Zhuang people singing and dancing at the San Yue San Folk Song Festival, wearing traditional costumes, showcasing rich ethnic customs
The Guangxi Zhuang People's "San Yue San" Folk Song Festival is the most grand traditional festival of the Zhuang ethnic group and one of China's intangible cultural heritages. This festival features singing as its main activity, integrating ethnic song and dance, dietary culture, sports competitions, social interactions, and matchmaking, showcasing the rich spiritual world and cultural traditions of the Zhuang people.
The origins of the "San Yue San" Folk Song Festival can be traced back to ancient Zhuang sacrificial activities, initially held to worship ancestors and pray for a good harvest. Historical records show that related customs existed as early as the Qin and Han dynasties, and by the Tang and Song dynasties, they had developed into large-scale folk gatherings with fixed dates.
The Folk Song Festival is not only a place for the Zhuang people to express their emotions but also an important carrier for inheriting ethnic culture. Over long-term development, it has integrated Zhuang totem worship, religious beliefs, marriage concepts, and life wisdom, becoming a "living fossil" that showcases the essence of Zhuang culture.
"Now Guangxi has become a sea of songs, all taught by Sanjie herself."
—— Zhuang folk saying, commemorating the contribution of Liu Sanjie, the Song Fairy, to the Zhuang folk song culture
The San Yue San Folk Song Festival features rich and diverse content, including both traditional rituals and folk entertainment, mainly consisting of the following types of activities:
During the Folk Song Festival, the Zhuang people wear traditional costumes, which are colorful and unique in style, becoming a beautiful scenery at the festival:
Traditional costumes for Zhuang men, mostly front-opening jackets with copper buttons, black or blue trousers, and headscarves
Traditional costumes for Zhuang women, featuring short tops and long skirts with exquisite embroidery, matched with silver ornaments such as headwear, necklaces, and bracelets
Zhuang characteristic silver ornaments, exquisitely crafted, including silver crowns, silver horns, and silver necklaces
The colors of Zhuang costumes are mainly blue, black, and brown, with bright colors like red and yellow as decorations. The fabrics are mostly hand-woven local cloth, embroidered with various auspicious patterns such as flowers, birds, animals, and geometric designs, reflecting the aesthetic taste and life wisdom of the Zhuang people.
During the San Yue San Folk Song Festival, the Zhuang people prepare various specialty foods, forming a unique dietary culture:
| Specialty Foods | Features and Meanings |
|---|---|
| Five-Color Glutinous Rice | Dyed with plants such as maple leaves and red-blue grass, the five colors symbolize a bumper harvest of all grains and good fortune |
| Colored Eggs | Dyed with plants like red-blue grass, symbolizing life and prosperity, and are important props for festival interactions |
| Raw Fish Slices | Fresh raw fish slices with various seasonings, a high-grade dish for entertaining distinguished guests |
| Sour Preserved Fruits and Vegetables | Various pickled fruits and vegetables, sweet and sour, aiding digestion, reflecting Zhuang dietary wisdom |
| Rice Wine | Homemade rice wine, low in alcohol content, fragrant and delicious, an essential drink for the festival |
Five-Color Glutinous Rice and Colored Eggs at the San Yue San Folk Song Festival, colorful and symbolic of good fortune
The San Yue San Folk Song Festivals in different regions of Guangxi have their own characteristics, forming rich and diverse festival cultures:
With the development of the times, the San Yue San Folk Song Festival continues to innovate while focusing on traditional protection:
In 2014, "Zhuang San Yue San" was included in the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Since 2017, Guangxi has designated "San Yue San" as a public holiday, giving people two days off to provide more opportunities for participation in this traditional festival.
Modern folk song festivals, while retaining traditional singing and competitive activities, have added ethnic cultural exhibitions, tourism promotion, business exchanges, etc., becoming an important platform for promoting local economic and cultural development. At the same time, the government and folk organizations are also actively carrying out inheritance work for folk song festival culture, cultivating the interest and participation of the younger generation.
For tourists participating in the San Yue San Folk Song Festival for the first time, the following suggestions can help you better experience this cultural feast:
The Zhuang people have a tradition of "speaking through songs." Folk songs are an important way to express emotions and exchange thoughts. At the folk song festival, people find partners, compete in wisdom, and pass on history through singing.
The five colors of Five-Color Glutinous Rice all come from natural plants: black from maple leaves, red from red-blue grass, yellow from yellow rice flowers, purple from purple-blue grass, and white from the natural color of glutinous rice itself.
Liu Sanjie is the legendary Song Fairy of the Zhuang people. Her stories and songs have had a profound impact on the formation and development of folk song festival culture. Many folk song festivals have Liu Sanjie statues or memorial sites.