Sanduo festival- A Naxi Minority classic festival you gonna to see
The Sanduo Festival is a traditional festival of the Naxi ethnic group. The festival takes place on the 8th of the second Chinese lunar month. During the festival the Naxi ethnic people gather around Sanduo Temple (also known as Beiyue Temple ), located in Baisha, Lijiang, for a grand memorial and scarified ceremony.
This ceremony involves a variety of entertainment and trade activities like horse racing, antiphonal singing, picnic and interchange of goods.
With a population of 300,000, Naxi people are living in lijiang naxi autonomous county. Naxi people came to lijiang and settled down 1000 years ago, they believe in dongba religion-a primitive polytheism , worshiping nature and ancestor . the religion is practised and passed down generation by generation by dongba, the shaman and lecturer of ancient naxi religion.
Dongba manuscrip recorded “san duo” is the incarnation of jade dragon snow mountain , according to lengend, he is warrior riding on a white horse, wearing a white camail, holding a spear. he always protect naxi people from disaster. that is why he is so popular among naxi people.
Early in the 8th century,an temple of sanduo was built on the foot of snow mountain . on the 8th day of Feburary , naxi people are gathering in the temple, dancing and singing . of course , the most important is asking the blessing from sanduo god, a sacrifice , usually a whole goat is a must, local people burning incense and praying . the number of the his follower is pretty big.
It’s early spring in lijiang during this period of time, it is great to have a tour to lijiang, where you will experience the unique festival of naxi people and enjoy the rural life in Lijiang.
