About Yunnan
Customs and Taboos in Yunnan
Rituals of Offering Sacrifices and Taboos in Festivals
For all the nationalities, there’s nothing more important than offering sacrifices to gods of creation and their ancestors to show their devoutness. In their mind, gods are benevolent for they tend to be pleased by flatteries on one hand and capable of changes for they would punish the human beings with natural disasters on the other hand. Therefore, rituals of offering sacrifices are the most frequent occasions.
The Miao Ethnic Group
The woods inside the stockade are open only when the local people offer sacrifices to gods or when they pray for health. Mowing and trimming are usually strictly forbidden in the woods. The local people believe that great disasters would ensue from breaking this rule. The rituals of offering sacrifices are off limits to women, children and foreigners.
The Hani Ethnic Group
On the day when the local people offer sacrifices to the patron god “Puma Wopo”, the people present are forbidden to speak any kind of foreign language. The holy woods are usually off limits to any fertile woman. Hunting inside the holy woods is a big no-no. And people are strictly forbidden to cross the three holy stones for offering sacrifices. Anyone who breaks one of the rules will be considered as a defender against the god “Puma Wopo” and will be punished and cursed by all the villagers.
The Wa Ethnic Group
During the whole process of “Leng Sanmu (a ritual ceremony)”, the huge lighted holy candle can not be put out. The people dance around the porch (for offering sacrifices) and the holy candle until the holy candle burns out. If the holy candle dies out itself during this process, the people present should stop all the activities and seriously stand in silent tribute because they reckon it as an ominous sign. After the 7th day of the month in Chinese lunar calendar, the people would pick another lucky day for the ritual. They would prepare sumptuous food as sacrifices and rekindle the holy candle. This ritual is to be continued if the holy candle dies out again.
The Zhuang Ethnic Group
Shrine is the very place around which the Zhuang people offer their sacrifices. Anyone is forbidden to cross the shrine; anyone is forbidden to make a bed above the shrine; clothes and food (not preserved as sacrifices) can’t be placed on the shrine.
The Bai Ethnic Group
Watering and sweeping the floor is a big no-no in the first day of Chinese New Year in that people reckon that this kind of behavior would sweep fortunes away.
In the first five days of Chinese New Year, pouring dirty water into the well is not allowed because this move is considered as a defense against the god and will bring about disasters.
Holy Symbols and Taboos
In the history that’s based on legends and tales, people worship many things. This belief is thus passed down from generation to generation. The things that people worship are more symbols than the things themselves. Such symbols as the sun, the moon, mountains and rivers, water and fire, thunder and lightning, plants and animals are various. Some of them are correlated with totems; some are related to the activities of the ancestors; some have a bearing on the god of creation; some resemble the characteristics of certain things. There are rigid taboos in terms of the holy symbols. A failure to observe the taboos will bring about disasters.
The Mosuo People of the Naxi Ethnic Group
Catching dragonflies by the springs is a big no-no. Legend has it that in time immemorial, the dragon king blocked all the water resources, triggering a severe drought in the human world. It was the god of eagle who finally defeated the dragon king and saved the human beings. The god of eagle later appointed dragonflies to stay around the springs and install the moves of the dragon king. So, catching dragonflies would ensue from drought.
Crossing the campfire is prohibited. People are forbidden to say any word that might bring about bad luck. If you are to add a piece of firewood to the campfire, you’re supposed to add it from its front rather than from its two sides. Otherwise, you will be considered as a defender against the god of fire.
You mustn’t cut down the trees by the springs or you will irritate the god of water and be haunted by evil spirits.
No shooting the cuckoos. They are revered as the envoys that bring harvests.
Eating dog meat is not allowed in that dog exchanges its longevity with man.
The Yi Ethnic Group
Anyone, being hosts or guests, is not allowed to sit on the fireplace. You can sit beneath or on the two sides of the fireplace. Otherwise, you will be reckoned as a defender against the ancestors.
No stepping on the stones of the fireplace, let alone crossing over them. When cooking, the local people are not allowed to put cooker and food on the stones of the fireplace. The stones of the fireplace can not be moved casually. If necessary, the local people would pick a lucky day and relocate them after offering sacrifices to the god of fire.