Beating a Qi Gong is a traditional activity for the Red Yao ethnic minority in Sishui Village, Longsheng County. It is held on the 15th of the 15th lunar month. The story goes that long ago, state officers and soldiers often extorted and squeezed Yao people for income and disturbed their homes. In the face of trouble, young people would go to the mountains to get rocks and wool stumps, while the old and the small stayed in the village to make traps that misled the enemy.
When the enemy came near, the smallest boy would run to send the message up the mountain. The rocks and wood stumps would be rolled down to hit and drive away the enemy. From then on, to celebrate the victory, they played the game of beating a Qi Gong every year. At this time, some strong men act as Qi Gong (officers and soldiers). Boys under 13 stay at the pathway where the Qi Gong passes through. A blockade is made there, too. When Qi Gong come, children throw lumps of earth at them and make them run away. Children chase them. At last, children return in triumph. The game helps the younger generation cultivate a strong spirit.
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