for good luck; otherwise, the ritual continues until auspicious signs appear.

In the afternoon, preparations are made with knives, axes, guns, crossbows, spears, and other tools, and the guns are tested. Around 7 PM, the Moba and others fire guns to gather the young men to pull the drum. A few people with knives, axes, and torches clear the path. Once everyone has gathered, they shoot at the selected tree’s treetop to scare away the tree spirits. The Moba then recites spells and chops the tree a few times before everyone takes turns cutting it down. Once the tree falls, three stones are placed on the stump as “tree cushions” to prevent the tree spirit from escaping. A section of the trunk over two meters long is carved into the drum, with two holes drilled at each end for vines to be tied.

That night, those who helped make the drum sleep beside it while the youth dance around it. The next morning, the village men and women bring fine food and drink to the tree-cutters. As soon as the sun rises, the Lamu Drum festivities begin, led by the Moba and village chief, who use tree branches to sing the Lamu Drum song while coordinating the movements. Men and women joyfully pull the drum together, with dozens participating, alternating between pulling, dancing, and celebrating loudly. The drum is left outside the village gate for one or two days until the Moba performs a chicken sacrifice, after which the new drum can enter the village.

When the new drum enters the village, people from neighboring villages come to congratulate, filling the village with joy, drumming, and shooting guns. The Moba places eggs and dried rats at the base of the drum, reciting spells. After the incantations, the men begin to beat the drum, and everyone dances around it, honoring the festival through joy and celebration.

During this time, the Moba invites special guests from neighboring villages to a ceremony known as “Gengwen,” where villagers perform a circle dance around the drum, singing and expressing joy. The festivities continue for several days, culminating in the villagers taking the drum to a place known as “Drum Mountain” to pray for blessings.

The Wa ethnic group’s Wooden Drum Festival is not only a celebration of their culture but also serves as a means to promote unity, reinforce traditions, and honor their history and ancestors. The festival stands as a vibrant expression of the Wa people’s identity and heritage.