Gulun Muda Festival of the Oroqen Nationality

Inner Mongolia
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The Oroqen people are one of the ethnic minorities with a small population in my country. Since ancient times, they have lived and multiplied in the deep forests of the Heilongjiang River Basin and the Greater and Lesser Khingan Mountains, and have made a living by hunting and safari for generations. This unique production and lifestyle has formed a unique traditional festival, the Gulun Muda Festival. "Gulun Muda" is the Oroqen language, which means to worship the God of Fire. The Gulun Muda Festival evolved from the ritual of worshiping the God of Fire. Since ancient times, every year on New Year's Day or auspicious days, every household of the Oroqen people would light a bonfire in front of their door, burn incense, kneel down and pray, in order to ask the God of Fire to bless them with peace; before meals, they would also pour wine and throw meat into the fire pit to show their offerings. Over time, this has formed a folk custom that has been passed down from generation to generation. The Gulun Muda Festival of the Oroqen people is usually held in the spring of each year. At that time, people will bring good wine, good meat, tents and other things, and ride horses with their families to the designated location to participate in the event. During the festival, the activities are rich and colorful. At night, shamans are invited to dance around the bonfire to worship gods and ancestors; during the day, there are cultural and sports activities such as horse racing, archery, shooting, wrestling, singing, dancing, storytelling, chess, and playing wooden cards. The Gulun Muda Festival is not just a day for worshiping gods and ancestors, but also contains rich cultural connotations. However, due to historical reasons, the Gulun Muda Festival has been suspended for a long time. Although the masses have spontaneously restored it in recent years, the methods and contents of the activities have changed greatly, and some traditional activities are on the verge of disappearing. Therefore, it is urgent to protect this folk festival.

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