One Fujian village preserves the tradition of celebrating the harvest with painful acrobatics
As one of the world’s oldest farming civilizations, China has created numerous festivals to pray for or celebrate a good harvest. Though many of these rituals are disappearing due to urbanization, Zhongtuan village in Wuping county, Fujian province, has held on to several heart-stopping harvest traditions.
The 15th day of the 10th lunar month is leisure time for villagers after gathering in the harvest and sowing their fields for the coming year. On this day, the farmers of Wuping hold a “day of sacrifices (醮会日)” to thank their ancestors and pray for next year’s crops.
Walking on Fire to Celebrate Harvest Season is a story from our issue, “State of The Art.” To read the entire issue, become a subscriber and receive the full magazine. Alternatively, you can purchase the digital version from the App Store.
Anita is a researcher at The World of Chinese. She is interested in stories that involve gender inequality, social issues, as well as current affairs. She is also passionate about the development of subcultures in Chinese society.
