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Revivalists try to integrate ancient customs with modern-day life
By Sang Ni and Wang Jie |
October 25, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE festival days have become excuses for enjoying sumptuous meals with friends and family, but what about the cultural traditions that underlie these celebrations rooted in ancient times?
A group called Hanweiyang is devoted to trying to keep those traditions alive. For example, during the Dragon Boat Festival when most people fix their thoughts on the traditional rice pudding called "zongzi," Hanweiyang tries to revive the ancient customs, such as "wiping out the five poisonous creatures," hanging up the calamus plant to ward off disease and evil spirits, praying for a happy life and taking baths.
"When our ancestors celebrated Dragon Boat Festival, they mainly hoped to exorcise evil spirits and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. It's tradition we will try our best to restore," according to one member of the group.
Yao Yuan, a Jiading native who founded the group, is somewhat obsessed with traditional Chinese culture. Whenever there is a traditional festival, he leads his group in staging activities designed to promote traditions.
Dressed up in costumes of old, members of the group tour streets, lanes and parks to promote the restoration of ancient ways. Their performances, and certainly their dress, attract a lot of attention. Even young people are drawn in.
"We are promoting the traditional culture of the Chinese nation as a whole, not that of a specific period," said Yao.
Yao started the group after becoming distressed over the gradual fading of public interest in folk customs and their disappearance from celebrations. He gathered around him a group of people who shared his concern and created a website; http://hanweiyang.cn/yang/.
"No traditional culture should ever become outmoded," a member of the group named Qiao argued. "It is virtuous to be temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous ? values we Chinese have traditionally upheld. Nowadays, however, quite a few people have grown cocky, snobbish and indifferent, and many of them have forgotten that we are a nation of more than 5,000 years of history and tradition. We must not lose that sense."
He added, "It is precisely that sense that gives our group its cohesion."
Since the group is a non-governmental body set up by volunteers, it relies mainly on its own members for any costs. The traditional clothes, for instance, were sewn by members of the group, including fine replicas of the uniforms of the valiant soldiers of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), formal attire worn at official occasions and the daily wear of ordinary ancients.
"Our main idea is to get deep into the spiritual connotation of traditional festivals by dressing up in traditional Chinese clothes on these occasions," Yao explained.
It's not meant to be a fashion show. Their performances and appearances are meant to re-enact the practices of ancestors. Should they bring any soft drinks when on an outing? No. Just pure water. Glutinous rice wine, in homage to Du Kang, the legendary Chinese god of wine, is fine, too.
The Hanweiyang group has had attracted attention and raised awareness about the rich heritage of China's past.
Yao said he hopes more people are inspired to celebrate and honor traditions so that ancient customs become an integral and respected part of modern-day life.
A group called Hanweiyang is devoted to trying to keep those traditions alive. For example, during the Dragon Boat Festival when most people fix their thoughts on the traditional rice pudding called "zongzi," Hanweiyang tries to revive the ancient customs, such as "wiping out the five poisonous creatures," hanging up the calamus plant to ward off disease and evil spirits, praying for a happy life and taking baths.
"When our ancestors celebrated Dragon Boat Festival, they mainly hoped to exorcise evil spirits and offer sacrifices to their ancestors. It's tradition we will try our best to restore," according to one member of the group.
Yao Yuan, a Jiading native who founded the group, is somewhat obsessed with traditional Chinese culture. Whenever there is a traditional festival, he leads his group in staging activities designed to promote traditions.
Dressed up in costumes of old, members of the group tour streets, lanes and parks to promote the restoration of ancient ways. Their performances, and certainly their dress, attract a lot of attention. Even young people are drawn in.
"We are promoting the traditional culture of the Chinese nation as a whole, not that of a specific period," said Yao.
Yao started the group after becoming distressed over the gradual fading of public interest in folk customs and their disappearance from celebrations. He gathered around him a group of people who shared his concern and created a website; http://hanweiyang.cn/yang/.
"No traditional culture should ever become outmoded," a member of the group named Qiao argued. "It is virtuous to be temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous ? values we Chinese have traditionally upheld. Nowadays, however, quite a few people have grown cocky, snobbish and indifferent, and many of them have forgotten that we are a nation of more than 5,000 years of history and tradition. We must not lose that sense."
He added, "It is precisely that sense that gives our group its cohesion."
Since the group is a non-governmental body set up by volunteers, it relies mainly on its own members for any costs. The traditional clothes, for instance, were sewn by members of the group, including fine replicas of the uniforms of the valiant soldiers of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), formal attire worn at official occasions and the daily wear of ordinary ancients.
"Our main idea is to get deep into the spiritual connotation of traditional festivals by dressing up in traditional Chinese clothes on these occasions," Yao explained.
It's not meant to be a fashion show. Their performances and appearances are meant to re-enact the practices of ancestors. Should they bring any soft drinks when on an outing? No. Just pure water. Glutinous rice wine, in homage to Du Kang, the legendary Chinese god of wine, is fine, too.
The Hanweiyang group has had attracted attention and raised awareness about the rich heritage of China's past.
Yao said he hopes more people are inspired to celebrate and honor traditions so that ancient customs become an integral and respected part of modern-day life.
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