摘要：Editor's note:The Qiang New Year Festival is a traditional celebration of the Qiang people, one of China's oldest ethnic groups, o

Editor's note: The Qiang New Year Festival is a traditional celebration of the Qiang people, one of China's oldest ethnic groups, often described as a "living fossil" in the evolutionary history of the Chinese nation.

Southwest China's Sichuan province is home to the country's only Qiang ethnic enclave, where approximately 300,000 Qiang people primarily reside in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture, and Beichuan Qiang autonomous county in Mianyang city.

Every year, on the first day of the 10th lunar month, the Qiang people celebrate their most significant traditional festival — the Qiang New Year. Centered around themes of worshiping heaven and expressing gratitude, they hold ceremonies during the festival to honor the gods, drive away evil, express gratitude for the harvest, and pray for blessings.

The Qiang people are renowned for their talent in singing and dancing, exemplified by the Salang dance, a distinctive circle dance whose name means "sing and dance" in the Qiang language.

In 2009, the Qiang New Year Festival was inscribed on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding. In 2024, UNESCO inscribed the festival on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This recognition highlights the significance of the festival in preserving the cultural traditions, social bonds and spiritual beliefs of the Qiang people.

The Qiang New Year Festival, with a history that stretches back centuries, is deeply rooted in the agricultural and pastoral traditions of the Qiang people. Signaling renewal and hope for the coming year, it is both a cultural and social event, involving elaborate ceremonies that seek to ensure prosperity, health and harmony within the Qiang community.

The festival's origins are closely tied to the agricultural calendar, particularly the importance of seasonal cycles in the Qiang way of life. Traditionally, the Qiang people practiced farming and animal husbandry in the rugged, high-altitude regions of Sichuan, and their spiritual beliefs were deeply intertwined with nature. Their New Year Festival is a time to honor the spirits of the ancestors, the earth and the natural elements, while also celebrating the community's resilience and unity.

Participants engage in prayers at the rituals of the Qiang New Year Festival, hoping for bountiful harvests, good fortune and protection of their herds. The festival includes a variety of traditional activities, such as sacrificial rites, communal feasts, and performances of traditional Qiang music and dance, most notably the Qiang dance, which is often accompanied by the unique sound of bamboo instruments.

In addition to these cultural elements, the festival is an important occasion for socializing. It fosters unity within the Qiang community, strengthening family and clan ties, and allows younger generations to learn and participate in the traditions of their elders.

In recent decades, the festival has faced pressures from migration, changing lifestyles and the loss of traditional customs among younger generations. However, concerted efforts by local communities, cultural institutions and government agencies have helped revitalize and protect this important cultural practice.

Local authorities in Sichuan province have actively worked to preserve the festival by promoting it as a cultural tourism event, which has brought attention and resources to the celebration. In addition, the establishment of cultural heritage programs, including the training of cultural bearers and the documentation of traditional practices, has helped ensure the survival of the festival's rituals.

The festival is increasingly recognized as an important part of China's diverse cultural heritage, and its significance extends beyond the Qiang people themselves. The Qiang New Year Festival has been showcased in cultural exchange programs, and efforts to engage younger generations in the preservation of traditional practices are ongoing.

UNESCO's recognition of the Qiang New Year Festival emphasized its role as a vital cultural expression of the Qiang people and its importance in maintaining the community's traditional values, social cohesion and spiritual beliefs. UNESCO praised the festival for its diversity of rituals, ceremonies and performances, highlighting the way it fosters a deep connection to nature and the ancestors.

The organization also noted the importance of preserving the festival for future generations. UNESCO emphasized the need for education, intergenerational transmission, and community participation to sustain the festival amid modern influences. Furthermore, UNESCO's designation highlighted the role of the Qiang New Year Festival in promoting intercultural understanding, as it offers a glimpse into the unique cultural traditions of one of China's many ethnic minority groups.

Discover more treasures from China on UNESCO's ICH list:

• 2024: Spring Festival

• 2022: Traditional tea processing

来源：中国网