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Tujia ‘traditional wedding’ in Longshan County

2023-02-08
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On February 6, the strong festive atmosphere of the Lantern Festival didn’t dissipated, and Rebala Scenic Area in Longshan County became very lively because of a Tujia “traditional wedding”.



At about 8 a.m. that day, a grand procession carrying bamboo baskets and bridal sedan chair walked through the ancient village and across the long pavilion, and reached Rebala Palace in the cheerful music produced by the traditional Tujia band.

The gate stopping ceremony was staged at first. The bride’s ceremonial official’s voice was loud and high-pitched, attracting applause from the onlookers, and the bridegroom’s ceremonial official drank the door-stopping wine, so that the procession could enter Rebala Palace smoothly.



In the boudoir of the princess house of the palace, the wedding lament song was long and moving. In the traditional Tujia wedding ceremony, the bride and her relatives wept and told each other their heartfelt words. The bride appreciated the love given by their family members.

The bride was carried by her brother from her boudoir to the bridal sedan chair with the calls of the procession and the eager anticipation of the onlookers. The matchmaker led the way with a festive stride, while four young and strong Tujia boys were carrying the bridal sedan chair to the man’s house.



“Red envelops, red envelops, the bridegroom gives out red envelops!” This was a fancy ceremony of stopping the bridal sedan chair, with which the festive and joyful atmosphere climaxed. The bridegroom was busy handing out red envelopes to “calm” the youngsters and children who stopped the bridal sedan chair. Everyone laughed when the groom hurriedly scattered the red envelopes all over the place.

“A traditional wedding is full of a great sense of ceremony.” The groom, Peng Kejia, is from Dianfang Town of Longshan County, and his wife, Zhang Yingying, is from Henan Province. In order to let his wife better understand the customs and traditional folklore of Longshan and give her a grand wedding, the couple developed the idea of holding a traditional Tujia wedding. With the support of Rebala Scenic Area, their dream was realized.



Rebala Scenic Area has promoted the launch of traditional wedding project of Tujia family with the use of local characteristics and advantageous resources of scenic area. With the excavation and innovative use of ethnic culture, it has added cultural charm to the scenic area and stimulated market vitality.

Longshan County has created a Tujia tour with the mode of “immersive tourism plus experience”. Since the Spring Festival, the scenic area has quickly recovered in popularity, receiving more than 50,000 tourists.