Chinese like hilarity. On festivals, it is more happy and everywhere is full of exciting air. Though in the freedom Chinese washed and globed by the western culture, every traditional entertainments of the festivals have not stopped and vanished. Many folk custom and entertainments have added to the the happy of the festivals and the competition of celebrating the New Year and handed down from generation to generation. in which the most common one is the playing with dragon or lion. The children grown up in China, though can't walk, must have seen it on the shoulders of the father or on the TV.
Besides the mentioned above, the common entertainments in the folk are many such as running the boat on the road, wearing the shoes with very high heels, the old carrying the young on his back, and the dance of the clam goblin etc.. The old carrying the young on his back is a beautiful miss hung the half wooden body of the old whose poise was carrying the miss. It is said to play two persons by one. It is played by Mo drama. The dance of the clam goblin which use the bamboo to make a clam, and the girl as the clam goblin who use the hands to operate the clam to match with the fishnet of the fisher, is very interesting. As for the folk entertainments which have one or two thousand of years in the history, they have still been playing by the children in nowadays.
In China, as the highlight and promotion, many culture centers in the folk, book bureau and folk custom and arts stores sell the books and CD to introduce the Chinese folk custom and entertainment in details which can be used for the references.
As for the schools, there are many primary students who guided by the teachers and make the properties of the folk custom and entertainments which combined the lively, vivid side of the Chinese traditional culture with the modern life. It is kept for ever, at the same time, it make the Chinese free life richer.
| A Wedding Without Bridegroom
Occasionally the procedure of some of minority nationalities' marriage in Yunnan like this, engaged, married, the bride goes back her mother's home for living, pregnant, birth and bride come back to husband's home, then begin to fall in love and romantic life again.
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| Camel Trains in the Desert
The camel is known as the "boat of the desert." in the past two thousand years, caravans on the silk Road transported silk, tea, pottery and lacquerware from China to the western regions and pearls, jade, herbal medicines and perfume from Central and West Asia and Europe to China.
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| Traditions of Arranged Marriages in China
Chinese marriage became custom during the Warring States period (402-221 B.C.). Due to the vast expanse and long history of Chinese marriage customs and ceremonies, there are different practices that are followed in different places, although they all generally adhere to similar guidelines. Visitors still have opportunities to witness traditional marriages in the countryside.
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| De'ang Customs
The De'ang used to be called Benglong in Chinese. in 1985, upon their request, the name was officially changed. They have but a small population and mainly live in compact communities in Luxi County and Lincang Prefecture in Yunnan Province, with a small number in Ruli, Longchuan and Lancang counties.
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| Deities Worshipped by Farmers
The need for an honorary leader, an attractive spiritual idol that could unite all members of an organization and strengthen them for the long-term development of the industry, impelled ancient Chinese to worship historical figures, revering them as masters and founders.
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| Dragon Boat Races
June is the time of dragon boat races, an event whose origins lie deep in Chinese mythology. During the course of the month, dragon boats will take to waters all over Asia, from Nagasaki to Singapore to Macau.
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| Dragon Dance
Tongliang County can be called the hometown of the dragon. Dinosaur fossils were unearthed from here. The dragon lanterns made in Tongliang County are known far and wide. There is a custom of doing dragon lantern dances during the Lantern Festival (15th of the first lunar month).
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| Flower Fair at Spring Festival Time
Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province, is a beautiful old city. Legend has it that in ancient times five immortals in colourful colthes once descended on to Guangzhou on five rams. On their departure, each of them left a rice ear, expressing the wish that Guangzhou would be forever free from famine.
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| Funeral Customs
Baofengba in Yunnan Province is a village inhabited by the Hans. At the village, I witnessed the funeral of an elderly woman named Yin Caiyun.
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| Customs of the Hakkas
With a population of about 40 million, the Hakkas are spread throughout many provinces in South China, such as Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan and Hainan. The Hakkas used to be the northern Hans living in Shanxi, Henan and Hebei.
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| Unique Customs in Hui'an,Fujian Province
Hui'an County is only 30 kilometers away from Quanzhou. The dress of the women in the fishing villages on Chongwu island of Hui'an County is very interesting. They wear different-coloured jackets, which are very short and narrow. Their jackets are so short that they also like to wear big bamboo hats to cover their heads. The big hats and large kerchiefs on their heads shield their faces.
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| The Customs of the Hui Minority
The Hui are one of the largest among China's ethnic minorities, mainly living in Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. in addition, the Hui Moslems can be found in most of China's counties and cities.
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| Kashi, A Pearl on the Old Silk Road
This is a narrow, quiet lane. The road is lined with houses of one or two storied built of adobe or red brick. It is Saturday. A group of Uygur children are playing, bringing a joyful atmosphere to the quiet bane. At the end of the lane, a sign reading "Vegetable Bazaar Lane" reminds people of its past. The bazaar no longer exists, and people can only imagine the brisk scene here in the old days.
