Bai people’s Temple Fair

Culture 2012/12/20 View：2358

All along, Bai people share the traditional custom of going to a temple fair. As for temple fair date, it is always decided by the patron god consecrated in the local ancestral temple (Birthday or death day of the patron god). That day, Bai people gather together form different places to exchange culture and commodities.

In a temple fair, Tujia people, Miao people and Bai people of more than a dozen kilometers around wear their costumes and bring agricultural and sideline products. At the same time, urban and rural traders bring manual daily necessities and folk artisans bring their skills and folk vendors come with all kinds of snacks. They get together to show their different skills and talents in different fields in order to get mutual dealing and each earns his own proper things, extraordinarily bustling.

The first thing to do in a temple fair is thanking god by lifting patron god to visit the whole town. Someone guides the road with a special umbrella and a flag carrying on his shoulder. A folk band closely follows him with drums and gongs. Three people are responsible for lifting the deacon’s board. Four raise the sedan chair of patron god’s picture. Roji follows the sedan chair closely with Lubao in one hand and a conch in another. People living in towns and villages along the team’s visiting way set fireworks to welcome and worship patron god. When the team gets to the central location, everyone assembles to dance and sing and so on, talking and smiling. In the evening, they drop away after lifting patron god back to the ancestral temple with drums and gongs.

Translated by Becky

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