Yao medicinal bath: a bathing method passed down from generation to generation from the Yangtze River in southeastern Guizhou

Jiang Yao medicinal bath

Congjiang Yao medicinal bath

"Yao medicinal bath" is a unique bathing method passed down from generation to generation by the Yao people in Gaohua Village, Congjiang County, Qiandongnan, Guizhou Province. It has also been included in the second batch of national intangible cultural heritage. It is a traditional cultural knowledge used by the Yao people to resist cold, eliminate fatigue, and prevent and control diseases. It was originally created by the Yao ancestors and unique within the tribe. Experts call it an ancient inheritance of human health. The "Yao medicinal bath" is made of a variety of plant medicine formulas, which is boiled into a liquid medicine, and put into a fir barrel. People sit in the barrel and soak in a fumigation bath, allowing the liquid medicine to penetrate into the internal organs and meridians of the whole body, achieving the effects of expelling wind and dampness, activating blood circulation and removing blood stasis., sweating and detoxification.

Congjiang Yao medicinal bath

It is said that during the migration process, the Yao ancestors lacked medical care and medicine. In addition, the Yao compatriots generally lived on high slopes. Due to the high altitude, the fog is shrouded all year round and the humidity is extremely high, which can easily cause diseases such as rheumatism and typhoid. For thousands of years, the Yao people living in deep mountains and dense forests have resisted virus attacks and formed a life philosophy that emphasizes disease prevention, health care, health preservation and longevity in order to survive. The Yao medicinal bath is the Yao secret medicinal bath that the Yao people have been living with mountains, grass, vines and trees day and night for thousands of years. After dozens of generations of practice and application, it has been passed down orally and in the heart from generation to generation.

During the long years and long-term labor, they often picked spiritual grass from the mountains and fresh medicine from the mountains, boiled it with water, and built wooden barrels to soak it and bathe. Old people of the Yao nationality often said: If you rely on the mountain to eat, don't hurt its roots; if you rely on water to drink, don't damage its source; let the water be clear and the mountains be evergreen. Therefore, the Yao people only pick one mountain a year, and pick another mountain the next year. It goes on and on, never asking too much to achieve harmony between man and nature.

Yao medicinal bath is a shower method passed down from generation to generation by the Yao people in Congjiang County. It is a unique ancient and magical health care method. "Yao medicinal bathing" is a medicinal bathing custom formed by the Yao people during their long-term wandering and hunting life to strengthen their body, eliminate fatigue, resist wind and cold, and resist diseases.

There is such a record in the "Overview of Congjiang County Annals" of the Republic of China: "Banyao is so clean that it is a must-have bath bucket at home. When you work, you must have a medicinal bath once when you go home. Because it is deep and clean, there are many people living in your hometown." Since ancient times, due to historical reasons, the local Yao people have lived in deep mountains and dense forests. The Yao Village is usually built halfway up the mountain. The village is surrounded by dense forests, surrounded by clouds and clouds all year round, and the green trees are shady. Bamboo forests, tea forests and various trees are planted in front of and behind each household all year round. Every household uses bamboo tubes to introduce mountain springs into their homes, and there are bath buckets made of fir trees in their homes. Whenever a guest enters the village, the blind dates in the village will warmly entertain the guests from far away with oil tea and medicinal baths. This is one of the highest etiquette for the Yao people to receive guests!

Yao medicinal bath breaks the convention and changes taking it to bathing. All the herbal medicines are used, which have no toxic and side effects. They are beneficial to the internal organs, blood, and nervous system. They are the most fundamental method for fitness, disease prevention, and treatment. They are an indispensable part of their lives. Regular medicinal bath can prevent and treat all diseases, eliminate fatigue, prolong life, moisturize skin, and promote sleep. It has magical effects on rheumatism and gynecology diseases!

When women in Yaozhai give birth to children, the baby takes a bath as soon as she lands, and the mother takes a bath a few hours later to prevent virus infection. The pregnant woman who takes the medicinal bath can go to work in three days. In Yaozhai, they learned that people here have almost no arthritis, no foot, foot odor, and women have no gynecological diseases. There are many people living long here. Women have round skin colors and the elderly look young and energetic. In a place filled with fog and high humidity all year round, there are no mold, fungal infections, and no mosquitoes around the house. This makes us sigh at the magic of Yao medicine!

In Yaozhai, from the elderly to children, medicinal materials for medicinal baths are picked. In different seasons, different medicinal materials are picked, washed and dried, and then dozens of medicinal materials are prepared and placed at home. During bathing, place the prepared medicine bag in a large pot and boil it for bathing. The bathing time is generally 20-30 minutes. The medicine juice penetrates into the body and into the meridians and meridians of the whole body to achieve the effects of expelling wind and dampness, activating blood circulation to remove blood stasis, sweating and detoxifying, and eliminating fatigue, beauty, health care and health preservation.

This magical cultivation culture has been continuously improved and innovated by dozens of generations after thousands of years of history, making it an armor for the Yao people to fight hard against nature! Food needs to be eaten every day, and medicinal baths need to be washed every day. Of course, there are many etiquette for taking a medicinal bath. Generally, guests take it first, and then take a bath one by one in the order of male, then female, and elderly and then young. Whenever guests enter the village, the villagers will warmly entertain guests from afar with camellia oleifera and medicinal baths. This is the highest etiquette for the Yao people to receive guests.