On the 16th day of the 10th month in the traditional Chinese calendar, the Yao ethnic group comes together to celebrate the Panwang Festival, a vibrant tribute to their legendary ancestor Pan. This time-honored festival is one of the most significant events for the Yao people, showcasing their rich traditions and cultural heritage.
According to the Yao epic “Guoshanbang,” Pan was a hero renowned for his extraordinary courage and wisdom. In a time of great peril, he devised a daring plan to defeat enemies and protect his people. As a reward, the king granted him the hand of the third princess in marriage. Pan and the princess retreated to the mountains, where they raised six sons and six daughters—the forebears of the Yao people.
Tragedy struck when Pan died during a hunting expedition, falling from a cliff after being rammed by a goat. In his memory, his grieving children crafted a drum from the wood of the tree beneath which they found him, using the goat’s skin as the drumhead and covering it with yellow mud. As they beat the drum and danced, they created the earliest form of what is now known as the Panwang Festival.
Over time, the festival has evolved from its original sacrificial rites into a joyous celebration centered on music and dance, reflecting the essence of Yao culture. It has become a vivid showcase of the community’s diverse and colorful traditional art forms.
In 2006, the Panwang Festival was listed among the first group of National Intangible Cultural Heritage items by the State Council, cementing its importance as a treasure of the country’s cultural legacy.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
