The Zhuang Ethnicity Melody Celebration, otherwise called Gexu Celebration (歌圩节) and Gepo Celebration (歌婆节), is held in the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar year. On this day, the Zhuang public all head to a specific spot to sing melodies together.

It is a celebration celebrated by the Zhuang Minority in two separate parts: constantly. The daytime festivities comprise primarily of singing matches in the fields, and the principal evening occasions incorporate singing creation tunes, occasional melodies, authentic melodies, and skillet tunes (盘 for seven female artists and two violas).

Guangxi Zhuang Independent District Government has been fostering the Zhuang Ethnicity Tune Celebration as a provincial culture and workmanship celebration. The third Zhuang Ethnicity Melody Celebration was held in Lujia Town, Guilin in 2014.

• Celebrated: Apr. 18
• Location: Guilin

History

The Zhuang Ethnicity Melody Celebration begins from a celebration of penances and society routine in the Group Clans Age.

With the advancement of society, the conciliatory movement continuously ebbed away, and presently is an action which centers around correspondence by singing melodies. The tunes are not just a medium to pass on Zhuang culture, yet in addition an assortment of blissful romantic tales of Zhuang young ladies and young men. This celebration means a lot to each Zhuang individual and their loved ones.

There are numerous heartfelt legends related with the Zhuang Ethnicity Melody Celebration.

The most well known one is “picking a child in-regulation by singing matches”. There used to be a delightful young lady who was truly adept at singing. Her dad, an old vocalist himself, needed to picked a young fellow who was great at singing to be his child in-regulation. Young fellows came from better places and all assembled in a specific spot to contend utilizing their singing abilities. Accordingly the Singing Fair, or Tune Celebration, was shaped.

The most heartfelt one is the romantic tale of Liu Sanjie (the Zhuang “Goddess of Melodies”) and A Niu. Liu Sanjie was a lovely young lady who was truly adept at singing and exceptionally exemplary. At some point, when she was gathering wood on the mountainside, the property manager cut her plant, and Liu Sanjie tumbled off the precipice. Luckily, Liu Sanjie didn’t bite the dust, and she met A Niu. What’s more, they were locked in under Yangshuo’s large banyan tree when Liu Sanjie tossed ann weaved love ball to A Niu. In this manner the popular love melody “Plant and Tree” spread.

Activities

There are many fascinating exercises during the Zhuang Identity Melody Celebration, including eating, singing, and the most extraordinary action, tossing xiuqiu. Individuals spruce up in their most lovely public ensemble to go to this celebration. The enchanting moving and singing generally draws in many individuals.

Xiuqiu

Before the celebration, young ladies are occupied with getting ready xiuqiu (绣球/sshyoh-chyoh/’weaved balls’). On the day young fellows and ladies dress in their best garments. Men hold valuable gifts, while ladies bring their Xiuqiu. A few young people convey a sculpture of Liu Sanjie on their shoulders and sing in antiphonal (frequently Q & A) style. Young ladies heap their beautiful weaving on racks, hanging tight for young men to come. A xiuqiu is a sort of affection token tossed to men by Zhuang young ladies.

Singing in Antiphonal Style

Young fellows and ladies are partition into two groups, male and female, and they sing live in antiphonal style (对歌 duige/dway-ger/). The melodies are formed on the spot: somebody from one group sings a call or question, and somebody from the rival group sings a reaction. On the off chance that a young lady imagines that a kid is her Mr. Perfect, she tosses him a weaved ball (xiuqiu). The kid will tie his gift ready and return the ball on the off chance that he loves the young lady too. In this manner they are coordinated.

Five-Colored Rice

Zhuang individuals make wuse fan (五色饭/charm ser fan/), five-shaded rice cooked with various vegetables, hued red, yellow, dark, purple, and white. Five-shaded rice implies best of luck and great collect.

Painted Eggs

A young fellow takes a painted egg (彩蛋 caidan/tseye-dan/) to contact the painted egg held in a young lady’s hand. In the event that the lady could do without the man, she will hold her egg and won’t allow the man to contact it with his painted egg. Assuming she prefers the man, she will let him. After the egg shell explodes, they will eat the painted eggs together, and subsequently they will start a blissful relationship.

Travel Essentials

• Area: Lujia Town (鲁家村 Lǔjiācūn/loo-jyaa-tswnn/) is on the west bank of the Peach Bloom Waterway, around 4 km (2½ mi) northwest of focal Guilin.
• From Guilin Liangjiang Air terminal: 33 km (21 miles) upper east, 50 minutes, 70 yuan (12 USD) by taxi
• From Guilin Rail route Station: 7 km (5 miles) northwest, 15 minutes, 20 yuan (4 USD), by taxi
• From Guilin Bus stop: 7 km (5 miles) northwest, 15 minutes, 20 yuan (4 USD), by taxi