Customs and habits of the Xibe people

Sibe people are an ancient ethnic group with a long history among the ethnic minorities in my country. The Xibo people developed directly from the Jurchen people in the Ming Dynasty. Its ethnic name is the name of the Sibe people who call it "Siwe" in colloquial and written "Sibe" in writing. In Chinese historical books, there were dozens of different transliteration methods in different periods, such as Xubu, Pixi, Xibi, Shibi, Xibei, Shiwei, Xiwei, Xiepo, Xibo, Shibo, Shibo, Xibai, Xibei, Xiwo, etc. It was not until the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties that they were unified into Xibo.

According to historical records, Xibo State was originally a state granted by the Jin Dynasty. Its capital was in Xidu, namely Xidu, also known as Suwancheng and Suwanyan City, and is now Shuangyang District of Changchun City, Jilin Province. It declined at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. It was called the country for the second time in the Ming Dynasty, and finally declined at the end of the Ming Dynasty. "From the sixth year of Jintianfu (1122) to the 16th year of Wanli (1588) of the Ming Dynasty, the Xibo Kuomintang and Communist Party in Shuangyang existed for 466 years. The Xibo State of the Jin Dynasty was formed by the Xibo people and the Xiaohuangtou Jurchen tribe of the four tribes after the Jin Dynasty moved to Shuangyang. "When the Xibo Tribe was strong, the marginal areas of Yongji, Panshi, Huadian, Yitong, and Changchun and Jilin were all their territories." The so-called four tribes of Haixi, namely the four tribes of Hulun (Yehe, Huifa, Hada, and Wula), are the Kingdom of Xibo (Hulun).

Xibe people originally lived in the northeastern region. During the Qianlong period, the Qing court recruited some of the Xibe people to move westward to Xinjiang to enrich the local area. Today, most of the Xibe people live in Liaoning Province (70.2%) and Qapqal Xibe Autonomous County, Huocheng, Gongliu and other counties in Xinjiang. They are scattered in Shenyang, Kaiyuan, Yi County, Beizhen, Xinmin, Fengcheng, Fuyu, eastern Inner Mongolia and the Nenjiang River Basin of Heilongjiang Province in Northeast China.

Xibe belongs to the Manchu branch of the Tungusic family of the Altaic family. It is a language developed on the basis of Manchu and is very close to Manchu. Xibe was formed in 1947 with slight changes based on Manchu. The Sibo people in Xinjiang still maintain their own spoken and written language, using Chinese, Uyghur and Kazakh. The Xibe people in Northeast China are basically the same as the Manchu and Han people in terms of language, food, clothing, and housing.

In the past, the religious beliefs of the Xibe people were quite mixed. They once worshipped nature, such as heaven, earth, sun, moon, stars, etc., and worshipped animals and plants such as Xianbei beasts, foxes, snakes, insects, ancient trees, and ginseng; Worship of the earth god "Banajan", the god of grain, the god of plague, the god of livestock "Herkan", the god of kitchen "Gizzai Yima", the god of door "Duka Induri", the god of goddess, the god of river "Rakhan", the mountain god "Alinuran", the god of guide "Zhuoyouenduri", the god of hunting "Bandama", the god of willow "Fodohomafa" and the god of fishing "Nimuha Nduri"; worship of the soul; worship of ancestors. The degree of belief is different. Generally speaking, they mainly worship "Mother Xili" and "Haierhanma" to protect livestock, and always believe in Shamanism and Tibetan Buddhism.

