DONG CULTURE
The Dong people are one of China's ethnic minorities and a nation with a very long history. In the long river of history, the Dong people have created a rich and colorful national culture with strong autonomy and openness. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the Dong culture has been influenced by the Han culture. After absorption and integration, the Dong culture still shines with its own unique light.
1. Language Culture:
With a variety of tones, it is called "beautiful notes" by the linguistic community
The language characteristics of the Dong people are that the tone structure is composed of certain initials and finals. Each syllable has a tone, and the tone and the coordination of initials and finals have a mutually restrictive relationship. Characteristics of the Dong language: word order and function words are the main means of expressing meaning. The basic word order of word combination is the subject-predicate-object structure. The usage of general function words is roughly the same. The vocabulary characteristics are that most syllables have tones, the word formation method is basically the same, and there are a considerable number of cognates. In addition to being closely related to its cognate languages, the Dong language also has several characteristics of its own: First, in terms of phonetics, there are refinements in the finals and differentiation of tones. Professor Wu Qizhu, an expert in the phonology of the Dong language, believes that the Dong language has 6 tones and 2 to 4 abrupt tones. When the second and third tones of the southern Dong language are used together, the sound change rules are the same as the tone change rules in the Chinese phonetic system. The Dong language has a variety of tones and is one of the languages with the most tones in the world, so it is called "beautiful musical notes" by the linguistic community. Second, the initial consonant system of the Dong language is relatively simple. Most languages of the Zhuang-Dong language family have stop initials, and the Dong language has lost the continuous stop consonants. Third, in terms of vocabulary, in addition to words with the same origin as its cognate languages, the Dong language has a large number of words unique to the Dong language, which constitute the basic vocabulary of the Dong language. However, the structure of the Dong language is dominated by monosyllabic roots, and most words can be used alone, which is extremely beneficial for the singing of folk songs, making the rhythm of Dong songs rich and colorful. However, there are also unique features in grammar, such as the adjectives in the Dong language can be followed by objects.
2. Rice culture:
A complete set of traditional farming methods with rice planting as the main body has been formed
The rice culture of the Dong people is one of the founders of China's rice culture. Before the 1960s, most areas of the Dong people mainly planted rice and rice was the staple food. The "hundred jin (bags wanhl)" still used in every household is the name of an early variety of rice in ancient language (later evolved into a general term for grain in the Dong language), and the "rice that" (nang) in the Dong language is the name of an early variety of rice in ancient language (later evolved into a general term for grain in the Dong language). Ancient words related to rice cultivation, such as "yai, meaning field", "fan" (wae, meaning rice), "men" (mlndy, meaning waterwheel), and "minl, meaning farm tools), all come from ancient Yue language. The rice cultivation of the Dong people has long formed a complete set of traditional farming methods, from seed selection, seedling cultivation to pest control, from fertilization to fine farming, from production tools to the application of water conservancy facilities, and has accumulated rich experience.
3. Architectural culture:
The formation of stilt buildings represented by stilt houses and drum tower wind and rain bridges
Stilt buildings originated from the nests of the ancient Yue people. "The Book of Wei·Biography of Liao" records that the Yue people "build wood on trees to live on them, which is called stilt houses". The word "stilt house" means "high on top" in the Dong language. "Houses with stilts". The Dong people call themselves "gan", and houses are called "lan" in Dong language. The characteristics of their architectural culture are mainly reflected in the construction of residential houses (residences), drum towers, and wind and rain bridges. The stilt houses have unique structures and exquisite shapes. They maintain the traditional characteristics of stilt buildings and integrate the exquisite skills of Dong craftsmen from generation to generation. The Dong people pay special attention to the construction of drum towers in their architecture, and their design and craftsmanship have reached a high level. The drum tower is a landmark building in the Dong village and a place for the Dong people to gather, discuss and entertain. The wind and rain bridge is the crystallization of the wisdom of the Dong people. It not only has a transportation function, but also has a high artistic value. The architecture of the Dong people, with its unique style and exquisite craftsmanship, has become an important part of the Dong culture.