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| Mazu and Mazu Culture
Over 1,000 years ago, a beautiful young firl by the name of Lin Mu was born at the Xianliang Port of Meizhou Bay in Putian, Fujian Province. Clever, brave and kindhearted, Lin Mu could forecast the weather and was happy to help fishermen in distress at sea.
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| Paper Joss
Folk customs reflect the life of the people -- their habits and customs, ideologies and beliefs, social activities and the like. Traditionally, folk customs and folk arts have been congenial twins. since the New Stone Age, folk arts have taken shape and prospered in all societies and all areas.
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| Wedding Customs in Northern Shaanxi
A young man named Wang Mingzhong in Wangjiajian, a village in Northern Shaanxi Province, was going to get married. He set up a shed as a temporary kitchen in his courtyard. People came in and out. Some were busy killing pigs or sheep, some were making cakes or steamed buns and some were making papercuts.
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| Silkworm Raisers' Customs
Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces are prominent silkworm producers in China. in early May each year, every household begins preparing to breed silkworms when barley becomes yellow and the mulberry fields turn green.
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| Customs of the People of Taihu Lake
After traveling six kilometers eastward from Guangfu Town, we arrived at the Taihu District, a community of nearly ten thousand people. Out of this number, six thousand dwell on boats like their ancestors did.
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| The Customs of Tajik People
The Tajik people mostly live in southwestern part of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and are closely related to the Uygur people of that area. They have their own spoken language, but no written language.
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| Tattoo in Chinese Minorities
The Chinese Drung and Dai minorities have tattoo customs inherited from their ancestors. Among the Drung ethnic minority, women have tattoos on their faces. in the past, girls were tattooed when they turned 12 or 13 as a symbol of maturity.
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| The Customs of the Thousand Lakes Province
Hubei Province is so named because of its geographical position north of Dongting Lake (hu means lake and bei means north). in ancient times, this area was a wide expanse of marshland. Afterwards the Jianghan Plain with an area of 30,000 square kilometres was silted up by the water with mud from the Yangtze and Hanshui rivers. in this area, there are more than 1,000 lakes, hence Hubei Province is called the Thousand Lakes Province.
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| Unique Tibetan Food and Souvenirs for Tourists
In company with their unique culture, Tibetans have food of a very distinctive character. Everyone traveling in Tibet likes to try authentic Tibetan food, but few can really get used to it.
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| Zhoucun's Lantern Fair
Zhoucun of Shandong Province is a district under the jurisdiction of Zibo City. It is famous for its annual lantern fair.
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| The Wedding of Bai
After a young man and a young woman get engaged based on free love or with the help of a matchmaker, the young man's family must ask someone to erect a wedding tent before the marriage date.
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| Barag Wedding on Hulun Buir Grassland
On the spectacular Hulun Buir Grassland --, the birthplace of Mongolians --,, lives the most ancient branch of the Mongolian group- -- the Barag Tribe, which appeared in many historical materials prior to Mongolia's the unification of Mongolia.
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| Old-styled Han Marriage Customs
For the Han Majority Ethnic Group living in China's capital of Beijing , new- and old-style marriage customs exist side by side. This particular article will focus on the old marriage customs practiced by Han people in Beijing.
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| The Wedding of Bonan
The team accompanying the bride to bridegroom's family on the wedding day is composed of 20 to 30 people and usually the male are more than the female. At the beginning, an old woman in the bride's family supports the bride with the left hand and holds a plate containing grains of five colors, usually including wheat ...
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| The Wedding of Daur
According to Daur's custom, the fiancée's side has to send betrothal gifts on a luck day set beforehand. Betrothal gifts include pork, wine, cakes and so on, which are generally sent by the fiancé and a senior accompany to the bride's house. On that day, the fiancé's family will arrange a special dinner to treat the guests and their family members ...
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| The Wedding of Dong
The bridegroom's family does not have to prepare a bridal sedan chair, but send a way guide and another gift escort to the bride's home. It is until the midnight that the bride is escorted to the bridegroom's house. The gifts are simple, usually including 30 to 40 jin (1 jin = 0.5 kg) of pork, 20 to 30 jin of wine and some dishes.
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| The Wedding of Dongxiang
Influenced by the Islamism, marriages of Dongxian ethnic minority is basically decided by parents while the young pair have no chance to talk with each other face to face before wedding. In most cases, the matchmaker serves as the person to convey messages for the young pair.
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| Axi People: Enjoy a Simple Marriage
On the spectacular Hulun Buir Grassland --, the birthplace of Mongolians --,, lives the most ancient branch of the Mongolian group- -- the Barag Tribe, which appeared in many historical materials prior to Mongolia's the unification of Mongolia.
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| The Wedding of Evenki
Marriage between young men and women of Evenki ethnic minority are mostly based on free choice. After both sides agree, the young man's family entrusts two matchmakers to take two bottles of fine wine to the girl's family to propose a marriage. The matchmakers comprise one female and one male who are talkative and propose the marriage in the way of the traditional entertainment involving talking and singing.