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was as early as the Qing Dynasty, and the Xibe people in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Xinjiang and other places all formed villages and towns. After the Xibo people who moved westward were dug through the Chabuchar Canal, they basically formed the current eight Niulu (also known as Gashan) settlement form. Niulu is both an economic unit and a combat unit. At first, each Niulu was surrounded by tall walls, and four gates were opened, east, west, north and south. There were two to three hundred households. Each courtyard varies in size, ranging from two to three acres to four or five acres. The courtyards are mostly rectangular in north and south, with various trees planted around them. The courtyards are surrounded by low walls and are divided into north and south houses. The south courtyard has a variety of fruits and vegetables, and the north courtyard has sheds, trees and grains. Most of the houses are herringbone adobe sloping roof houses or wooden frame structure sloping roof houses, most of which face north and south. All the bedrooms are equipped with fire kang, most of which are the "Third Ring Kangs" in the north and west. Most of the west houses are occupied by elders, the east houses are occupied by younger generations, and the middle houses are mostly kitchens separated into aisles. The Xibo people have always advocated living together for many generations, and the separation of families must be handled by their parents, building houses and establishing a separate family.

The housing of the Xibe people is increasingly developing towards houses combining brick, wood, and reinforced concrete structures. The old herringbone roof houses left over from the Qing Dynasty have been eliminated. Individual villages are only preserved as cultural relics. The shape of this kind of house was learned from the Manchu people. It has a higher cost and requires more labor and materials. Today's houses are gradually moving towards houses that combine brick-wood structures with "Lairanpi" structures. In many houses, steel windows and steel doors have replaced wooden windows and wooden doors. Some farmers have also built buildings.

The early costumes of the Xibo people were mainly animal skins such as deer and pig 'an, with more emphasis on cold prevention and warmth preservation functions. The costumes of the Xibe people also vary and change due to different times, regional differences, as well as the influence of ethnic groups. Traditional Xibe costumes once absorbed the advantages of Mongolian, Manchu, Han and other ethnic costumes.

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Xibe men like to wear blue, blue, gray and brown robes, with green jacket on the outside, a yarmuler hat, a green belt around the waist, and thick soles. In order to facilitate horse riding, men's robes and jackets are split left and right. The robe of the Xibe people is tied to a large half of the robe, the hem is about half a foot below the knees, and the cuffs are horseshoe-shaped, which can be rolled up and put down. The trousers worn under the lower body are also "overpants"(only two legs, no crotch and waist). In spring and autumn,"overpants" are worn, and in winter,"cotton overpants" are worn.

Xibo women have many styles of clothing. I like to wear various colored cloth and checkered cloth cheongsam (with more piping), embroidered shoes, vest, etc. The long robe should be glued with lace or embroidered with wide edges. It is preferred to wear a waistcoat. The waistcoat has a pair of plumes, and the ones with a long robe should also be pasted with lace. Black leg straps should be tied with trousers, and embroidered shoes should be worn on the feet. Girls and unmarried girls wear a long braid, tie the base with various "wool" without cutting the hair curtain, love some flowers on their heads and ends, wear gold (silver) earrings in their ears, and wear elegant and beautiful cheongsam. Tuck a colored handkerchief into the pocket of the right waist, half of which is exposed outside the pocket. Wearing embroidered cloth shoes on your feet shows the vitality of youth. The daughter-in-law's clothes are not much different from those of the girl, but they are brighter than those of the girl. The hairstyle is also different. The daughter-in-law wears a "panlong bun" with "bangs" in front of her forehead and a "swallowtail" behind her head. The black hair on the top of her head is puffed up and wound into a bun shape. In daily life, she wears the braid into two braids or two "grab buns", which are combined to form a big "pimple bun". Hair is covered with hair oil. If there is no hair oil, the water soaked in elm bark is also thick and shiny. You can apply powder to your face, apply lipstick to your mouth, dye your nails, etc. A gold hairpin is inserted in the bun of the head and a gold (silver, jade) bracelet is worn on the wrist.

The costumes of the Xibe elderly are different. Generally, elderly men wear white gowns with double plumes inside and long gowns with cotton in winter. Some people also wear horsejackets and white socks and cloth shoes in spring, summer and autumn. They wear felt cotton and black cloth shoes in winter. The waist of the shoes is slightly higher in spring and summer. They are called "Zabu Sabu" in Sibe), with trousers tied and top hats worn; Women's costumes change with age. Most elderly women wear blue, blue and black cheongsam, which reaches the feet, tied trousers, white socks, embroidered black cloth shoes in spring, summer and autumn (cotton high waist in winter), and cotton robes and cotton hats in winter, similar to the Kunqiu hat of Han nationality. When older women go out, they also carry a cigarette bag in their hands, and fill each other with cigarettes when visiting the door.

