"The Great Wall Online" 2003-3-24 8:25:35

Founded in 1967, Songzanlinsi

Sorcerer's dance performances are the monks, wearing animal masks and dressed in dance clothes, dance when Fahao, drums, suona accompanied by a very spectacular scenes.

"Living Buddha told me that although I have experienced the event of the grid sections and Shangri-La East, the beauty of autumn, but I should be the most beautiful season --- Napahai spring when the azaleas in full bloom come here, at that time grasslands, is the most nostalgia for a paradise on earth. "
6 am, the sky is still dark. Plateau very cold winter morning, from Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan, all townships wave at the junction of Wang Xin-chun and his wife, Tibetans have been braving the cold wind respectfully waiting at the front of the Living Buddha Gexiluojie they want in time for the Living Buddha Festival to attend today's event in eastern Georgia to get his blessing before.
Buddha ongoing lesson early chant, usually do not like when people bother, but mild, generous Gexiluojie Buddha Lama opened the door to let a small husband and wife into the room Kaohuo, etc. Buddha completed as early as classes praying for them later.
This day is the Tibetan calendar, November 26, Songzanlinsi most important holiday --- gedong the first day of the festival. This grand festival will last for 7 days.
Songzanlinsi is located away from Zhongdian County, Yunnan, less than 10 kilometers, Zhongdian County (now renamed Shangri-La County is also the location of state capital of Yunnan Diqing) told me three years to come than when it has become modernization of many, the county seat's streets, cafes and supermarkets everywhere, is stepping up its construction of high-grade highways to Lijiang --- here and connect to another tourist destination. The tourism industry here is so rapid economic growth and a gradual change in people's lifestyles. A Tibetan teacher (he wore a suit working stress) told me that now, where the men very rarely Zaichuan robes, "mainly the work is too inconvenient." He explained.
But today is the eastern section of lattice, almost all of the Tibetans were wearing were pretty amazing traditional robes, gathered in the square in front Songzanlinsi hall. I soon discovered that not only pretty colorful robes, in the biting cold wind, it will definitely be very warm, because most people come here only to Phi 1 robes, and I wore layers of clothes and put himself into a rice dumplings wrapped in still frozen shivering, and if not in the Living Buddha of the room full of hot buttered tea to drink, I think that he might not be in the square of the wind stuck spend half an hour.
Fortunately, shortly after the high-spirited drums and low solemn Fahao gradually drive away the chill. The first piece of the sun shine Songzanlinsi hall when the roof of the Georgia sorcerer's dance in the East section of the dance --- Songzanlinsi year, the most important Buddhist activity began.
It is said that wearing a mask of the sorcerer's dance in this dance originated in the completion of the eighth century Samye Monastery in Tibet celebrations, when people began to use the rhino masks dance to celebrate, after which the dance to become one of the activities of religious celebrations. For thousands of years later, the mask manufacturing art and mask dancing with the gradual spread of Buddhism to enrich and systematize the various sects and the differences between the various monasteries, making it the door of religious art richer.
In the whole of Tibetan Buddhism, many places have this law would activities, but throughout the region due to climate and harvest seasons, the time is not like the sorcerer's dance, for example as in the East Diqing Tibetan Monastery is in the August held at the Lhasa, Tibet is also Songzanlinsi later than one month, but its meaning is the same --- to celebrate a good harvest year, asking for prosperity and peace for the coming year, Tantric gods and protect the law appeared on "The Human", drive out all evil .
In Georgia all of the dance festival in the East, no matter which respect God, introduced always very hesitant, unlike other plays protagonist is introduced then the gratification, please God, trombone blown again and again, this respect for God's dance and music while synchronization, but he had a another one around has been reluctant to down, because the bumpy road of human injustice, human annoying variety of matters, although the gods the world, therefore, to descend every year, but always from different angles , headaches very; and when he completed the "world" of the mission, they immediately rushed to make two steps forward three steps and ran back to "heaven."

From the mask image point of view, most of the sorcerer's dance style is ferocious mask of terror, towering rage, who first saw a little bit scared, but the Tibetans believe they must be familiar with these faces yang earth, knowing these gods, they are people after death guide the soul toward the paradise of the good God, is for people to evil for security and peace. Tibetans told me that if was still alive more than to worship them, and when a person went to the next life duong tho end, they will lead the way for you, based on your fortune and fate, so you voted birth to Shanqu way; if you are not familiar with him, an encounter these spirits would be afraid to get frightened, drill into the Equ way, investment and health for the animal or hungry ghost. This is also the eastern section of packed cell one of the reasons.
The sorcerer's dance in the Songzanlinsi accompaniment of musical instruments has been jump from the morning sunrise sunset, we've got the full day. On this day, the main hall square in front of flags fluttering, cigarettes Shou Fahao sound, drum sound one after another, and the atmosphere solemn. Activities culminated in the last day, hanging from the hall on top of a huge Thangka of defending God, so that tens of thousands of believers to worship. Unfortunately, my vacation was nearly over, in the winter before the arrival of the first snow, I want to leave here any more.

Songzanlinsi near the Tibetan village. Here the land off horses, residential architectural shape and simple atmosphere, far different style of Napa lake throughout the year, live at Shangri-La's reputation.

"Travel Crutch

Zhongdian is now a more convenient transportation of the city, from Lijiang here the asphalt repaired this year, the shuttle only 4-5 hours; Zhongdian city has a high medium and low hotel, but the tourist season many people, the price changes large, the county seat to Songzanlinsi and to the Napa lake on the way there are several Tibetan traditional houses built hotel, ideal for backpackers, day cost ranged from 20 yuan to 100 yuan out of the bus station you can take in the bar or hit the (fare about 5 million) on that, if in the summer, you can walk or rent a bike. Internet, or supplies in the city very convenient.
(Editor: Zeng Yi)

(Source: Nanfang Wang)

Author: Zeng Yi From: Nanfang Wang Login Name: Bird of Paradise