Miao Ethnic Autumn-Catching Festival

Time: Before the beginning of Autumn (August)

Venue: Xiangxi

What’s On: It is an occasion for the Miao people to express their gratitude to the God of Farmland, Autumn Mother and Autumn Father. It falls before the day marking the beginning of autumn on the lunar calendar when the Miao villagers turn out to play on the sweings, sing in antiphonal style and take part in other entertainment events to celebrate the autumn harvest and express the wish for more livestock and a happier life.

 

It is said that a Miao ethnic young man who was good at shooting hunted a eagle in one day. And the falling eagle caught a elaborate female shoe. The young man saw this skillful shoe and thought the hostess of this shoe must be a beautiful lady. He planned to find out this lady.

 

The young man designed a swing which was the most popular entertaining tool among Miao ladies. He invited people in the town to have a fun on the Autumn-begin Day. Fortunately, the hostess of the shoe also came. Through singing love songs to each other, they finally got married. Since then, people prefer to have the same activity in this day and title it as “Autumn-catching Festival”.