Customs of Badong Shennong Stream Scenic Area

"Xi Lan Kapp" of Shennong Stream Scenic Area

When the Tujia girls in Enshi get married, they must bring Xi Lan Kapp----- traditional Tujia brocade as a wedding gift. In the Tujia language, "Xi Lan" means beddings, "Kapp" means flowers, so "Xi Lan Kapp" is the flower bedding. Tujia girls are all wave their Xi Lan Kapp. Firstly, they wave well the cloth on the wooden loom. Then, they cross-stitch on the cloth. Because of Xi Lan Kapp's various patterns and vibrant colors, it has a well ornamental value.

Daughters' Meeting of Shennong Stream Scenic Area

Daughters' Meeting is an annual unique minority festival in western Hubei Province. The date of the festival is different in different holding places. Sometimes 3rd of Mai, sometimes 12th of July, sometimes 15th of August in the Chinese lunar calendar. Among those dates, the Daughters' Meeting on 12th of July in Shiyao Village has been preserved since ancient times.

"Daughters Meeting" generally associated with rural market which largely collect all the Tujia customs. Whenever this time, the girls selling a variety of local special products to wait for their lovers' arrival. The guy came up asking about the prices of the products and they start to bargain, if the guys have the fancy with the girls, the price will become lower and lower, at last, they will have a rendezvous in a forest near the village. If the girl didn't have such feeling with the guy, the prices will be higher and higher; then, the guy will leave her and re-find another.

The History of Shennong Stream Scenic Area

Tujia mainly live in Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Enshi and Tujia Miao Autonomous Prefecture of Tujia in Hunan, in Sichuan and other places also have distribution and a population of more than 570 million people. Tujia called themselves "Bi Ka Zip" means original. 2000 years ago, they settled in today's Western Hubei and Hunan province, along with the other local ethic minority called the "Wuling People". In Song dynasty, Tujia was called "Tu Ding" individually. After the founding of PRC, they officially called Tujia. Tujia language belongs to the Sino- Tibetan phylum, Tibeto-Burman branch. They can use Han language in a very early time because they live together with Han for a long time.

Other Customs of Shennong Stream Scenic Area

In the part of clothing, Tujia people rever simplicity. Beforetime, Tujia people usually use the self-woven cloth to make clothes. Men wear black or blue. On the clothes of women, there are "deer, lotus, magpie, plum, phoenix and sunrise" and other festive designs.

Tujia in Hubei Province, rice and corn are the staple food. Wheat, sweet potato and potato as the subsidiary food. Rich species of vegetables and poultry. Generally, they favor hot and sour taste.