Dong Bullfighting Festival
Dong people like to enjoy bullfighting, which is mostly carried out in the spring and autumn seasons. The bullfighting festival is held every year in the second, third, or eighth and ninth months of the lunar calendar.
Before this, the young people blew Lusheng and went to the outer village to invite battle. In front of the Ox King's pen where they were about to prepare to participate in the war, people sang gongs, blowing sheng and firecrackers, and offered sacrifices all night long. The bullring on the sea day is crowded with people. The Camp of the Ox King is surrounded by flags and heavily guarded, like an ancient general.
Before the bullfight, the highly respected village old man chanted "Bullfighting Words" and announced the rules of bullfighting. At about noon, the bullfighting team took turns to enter the arena to demonstrate. Those dancing the "code card" bearing the nickname of the Ox King opened the way in front, those beating gongs and drums and blowing the lusheng followed, and the axe players holding golden melon axes. The village elders wore ancient costumes and held umbrellas to protect the spirit of the Virgin Mary. The crowd behind held flags and the Ox King entered the arena amidst the sound of artillery.
The cow king's head was inlaid with iron horns, covered with red satin, and a flag and crane tail was placed on his back. Several young men led the cow king into the stadium amid music and cheers. People protected the Ox King three times around the field and shouted non-stop. This kind of ritual is commonly known as "stepping on the hall".
After stepping on the hall, the bullfight officially began. If one side loses, the girls will run to snatch away the flag of the "defeated player", and then the winner will enter the arena again in a majestic manner. After the agreed bull king fought, the bullfight would be over.
Sometimes the "defeated generals" will be killed, and the whole village will pay to raise new "cow kings". A few days later, the girls returned the defeated soldier's flag and were warmly welcomed by the young men. They accompanied them to sing a Dong song, played a farewell sheng to bid farewell, and also presented a bride price for redemption of the flag.
Legend has it that in ancient times, people planted rice and transplanted rice but could not transplant it. At this time, two water bull oxen ran into the seedling field to fight and trampled on the seedling field. The owner had no choice but to remove some seedlings from the dense field to plant them. The field had a bumper harvest during the harvest season, and people learned to transplant seedlings. In order to commemorate this important event in farm work, people brought two oxen to fight against each other, and they have since followed each other into practice. Yang Yibo Picture/Wen)
