With the changes of the times and the communication and integration between nations, the primitive and ancient cultural customs of any nation will be enriched. Qiang people have a national language but no writing, and there are many ancient customs. However, because the residential area has been close to Tibetans for a long time, the lifestyle, song and dance names and worship are all influenced by Tibetan customs and religions. However, even so, the Qiang people themselves have made brilliant achievements in architecture, sacrifices, legends, folk crafts, songs and dances. Up to now, it still retains the cultural landscape full of amorous feelings and rich Qiang heritage, which makes people marvel, admire and linger.
Sichuan is a province with many mountains, rivers and complicated terrain. If you want to go deep into the Qiang area in northern Sichuan and witness the exotic folk song and dance activities with your own eyes, you must start from Chengdu, go to Maoxian, the capital of Sichuan Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, and then go to the Qiang gathering place in Minshan.
If you want to visit the ancient sacrificial dance "Ke Sigra" of the Qiang people, you must spend nearly a day hiking on the long asphalt road, gravel road, dirt road and narrow path surrounded by mountains. When Qionglong, a village in A Qiang on the plain, stands on the horizon of the top of the mountain, it is not far from Ceylon Guazi Village in Mahu Township, Minshan Mountain.
In the hands of the ancient Qiang people, the tall and straight "Qionglong" building is unique not only among the 56 ethnic groups in China, but also in the world. In addition, as a cultural symbol of the ancient Qiang people, it has a high level of architectural science and technology and rich cultural connotation.
As early as "The Biography of Xin 'an Yi in the Later Han Dynasty", it was recorded that in the Qiong cage of the ancient Qiang nationality Ranxiang, there was a record of "living in the mountains and living in the rocks, more than ten feet high". Climbing under the "Qionglong" of these guard positions is the residence of the Qiang people. The gray house in the 3354 stone stands on the hill, with ancient and solemn buildings on both sides. Red peppers and golden corn cobs hanging on the roof or under stone windows of different heights give every stone house infinite vitality under the blue sky.
And unlike other ethnic groups, white stones of different sizes are piled in the corners of every household here. But this is not because of "decoration", but from the legend that the ancestors of the Qiang nationality fought against other nationalities in ancient times and were saved by Baishi God at the critical moment when they were outnumbered and faced with national survival. Since then, the worship and admiration of the Qiang people for the white stone god has continued to this day, until the Qiang people piled up white stones in the corner to express their worship of the white stone god, and they were also blessed by God.
Qiang people are a generous people, and they love singing and dancing. Qiang people's songs and dances are mainly divided into two categories: sacrificial dances and self-entertainment dances. Qiang people believe in animism and worship polytheism since ancient times. They think that the dead have a great influence on the living and pay special attention to the funeral ceremony.
The "armor dance" to be discussed here is a ceremonial dance in the sacrificial ceremony. This is a kind of song and dance activity, which was held before the ancient soldiers went out to war, or when the old people and national heroes in the village mourned and the dead handed over. Qiang people call it "Kesgela".