Zhangjiajie Tujia Hucang Custom
 2016-12-20 16:49:28   Zhangjiajie Tourism Information Website  

An old Chinese saying goes like--Food is the paramount necessity of the people.Cultivation culture herein can trace back to long long ago.Different nations apply different ways to pray for harvest.As a newly listed provincial-level intangible cultural heritage, Zhangjiajie Tujia Hucang custom is strikingly attractive.

It is a history of approximate 400 years of Tujia Hucang custom in Yongding District ,ZJJ.Legend has it that in late Ming dynasty,Tujia people could not bear the oppression from landlord any more,a leader of the laborers decided to make trick on Landlord Quan in a year.The master laborer lied that he was given direction from an eminent and mysterious man this year would have a bad harvest ,caused by insect outbreaks.Only the laborers who have had sweet wine, fried rice and bowl-sized meat can save this loss.Thereby,nowadays,before rice transplanting ,the host should offer breakfast first.Furthermore,the laborers who suffered a lot continued their trick . The landlord was told for a harvest he must be daubed by muds.Without any doubt,the landlord agreed willingly.All the laborers pretended to murmur the so-called spell and threw muds to him ,in fact they did it with great revenge inside.However,the foolish landlord took it seriously and asked for more muds happily by saying "Just daud,the more muds you daud,the more bumper harvest will come".

Time goes by, this custom is known by more and more people.Finally ,it becomes a traditional custom for praying sweet dreams and bumper harvest.

Today, Tujia people in Wulingyuan still follow this traditional custom each year.Briefly speaking,the custom Hucang has the following explanation--Hu,means to daud mud;Cang,is to regard the host's body as a barn.

Words all fail to express such charming and time-honored cultivation culture .Aren't they?

Sourced by Aileen