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| The Wedding of Gaoshan
Gaoshan ethnic minority practices monogamy , encourages marriage with people of other tribes and forbids intermarriage among close relatives. Most marriages are based on free love. There are no explicit stipulations on marriage age, but men are allowed to marry after the adult ritual, and women, after they master life skills.
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| The Wedding of Kazak
Girls pursuit is a favorite traditional folk game of Kazak girls and young men, and also a special way for them to seek their sweet hearts and express their love.
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| The Wedding of Lhoba
Everything concerning marriage is usually taken care of by parents. In general, boys and girls get engaged when they are only seven to eight years old. Usually, the boy makes a proposal himself and sometimes his parent or the matchmaker does the job. After the two sides agree, it is time for engagement.
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| The Wedding of Maonan
The marriage custom of Maonan ethnic minority has the following features. Young women and young men like to sing to each other in antiphonal style on festivals or at nights of slack farming seasons; uncles in the father side enjoy much right and when a girl gets married, her family should give her uncle(s) gifts; the etiquette of marriage is quite complicated and features traditional flavor.
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| The Wedding of Menba
Menba ethnic minority generally practices monogamy. When a girl and a young man fall in love with each other, their parents will usually agree on their choice. In Menyu, parents respect children's choice of spouse.
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| The Wedding of Mongolian
If a Mongolian young man takes a liking for a girl, he should entrust a matchmaker to send gifts such as sugar, tea leaves and pastern that symbolize harmony, wetness and prosperity wrapped in a white handkerchief to the girl's home.
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| The Wedding of Oroqen
When boys of the Oroqen ethnic minority grow to 15 to 16 years old, their parents begin to look for suitable girls in the outside clans for them. If they pick out the suitable one, they will ask a matchmaker to visit the girl's family to propose a marriage. After the proposal obtains her family's approval, the young man has to take preys with him to visit the girl's family accompanied by his mother and the matchmaker.
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| The Wedding of Qiang
The Qiang ethnic minority mainly practices monogamy and the bride is usually older than her bridegroom.
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| The Wedding of Russian
Russian ethnic minority strictly forbids marriages between close relatives such as cousins but does not limit marriages with other brotherly minorities. Marriages mainly depend on free love. Although there are arranged marriages, they do not occupy the dominant position. In the past, matchmaker and engagement ceremony were essential.
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| The Wedding of Salar
Marriages of Salar young people should be decided by their parents after recommendation of the matchmakers. Though many young people now enjoy free love in life and labor, their wedding ceremonies are also carried out according to the traditional practice.
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| The Wedding of She
Among the ordinary people of the She ethnic minority, there is a practice of marrying a man into and living with his wife's family besides marrying a woman into a man's home. A man married into a signorine's family is called Zuo Nuxu and a man married into a widow's family is called Shangmen. Those sonless families prefer to get a man married into their families, and quite a lot of families with sons marry their sons into others' families and leave one daughter at home to get a son-in-law married into their families.
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| The Wedding of Shui
The Shui ethnic minority practices monogamy and does not allow marriages inside a clan. The marriage custom keeps much traditional flavor and values formal wedding. Before the marriage, young people may fall in love with each other in antiphonal-style singing activities and outings held in festivals or market days. Even if they prefer free love, they still need a matchmaker and a formal wedding.
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| The Wedding of Tajik
On the grassland, Tajik young men and women are often seen singing in antiphonal style. Since they live a nomadic life, many young people fall in love with each other through antiphonal singings.
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| The Wedding of Tujia
People of Tujia ethnic minority enjoy free marriage. A young man and a girl who fall in love with each can marry each other after approval from parents on the both sides. In some areas, there is a custom of Nu'er Hui, i.e. young people seek spouses in the gatherings held on 12th of every lunar July.
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| The Wedding of Uygur
According to the custom of Uygur ethnic minority, a young man and a girl who love each other can only get engaged with approval from their parents. Generally, the engagement ceremony is held within 15 days before the formal wedding. The young man's mother and other female relatives take gifts prepared for the girl and her main relatives to the girl's home on an appointed day. And, the girl's family also invite some friends and relatives and prepare tea and food to treat guests.
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| The Wedding of Va
A young man of Va ethnic minority begins to Chuan Guniang (drop around girls' houses and play with them) at the age of sixteen or seventeen. He can visit a girl's house by himself or together with other young men. Girls do not have fixed sleeping places.
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| The Wedding of Yao
The Yao people practice monogamy and usually don't intermarry with people of other ethnic groups. Some marriages are arranged by parents and a few are realized through free love.
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| The Wedding of Zhuang
In some places of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, it is still popular to throw a ball made of silk strips in seeking a spouse. A young man and a girl who get to know each other through antiphonal singing and love each other even get married secretly without approval from their parents. If a girl finds a spouse through antiphonal singing and throwing a silk ball, in no need of matchmaker and betrothal gifts, making love and marriage of Zhuang people more romantic.
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