Nian Li is also called
Lunar New Year Fair
The Lunar New Year Fair ( zh, t=年宵市場), also known as the flower market ( zh, t=花市), is a type of fair held annually a few days before Lunar New Year in Chinese New Year markets in China. These fairs are primarily practiced by the ...
in some places, but differing from the traditional festival
Lunar New Year Fair
The Lunar New Year Fair ( zh, t=年宵市場), also known as the flower market ( zh, t=花市), is a type of fair held annually a few days before Lunar New Year in Chinese New Year markets in China. These fairs are primarily practiced by the ...
in China, it is a local festival celebrated in villages of
Wuchuan, Guangdong
Wuchuan is a county-level city in the southwest of Guangdong province, China. It is the easternmost county-level division of the prefecture-level city of Zhanjiang. The total area of Wuchuan is , with an estimated population of in 2013.
History ...
,
Zhanjiang
Zhanjiang (), historically spelled Tsamkong, is a prefecture-level city at the southwestern end of Guangdong province, People's Republic of China, facing Haikou city to the south.
As of the 2020 census, its population was 6,981,236 (6,994,832 ...
and neighboring
Dianbai District
Dianbai District, alternately romanized as Tinpak, is an urban district of the prefecture-level city of Maoming in southwestern Guangdong Province, China.
History
Dianbei Commandery was established in AD528 under the Liang dynasty. It and the ...
,
Huazhou, Guangdong
Huazhou (), formerly romanized as Fachow or Fahsien, is a county-level city in southwestern Guangdong Province, China. Bordering Guangxi to the north, it is administrated as part of the prefecture-level city of Maoming. During the 2010 census, i ...
,
Xinyi, Guangdong
Xinyi, alternately romanized as Sunyi, is a county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. It is administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Maoming in the southwestern corner of the province, bordering Guangxi to the west. As of the ...
,
Gaozhou, Guangdong,
Maonan District
Maonan () is a district of Maoming, Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a ...
, Mao Guang, Yangchun of
Maoming
Maoming, alternately romanized as Mowming, is a prefecture-level city located in southwestern Guangdong province, China. Facing the South China Sea to the city's south, Maoming city borders Zhanjiang to the west, Yangjiang to the east, and Yunf ...
,
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
.
The dates of Nian Li differ from place to place, centering in lunar January and February. A few others are in autumn (about a month after autumn harvest). In some places, several neighboring villages may have their Nian Li in the same date since they worship the same local land Gods (usually, in rural area, a temple is enshrined and worshipped by several villages around. And they celebrate their Nian Li together). Generally, a village celebrates one-day Nian Li, some few villages two days. And some villages will hold this festival twice (one is called big Nian Li, and the other small Nian Li, depending on the number of guests attended).
Nian Li is a local way to celebrate
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar and solar Chinese calendar. In Sinophone, Chinese and other East Asian cultures, the festival is commonly r ...
in the west of
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
. Ancient people regarded the growth cycle of grain as a year. From 《说文。禾部》,“a year ends when the grain gets ripe”.
[《说文。禾部》喜迎金蛇话新春, ''News China 中国网''](_blank)
Accessed June 5, 2014 Prior to
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, aborigines in the western part of what is now
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
did not have the custom of celebrating the
Spring Festival. Instead, they had a traditional harvest festival. That is, when the grain got ripe, they feted to celebrate good harvest and pray for good weather for the crops. In the 163rd volume of 《太平寰宇记》in
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, the custom of Xin Yi was described as, “谷熟时里閈同取,戌日为腊,男女盛服,推髻徒跣,聚会作歌”.
[《太平寰宇记》,163th Volume. Accessed June5,2014] It means that the last day of a year is the day when grain gets ripe. On that day, boys and girls dress themselves and have a party, dancing, singing and making poems. This is the earliest description about Nian Li.
In the late
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, many counties’ documents recorded this kind of activities as a custom, showing its developing tendency at that time.
Recent years, with its unique local color and tradition, Nian Li has attracted more and more people’s attention including people at home and abroad, and even some experts in folklore. It is predictable that the west of
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
would have a bright prospect in characteristic tourism, once the special traditional custom Nian Li combines with its supreme geographic environment.
The Process of Nian Li
In general, Nian Li is organized by the village committee with the money mainly collecting money from villages. Every family funds according to the number of their family members.
Similar to the
Spring Festival, when the Nian Li comes, most people will come back to their villages to hold their Nian Li. Generally, Nian Li has three parts—Worship, Feast, and Parade.
Worship
People worship their ancestors and local land Gods in Nian Li, praying for their families' health and a good weather for grain. In that day's morning, people get up early to prepare the sacrificial offerings, including chicken, pork, incense, liquor, some snacks and so no. With these sacrificial offerings, they worship their ancestors and local land gods respectively. Then, in the evening, they unite and worship the local gods again, which are called “摆醮”.
[茂名年例探秘, ''Maoming Diary''](_blank)
Accessed June 19, 2014.
Feast
The feast is the highlight of Nian Li. It is usually in afternoon. But some places may differ. On that day, people invite all their friends and relatives to the feast. This is a good way to improve and maintain the relationship among friends and relatives.