4. Institutional Culture:
The culture of Kuan with Hekuan and "Kuanyue" as the core
From the late Tang Dynasty to the early Song Dynasty to the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China, the Dong people were in a social state of self-government and self-defense military alliance for a long time, which gave rise to an institutional culture with Hekuan and "Yuefakuan" as the core. "Kuan" in the Dong language is pronounced "Kuant", which means sincere friendship. Hekuan refers to the Kuan organization system. Kuan was originally generated from the clan alliances of intermarriage in the patriarchal clan society. The Kuan organization originated from the marriage system of the primitive patriarchal clan society. From the perspective of each clan, exogamy is generally practiced, but from the perspective of each tribe, endogamy is practiced. The clans that intermarry with each other have formed a fairly large blood group for a long time through the form of "intermarriage", which is That is the tribe. The tribes also use the same method to achieve the purpose of "sincere friendship", which is the Kuan organization. According to the scale of the formation of the Kuan, the academic community divides the Kuan into four organizational levels: small Kuan, medium Kuan, large Kuan, and extra-large Kuan. The small Kuan is composed of several small villages or one large village, with about 500 households; the medium Kuan is composed of several or more contiguous small Kuan, with about 5,000 households; the extra-large Kuan, in the case of foreign invasion or infringement of interests, is temporarily formed by several medium Kuan. The Kuan organization of the Dong nationality is a regional organization, which is not divided according to kinship. It is composed of natural villages of the Dong nationality of various ethnic groups. There is also a relationship of leadership and being led between the Kuan organizations of the Dong nationality, following the principles of equality and the minority obeying the majority. The joint Kuan of the Kuan organizations at all levels is carried out through the "Kuanhui" oath and the erection of monuments. All levels of the Kuang organizations have leadership groups, whose members are called Kuang Shou. The Kuang Shou of a small Kuang is democratically elected by the Kuang people; the Kuang Shou of a medium Kuang is democratically elected by the Kuang Shou of each small Kuang or the Kuang people's representatives; the Kuang Shou of a large Kuang is elected by the Kuang Shou of each locality. Kuang Shou is a person with outstanding talents, high martial arts skills, and impartiality. He can be re-elected and can be removed at any time. All Kuang organizations serve on a voluntary basis and without remuneration. The joint Kuang organization handles internal security according to the "Fortune Alliance" and maintains normal production and living order; externally, it resists foreign invasion and protects the interests of the Kuang people and the nation from infringement. Small Kuang and medium Kuang are long-term fixed organizations, with Gulouping and Kuangping in the village as their venues for activities. Small groups hold multiple rallies based on the number of public security cases in the region and some major events; medium groups generally hold a lecture activity (disseminating the group agreement and revising the rules formulated by the group organization) or the rules of the upper-level group organization in March and September each year (some places hold them in February and August), which are usually called "March group" and "September group". Sometimes they also sentence and punish some major criminals; large and super large groups are generally temporarily formed when the survival of a larger region or the entire nation is seriously threatened or the interests are widely violated. They are mostly initiated by one or several medium groups, and other groups respond to each other. They often use "urgent wooden signs" as a call, spread from place to place, and quickly form large or super large groups. The group army composed of young and middle-aged people is the main gathering object. They gather at the gathering place to hold rallies, establish leadership organizations, and unify commands to deal with sudden disturbances.
The Dong people have never established a national regime in history, but with the emergence of the historical joint organization, a fully functional and highly binding national customary law, the "Yuefa Kuan", was produced, and a system of laws with this customary law as the core was formed. The "Yuefa Kuan" was established by the Dong people's organizations in history through the gatherings of the various local parties in the form of "blood oaths, as firm as a monument", with a strong primitive contract system. The "Yuefa Kuan" has 18 rules, commonly known as the "Six-sided Yin Rules" and "Six-sided Yang Rules". These 18 rules all appear in the form of words, with concise content, easy to recite and remember. With the "Yuefa Kuan" as the core, the "Fu La" (family system), "Dou" (clan system), family marriage, customs, festivals, exchanges, relatives and other systems passed down from generation to generation in the village are combined to form the institutional culture of the Dong society.
(Zhijiang Wanhe Drum Tower)
5. Myths and legends:
Vivid images, twists and turns, and historical facts
The first is myths, represented by "The Flood" and "The Song of Origin". There are three main series of myths: the origin of mankind, the origin of species, and the origin of song and dance. The myth of the origin of mankind says that the first ancestor of mankind was born from eggs. Four ape babies (some say they were turtle babies) hatched eggs by the river and hatched the first ancestor of mankind, Song En Song Sang. The myth of the origin of species says that rice was as tall as a tree, the grains were as big as grapefruits, and they had feet and could walk. Later, they were beaten by a woman with a broom, so they hid on the cliffs on the other side of the South China Sea. One said that humans asked sparrows and swallows to fly over the South China Sea and bring back a small grain seed with their mouths; another said that humans asked ants and frogs to swim across the South China Sea and bring back a small grain seed, so the grain became thin and small. The origin of song and dance is said that there was no song and dance in the world at the beginning, and two young men from the Dong and Miao ethnic groups built a ladder to the sky to ask for it. The second is the legend, represented by "The Legend of Xingni" and "King Wu Mian". These legends are mostly related to important events and figures in the history of the Dong people, and are also related to local customs, and have a certain degree of historical fact.
