Slaughter Bull - A custom for local people to share beef (Xiangxi)

DATE:08-06-2011

Slaughter Bull is a traditional custom of the Miao people. Before the ceremony, the master should select a top-grade good-looking water bull with intact ears, eyes, nose, mouth and horns, and what’s more important, it should have hair vortex on its shoulders. On the occasion, a pillar carved with colorful dragon and phoenix patterns will be fixed in the middle of the square. The bull is lead by a rope through its nose, and then it’s tied up on the pillar with a warp bamboo strip ring. After giving the bull drinks, a wizard will walk around the pillar three times. When he gives a spear to a descendant, people begin to kill the water bull in the deafening beating of gongs and drums. The young chase the bull unceasingly, and the bull runs around the pillar again and again. In the end, with blood spouts from the wound, the bull will drop dead. People will share the beef then. In the evening, people will get together for a drum dance, and sing (it means “Dule” in Miao language) all night.