Every family has its own menu, but one thing is sure. It must be a square meal. There are at least 10 dishes including meats, vegetables, soups and desserts. And from the types of dishes, we can judge whether the host is wealthy or not.
Many people choose to go around villages in their Nian Li because they can eat freely in any family on that day. There is a saying that a village in its Nian Li is the heaven of foodies. Choosing one house and entering in, you can get your “free lunch”there. Using this method, they can even support themselves pennilessly for a month through traveling around villages.
Parade
After the feast, the parade of gods starts. Villagers and guests stand beside the road to watch the parade. Some young and strong villagers go to the temple and hold a rite to invite the gods. Then, they shoulder the gods' sculptures to parade. Except for the presenting of gods, the parade also includes Lion dance,
which is very popular in
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
.
[湛江特色年例之:东海岛人龙舞, ''碧海银沙网站''](_blank)
Accessed June 19, 2014.
After the parade, the gods are sent back to the temple. Then, the “摆醮”
starts.
Other activities
*Temporary stalls Many peddlers will set various temporary stalls on sides of the road. Visitors can buy many local appetizers there.
There are also some stalls providing toys, and some have games to play.
*Troupes Usually, the village will invite troupes to give performance. They also have some local plays like Shadow play and Cantonese opera. These activities start after finishing “摆醮”.
*Fireworks The money collected from villagers is not only used in parade and troupes, but also used in the fireworks. The firework show usually happens at 22:00 to 23:00. Even though it is a little late, many people from other villages will come to watch it.
History
According to the 163rd volume of 《太平寰宇记》, Nian Li originated from
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
and became popular in Ming dynasty. Until
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, it reached its peak.
Because of its unique custom activities, Nian Li were recorded by various of county documents. Nowadays, these records become important evidence for the study of Nian Li.
*County annals of
Xinyi, Guangdong
Xinyi, alternately romanized as Sunyi, is a county-level city in Guangdong Province, China. It is administered as part of the prefecture-level city of Maoming in the southwestern corner of the province, bordering Guangxi to the west. As of the ...
in
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
recorded, “元宵,城市家悬彩灯,亲朋聚赏萧鼓,歌讴之声达旦。多于是月乡傩,名曰年例”. It described the activities of Nian Li such as inviting friends and relatives to the feast.
*County annals of
Maoming
Maoming, alternately romanized as Mowming, is a prefecture-level city located in southwestern Guangdong province, China. Facing the South China Sea to the city's south, Maoming city borders Zhanjiang to the west, Yangjiang to the east, and Yunf ...
recorded, “二月(February)祭社,分肉入社,后田功毕作,自十二月至于是月,乡人傩,沿门逐鬼,唱土歌,谓之年例”.
[Maoming Nian Li](_blank)
Accessed June 12, 2014 Here, it introduced the time of Nian Li and some traditional activities like worship.
Nian Li did not disappear when other fetes, celebrating new year, were forbidden in the early People's Republic of China. It continued to prevail with its own unique customs. After
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was fought between the Kuomintang-led government of the Republic of China and forces of the Chinese Communist Party, continuing intermittently since 1 August 1927 until 7 December 1949 with a Communist victory on m ...
, it was stopped once, then recovered gradually until the 1980s.
Nowadays, this festival still prevails over the west of
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
Origins
There are many versions of Nian Li's origins, but none of them is exactly certain.
#It is said that Nian Li derived from
Lunar New Year Fair
The Lunar New Year Fair ( zh, t=年宵市場), also known as the flower market ( zh, t=花市), is a type of fair held annually a few days before Lunar New Year in Chinese New Year markets in China. These fairs are primarily practiced by the ...
. After Han and
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, inhabitants in the west of
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
stated to absorb the custom of
Spring Festival and
Lunar New Year Fair
The Lunar New Year Fair ( zh, t=年宵市場), also known as the flower market ( zh, t=花市), is a type of fair held annually a few days before Lunar New Year in Chinese New Year markets in China. These fairs are primarily practiced by the ...
from
Central Plain (China)
Zhongyuan (), the Central Plain(s), also known as Zhongtu (, lit. 'central land') and Zhongzhou (, lit. 'central region'), commonly refers to the part of the North China Plain surrounding the lower and middle reaches of the Yellow River, centere ...
. And gradually, they turned it into Nian Li after combining with the local custom of celebrating the good harvest.
#It is actually a date to memorize the days when the ancestors of the west of
Guangdong province
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
migrated to the places they are living in now.
#It is said to have some relationship with
Lady Xian
Lady Xian (or Hsien, ; Vietnamese: Tiển phu nhân; 512–602), also known as Lady of Qiao Guo (or Ch'iao Kuo; ), born as Xian Zhen (冼珍), was a noblewoman of the Li people, born to the chieftain of the Xian tribe in Southern China, in what is ...
, a heroine in Chinese history. For memorizing her, Xian family held an annual sacrificial practice at the end of a year. The celebration of Nian Li started from Xian family's sacrificial practices and developed to the Nian Li today through a long term evolution.
References
External links
年例搜狗百科