June 6 Sun Festival

Now in Yangqiao Township, Cengong County, there is a stockade called Zhongling, and there are hundreds of families, all Tujia people. Every year on June 6th, the village is very lively. Men and women, old and young, put on festive costumes, get up at the fifth watch of the rooster, carry the cakes, fried rice, and candies prepared the day before, and climb to the top of Jigong Mountain, the highest mountain near the stockade. Everyone faced the east, put their palms together and bowed, waiting for the sun to come out. They kept reciting: “The sun in the east is rising quickly, and all beings in the world are happy. Today, standing on the Rooster Mountain, the Rooster is calling you loudly.” The sun came out. Now, everyone cheered and jumped. The adults threw the cakes and candies into the woods for the dolls to snatch them. Everyone laughed. Finally, they gathered around and danced the hand-shake dance until the sun went down and people went home. This is the Sun Festival of Tujia people in Sizhou.

In the ancient times of June 6th Sun Festival, ten suns suddenly appeared in the sky at the same time, illuminating the earth red, the trees scorched, the fields cracked, the Longao River dried, and the stone walls on both sides of the river cracked. , Seeing that the living beings in the world are about to be destroyed, the men, women and children on Zhongling Village are all frowning and don’t know what to do.

One day, a young man named Asang came back from outside to study the Fa, and asked Lao Zhai, “There are so many suns in the sky, so big, you should think of a way! If this continues, will everyone still be able to live?” The old man frowned and said, “We can’t think of a way to get there.” Asang said, “I have a way, that is, to have a few capable people accompany me to the Sun Mountain, fetch ten divine arrows, and shoot the sun. Shoot them all down.”

The next day, the village selected three strong young men, carrying dry food and carrying steel knives, to accompany Ah Sang to the Sun Mountain. Everyone beat gongs and drums and kept sending them to the top of the high mountain near the stockade. Facing the east, Asang bowed with both hands and said:

The door to heaven opens, the door to earth opens, and the Tujia sent me up the mountain,
If there is a big fire today, the mortals on earth will be devastated.
The Jade Emperor quickly sent auspicious clouds, and the Earth Bodhisattva led the way.
Take me to the east coast, lead me to Sun Mountain.
The Dragon King of the East China Sea borrowed the great water, and took divine arrows from the Sun Mountain,
All the immortals quickly rescue me and bless all beings with peace.

Suddenly, a red cloud floated from the horizon of the East China Sea, connecting Ah Sang and the others to the sky. After seventy-seven and forty-nine days, they came to the Sun Mountain. The Sun Mountain was like a fire, scalding their sweat, burning their skin red, and burning their hair. They didn’t care to complain and searched everywhere. Finally, they saw ten divine arrows at the foot of Qinggen Mountain. Everyone jumped up with joy. God Arrow. Ah Sang pulled out the steel knife, rushed up to slash and slashed, and the three descendants who went with him swarmed up, and fought with the python, finally severing seven inches of the python and winning the divine arrow. Everyone happily returned to Zhongling Village.

Early the next morning, Ah Sang carried the divine arrow on his back and came to Rooster Mountain. When the sun rose, he drew his bow and arrow, and shot down nine suns in a row. The youngest sun was so frightened that he turned around and ran away, never daring to come out. Since then, the ground has become dark and cold, and people cannot live. Seeing that things were not good, Ah Sang said to the people in the village, “It’s not good if there is too much sun, and it’s not good if there is no sun. We have to find a way to get the one who was hiding out.” To get the sun out. One day, Ah Sang and the young and old of Quanzhai came to Zhongling Dam with cattle and horses, chickens and ducks, and asked for the sun to come out. They shouted for three days and three nights, but the sun did not come out. Ah Sang said: “I’m afraid it’s far from the sun here. Besides, everyone shouted together. The voices were chaotic and noisy. The sun was scared and didn’t dare to come out. I want someone to go to the east coast where the sun rises and shout, it will definitely come out. Look who has this ability!” People look at me, I look at you, and no one dares to accept this. Suddenly, a duck volunteered to say: “I’ll go and call, if it doesn’t come, you will hit me in the mouth!” After speaking, it spread its wings and flew into the Long’ao River and swam towards the East China Sea. It swam while shouting. , I have been swimming for seven, seven and forty-nine days, and I have been shouting to the East Sea, my feet are limping, my voice is hoarse, and the sun still does not come out. In the end the duck had to swim back boringly. Everyone was very disappointed. An offspring stepped on it angrily, flattening the duck’s beak and flattening his feet. Until now, the duck’s beak is flat, and the duck’s walking is swaying. The goose said, “My voice is louder than that of a duck. Let me try it. If I can’t call out the sun, everyone will knock on my head!” After saying that, he swaggered away. It also swam to the East China Sea, shouting while walking, and after walking for seven, seven, forty-nine days, its feet were limping, and its mouth was dry, but it still didn’t call out the sun, and finally, it had to swim back boringly. The people in the village were very angry, and when someone grabbed the goose’s neck, he twisted it and knocked on its head. The neck of the goose was twisted, and a bag was knocked on the skull. Until now, the neck of the goose is still crooked, and the bag on the forehead has not disappeared. Later, people asked the rooster to call the sun, and the rooster said: “I can’t swim, I can’t fly, how can I call the sun out? But everyone believes in me, I can give it a try.” The rooster came to the top of a nearby high mountain, faced the east, flapped his wings, and shouted with all his strength: “Tai-yang-brother, come out-come-luo!” It shouted three times in a row, The hiding sun was woken up and felt that the sound was very pleasant, and slowly stretched out his head to look. When the rooster saw the sun came out, he was very happy, and shouted again: “Tai-yang-brother, hot-he-he, quick-shine-me!” The sun knew that people wanted it and would not use arrows any more Shoot it, it rises from the east, and the earth sees light again.

The people in the stockade were very happy. They held hands and danced around the rooster. Everyone scrambled to throw cakes, fried rice, and buns at the rooster. The dolls scrambled to hold the rooster. This day was the sixth day of the sixth lunar month. To commemorate this day, the local Tujia people designated June 6th as the Sun Festival every year, which has been passed down to the present.