After the Revolution of 1911, the changes in Xibe costumes were greatly influenced by the Han, Uyghur and other ethnic groups. Young women like to wear brightly colored dresses, skirts, shirts and lapels, high-necked short coats, boots, etc. Young men like to wear suits, sportswear, jackets, leather shoes, etc. Only men and women in their eighties and nineties occasionally wear long robes, top hats, Kunqiu hats, and embroidered shoes.

Most of the Xibo people are accustomed to eating three meals per day. The staple food is rice and noodles. In the past, most of them ate sorghum rice. Pasta food is mainly made of dough cakes, but also steamed noodles, leeks, dumplings, etc. Influenced by the Uyghurs, they also eat pilaf and roasted naan, and drink noodle tea, milk and milk tea. The source of meat mainly relies on family breeding, mostly cattle, sheep, and pork. When eating meat, it is customary for everyone to carry a knife with them. After cooking the meat, put it on a large plate, cut it with the knife yourself, and then dip it in the seasoning mixed with salt and onions and garlic. Used to making pig blood enema. I also like to eat cooked pig's blood, mix it into a sauce, and serve it with mashed garlic or chopped green onion to make a separate dish.

The Xibe people in Northeast China eat more rice, sorghum and millet, while the Xibe people in Xinjiang eat wheat. Among them, Famei cake is a must-have food for the Xibe people in Xinjiang almost three meals a day. It is called "Falaha Efen", also known as "Xibe big cake", and the Xibe people eat it almost every day. This kind of cake is made of flour, alkaline flour and water. When baked in a pan, it is generally about thirty to forty centimeters in diameter and about one centimeter thick. The cake with a pyrotechnic pattern is called "sky", and the other side is "ground". The eating method of this kind of cake is very particular. When eating, it must face "sky" upwards and "earth" downwards, and be broken into four pieces, which reflects the Xibe people's concept of heaven and earth and national habits. The Xibe people often hunt during the winter leisure. Wild boars, wild ducks, hares, yellow sheep, etc. are common game on winter tables. The Xibe people are also accustomed to making various pickles. At the end of autumn every year, families use leeks, green peppers, celery, cabbage, carrots, etc. cut into thin threads to pickle pickles. They are called "Harte Mixed Suji" locally and can sometimes be eaten throughout the year. The Xibe people also like to make flour paste in summer to season it.

In addition to the "Xibo Pancake", the whole sheep mat is the most distinctive meat dish of the Xibe people. The Sibe language for the whole sheep mat is "Morsek", which means "dishes served in a bowl." In 2009, the whole sheep mat was included in the second batch of representative intangible cultural heritage of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region as a traditional art category. The main ingredients are sheep's heart, liver, lungs, large intestine, tongue, blood, etc. There are 12 dishes in total. The method is exquisite and the flavor is unique. If any distinguished guests visit, the Xibe people kill sheep and make a sumptuous whole sheep mat to entertain them. In addition, Xibe food also includes Ertang noodles, leek cakes, Sastan (chowder), etc., which are rich in styles and special in taste.

In the past, the Xibe people still had many rules that they had to abide by in their diet. For example, the dough cakes that were often eaten were served with the sky and the ground. The sky and the ground must face up and the ground face down. They were cut into four pieces and placed on one side of the table. You are not allowed to sit on the threshold or walk standing when eating. It is forbidden to beat the table, rice bowl with chopsticks, or put chopsticks across the bowl. The whole family should eat according to the eldest and the youngest, with the west as the top. In the past, fathers, sons, wives and daughter-in-law were not allowed to sit at the same table.