6.Ballads, operas, and song and dance culture:
A variety of songs, singing and dancing, lyrical and romantic
First, the Dong folk song culture has distinct artistic characteristics. There are four aspects: 1. It has a strong lyrical charm. For example, lyrical pipa songs, flute songs, and ox-legged piano songs all use large paragraphs of lyricism to show their artistic appeal. 2. It has a strong romantic atmosphere. For example, big songs, flute songs, and wooden leaf songs are derived from imitating the sounds of nature, and they themselves carry a romantic atmosphere of nature. 3. It has created many characters. In ancient songs, a group of lofty mythological characters have been created; in narrative pipa, images of women who resist and are radical have been created. 4. Diversity of artistic techniques. The use of metaphor, exaggeration, analogy, parallelism, metonymy and other artistic techniques plays an important role in the expression of the ideological content of Dong folk songs and the formation of artistic character. The inheritance of Dong folk songs has been a tradition since ancient times in Dong mountain villages, where teenagers learn songs, young people sing, and the elderly pass on songs. Each village or clan organizes various forms of male and female singing teams, who either compete in the village or go outside the village for cultural exchanges. Through singing, singing competitions, and passing on songs, Dong folk songs are passed down from generation to generation.
Second, the representative of opera culture is Dong Opera. Dong Opera originated during the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty. Its founder was Wu Wencai from Ladong Village, Maogong Township, Liping, Guizhou. Legend has it that he adapted the Han Dynasty books "The Second Plum" and "Xue Gang's Rebellion against the Tang Dynasty" into Dong Opera scripts "Mei Liangyu" and "Li Dan Fengjiao" spoken and sung in Dong language. At the same time, he designed the singing style and taught young people to sing. Dong Opera was born and began to spread. In the creation of scripts, the themes adapted from the Han Dynasty books have gradually shifted to the themes of the ethnic group. The representative work is "Zhu Lang Niang Mei".
The third is the song and dance culture represented by "Duoye" and "Lusheng Dance". Duoye is performed and sung by many people. Everyone forms a circle and holds hands or shoulders while dancing and singing. Its tunes include male and female voices, chorus, one person leading the crowd, and other forms. Duoye is often performed and sung during cultural exchanges between festivals and villages, as well as during welcoming and seeing off guests. Dong dances are divided into three categories: sacrificial dances, party dances, and entertainment dances. Among them, Lusheng dance has the most artistic characteristics. Lusheng dance has both sacrificial and entertainment functions. The Lusheng dance performed during ancestor worship and harvest celebrations is mainly for the purpose of entertaining gods. Various Lusheng dances (including the dance) performed on other celebrations and Lusheng competitions are mainly for the purpose of entertaining people. Lusheng dance has many types, such as solo dance, duet dance, four-person dance, group dance, etc. Solo dance and duet dance are more technical. The singing and dancing art of the Dong ethnic group has a relationship with totem worship and religious belief.
7. Religious culture:
Believe that all things have spirits and worship many gods
The Dong people believe that all things have spirits and worship many gods. Among the traditional gods worshipped by the Dong people, there are natural gods, ancestral gods and heroic gods, and traditional female gods account for the majority. Such as Sa Sui (the highest goddess, the protector of the village), Sa Yang (the god of rice and wine), Sa Mei Bi (the god of marriage), Si Sa Hua Lin (the god of fertility), Sa Dao Dui (the god of land), and Sa Gao Yu (the god of protecting the soul). The male gods worshipped by the Dong people are mainly Feishan God (the ancestor god of the Dong ethnic group's big song). During the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, Taoism gradually spread in the Dong ethnic group area, and the Taoist "Five Elements" and "Feng Shui" were gradually integrated into the Dong ethnic group's primitive religion, which led to major changes in the Dong ethnic group's religious beliefs. However, in the witchcraft and rituals that the Dong ethnic group's wizards and Nuo masters still inherit today, many rituals, scriptures and contents of primitive religions are preserved. The scriptures and sacrificial words recited in customs such as sacrifices are mostly the contents of primitive religions. Among the Dong people, other things and behaviors related to totem worship and the concept of animism are still followed and preserved, such as totem decorations on buildings, sun totem patterns on drum towers, and some taboos in production and life. Although the Dong ethnic group's religious beliefs have been influenced by Taoism, its main content is still primitive religion.
