Working and Living by the Sun

Ganqiu Festival of the Miao Ethnic Group

Ganqiu (literally, catching up with autumn) is one of the biggest festivals for Miao people in Huayuan, Fenghuang, Jishou, and Luxi of Hunan Province. Celebrated on the day of Liqiu, the start of autumn, the festival sees people in their holiday best flock to the gathering venue to play on a swing, dance, and sing.

As a prelude to the festival, a man and a woman will walk to the swing to report a harvest to all people. In traditional costumes, they hold a full sheaf of corn and a crop of paddy rice, respectively.

The ceremony is derived from an old legend that the ancestor of the Miao people, Shennong, sent a man and a woman to the east to fetch seeds of grains. He also taught people to plant the crops so they could feed themselves. The Ganqiu Festival commemorates the merit of Shennong when plants start to ripen and the harvest is expected. The Miao people also entertain themselves by singing and dancing to compensate their year-long hard work.

Playing eight-people swing is the “focus” of the festival but more diverse activities also feature nowadays, such as Kung Fu performances, lion and dragon dancing, exhibitions, and social activities for youngsters.

The Ganqiu Festival entered the list of national intangible cultural heritage in 2014.