Xibo people have the traditional virtues of paying attention to etiquette, respecting the elderly and loving the young, being hospitable, and advocating cleanliness. In daily life, those who are unfilial to their children and do not support the elderly must be condemned by society. Teachers are particularly respected in society. The national proverb says,"Not respecting teachers means not respecting parents." Respect for guests is regarded as an important aspect of reflecting the civilized qualities of a family or family. Maintaining cleanliness, protecting water sources, and maintaining appearance in public places are important manifestations of the social morality and individual virtues of the nation that have continued since ancient times. Etiquette and etiquette are regarded as the foundation of human life. In daily life, we must respond kindly to our elders. We must perform the "thousand thousand yuan" ceremony when we meet again after a long separation. We must perform kneeling and kowtowing ceremonies on major festivals, weddings and funerals. This tradition has been passed down to this day.

When younger generations meet their elders on the road, they should say hello and make way; when they meet, they should say hello to each other. When a guest visits, the daughter-in-law must come out to fill cigarettes and pour tea. If the person holding cigarettes and pouring tea is of the same seniority as the guest, the guest should stand up or bow with both hands to accept it; when the guest says goodbye, the whole family must come out and deliver it to the gate.

There is an ancient custom of the Sibe people in encirclement. No matter how much game they hunt, all participants, regardless of size, are equally distributed. Even when passers-by encounter the game, they will get a share without exception. However, the head and hooves of the prey should be distributed to the first person to hit, which is a reward. The Xibe people believe that prey is given to everyone by nature, does not belong to any one person and cannot be used alone. The Xibe people not only regard siege as a means to obtain food, but also regard it as a symbol of unity and good fortune.

The Xibe people basically maintain the typical patriarchal marriage form of monogamy and the woman follows her husband. Some people who have no children recruit son-in-law into their marriage. No marriage is allowed with the same surname, but occasionally there are marriages between uncles, uncles, and siblings. After the founding of New China, the new Marriage Law was fully implemented in Xibe society, and bad habits such as concubinage, child brides, and courting marriage were gradually eliminated. Inter-ethnic marriages between Xibe and Han ethnic groups are increasing day by day.

There are many things to be said about the funeral of the Xibe people. In the past, cremation was changed to in-situ burial, with wooden coffins. The Xibe people are buried in the earth. Each Hara (surname) and Mokun has its own cemetery. The old man was baptized after death and kneeled when announcing the funeral. The funeral is scheduled on the day, and the memorial day and afternoon are taboo. Most of the mourning period lasts three days, and most of them range from five to seven days. Two banners (one is paper and the other is made of red cloth or red silk) are inserted on the tomb pile. Avoid visiting during the funeral period. The memorial service period is "forty-nine days". Distant relatives are exempted from filial piety, and immediate family members need to be exempted from filial piety for 100 days. Shamans, other witchcraft personnel and abnormal deaths are cremated. The coffins of unmarried men and women are not used as bases, but are replaced with reeds. The dead bodies of children were abandoned in the wild to be eaten by birds and beasts.

There are many customs for the funeral of the elderly. Generally, when an elderly person is critically ill or dying, their children at home are not allowed to leave. The old man cannot die on the kang. Before he dies, he must be carried to a temporary bed in the middle of the house, and his son will put on the old man's shroud and sandals. When you die, you must shave the deceased's head, wash your face, cut your nails, hold copper coins in your mouth, and take money in your hand, and then immediately open the door, which means letting the old man's soul out. Before burial, there were many superstitious points, such as covering the dead's head with a "mask paper", covering the dead's body with a "dola quilt", placing a "long-lit lamp" in front of his head,"people-to-head rice", and inserting cotton balls to "open eyes". The younger generations of the whole family should wear white mourning robes and white cloth belts. During condolence and funerals, lamas are also asked to recite sutras, and drummers are also asked to play cheerful music in front of the door, because this kind of funeral is called a "happy funeral." If the deceased is under 60 years old, a sad song will be played.