8. Clothing culture:
Various forms, rich styles, gorgeous and colorful, "more is beautiful, quantity is expensive"
In history, the fabrics used in Dong clothing are mostly self-grown, self-spun, self-woven and self-dyed. The sounds of spinning, weaving and beating cloth are continuous in Dong villages all year round. When night falls, these sounds, accompanied by singing, pipa, flute and reed pipe, combine into a unique nocturne of Dong village, which makes people intoxicated and fascinated. August and September of the lunar calendar are the season for dyeing cloth. On the drying poles in front of the wooden buildings of every household, long pieces of Dong cloth of various colors are hung, adding a beautiful landscape to the Dong village. Dong clothing is rich in various characteristics due to differences in branches and regions. The decorations of Dong women are mostly made of silver. When dressed up, there are many varieties such as silver flower headdresses, necklaces, chest ornaments, back ornaments, and hand ornaments. Different regions have different types and patterns of silver ornaments, but in general, the aesthetic psychology of "more is beautiful, quantity is precious" is the same. The silver ornaments worn by girls in various regions when they are dressed up can weigh up to 20 to 30 kilograms. Head ornaments include silver hat flowers, silver head flowers, silver hairpins, silver hairpins, silver combs, silver chains, silver earrings, silver earrings, etc.; necklaces include diamond-shaped collars, twisted collars, ring collars, disc-shaped collars, etc.; chest ornaments include chest badges and chains, etc.; back ornaments include S-shaped and diamond-shaped silver back ornaments; hand ornaments include bracelets, arm sleeves, rings, etc. During the Spring Festival, the girls in their best clothes gathered in Gulouping to sing hall songs, holding their hands and forming several circles, shining with silver light, like several suns and moons shining at the same time. The embroidery on the Dong costumes is carefully made by the Dong women themselves. Some of its patterns are derived from ancient totems, while others are related to the production and life of successive dynasties. There are three traditional embroidery methods: embroidery, cross-stitching, and applique. There are more than 20 kinds of embroidery needlework, and the embroidered patterns are either rough and thick with a strong texture, or colorful and full. There are two types of cross-stitching: plain embroidery and colored embroidery. Plain embroidery is simple and elegant; simple and concise. Colored embroidery is delicate and gorgeous, with strong and harmonious color contrast. Applique refers to silver patchwork, which also has a variety of techniques, with complex composition, flowers in flowers, and brocade on brocade.
9. Food culture:
The eating habits of "Dong can't live without sour food" and "Dong can't live without fish" based on glutinous food, and the eating style of eating oil tea, black glutinous rice and closed rice
The diet of the Dong people has its own unique customs and characteristics. Eat glutinous rice for three meals a day, and prepare sour food in all seasons: Historically, the Dong people mainly eat glutinous rice for three meals a day. Usually a family steams a bucket of glutinous rice in the morning and keeps it warm in a rice steamer made of gourd for all-day consumption. As the staple food is glutinous rice, the Dong people have a tradition of eating sour food to help digestion.
They pickle all kinds of sour food all year round. There are many varieties of sour food of the Dong people, including sour meat, sour duck, sour fish, sour sauce, sour cabbage, sour cucumber, sour bamboo shoots, sour radish, etc. There are two or three sour products on the table on weekdays. Sour dishes are also indispensable for welcoming guests. The moving ones are meat, and the static ones are vegetables. In addition to the poultry, livestock and fish raised by themselves, some wild animals are also caught to supplement the meat dishes. They like to eat sashimi and herb soup: During festivals or welcoming celebrations, most areas like to eat sashimi as a delicacy. The sashimi is mixed with the sour sauce of pickled mustard or eggplant (which can sterilize) and tea oil, and then various seasonings are added to it. It is tender and crispy, without fishy smell, and tastes excellent. Baicaotang is made from the juice in the stomach and intestines of cattle and sheep, which is boiled and filtered, and then mixed with Chinese herbs and seasonings. Women like tea, men like wine: In the ninth month of the lunar calendar, when visiting relatives and friends, women like to entertain guests with oil tea, and talk about family affection while drinking oil tea. Six or eight bowls are not enough. Oil tea is also known as eight pots. There is a saying among the people that "one pot is bitter, two pots are cold, three pots and four pots are fragrant, and seven pots and eight pots are as sweet as sugar (with sweet tea or sugar)". When men get together, they like to meet friends with wine. Most families make their own wine, and aged glutinous rice wine and Chongyang wine are the best. When relatives and friends come, they cook a few dishes, serve a few plates of sour food, hold out a jar of rice wine, invite a few brothers to accompany them, play finger-guessing games, and sing songs to cheer. This is the world of Dong men.
