Chinese New Year: Spring Festival in Chahar Right Rear Banner

Chinese lunar calendar has xiaonian, marks the beginning of the celebration for Chinese New Year.

Although the space is crowded, actors and actresses with the Ulan Muqir Troupe quickly win over the audience with their wonderful performance.

(Image Courtesy: Oin Bin)

Chahar Right Rear Banner is located in the middle part of northern China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 195 kilometers away from Hohhot, the capital city of the autonomous region.

With a total area of 3,910 square kilometers and a total population of 220,000, the banner is a multi-ethnic area mainly inhabited by people from the Mongolian and Han ethnic groups.

A small, tranquil village 22 kilometers east of Baiyan Tsagaan Town, Chahar Right Rear Banner, which boasts a strong Mongolian flavor.(Image Courtesy: Oin Bin)

Going to the Countryside with an Ulan Muqir Troupe

On January 16, 2020, just a few days before Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, “hellos” in the Mongolian language were repeatedly heard at the entrance to Baiyan Tsagaan Town, Chahar Right Rear Banner, Ulanchap City.

Locals wearing Mongolian traditional clothing greeted their guests with smile and hada (pieces of silk used as greeting gifts). The guests were members of an Ulan Muqir art troupe.

An actress with the Ulan Muqir Troupe changes into her theatrical costume before arriving at the home of Deli Gel, the venue for their performance.(Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

Locals greet members of the Ulan Muqir Troupe. (Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

The performance was staged at the home of Deli Gel, a local villager. With everyone working together, a space for the performance was quickly cleared in the house as a temporary stage.

After the passionate opening dance warmed up the atmosphere, distinctive ethnic performances, including Mongolian long tune, Mongolian dance, performance of the morin khuur (also known as the horse-head fiddle), and Khoomei (Mongolian overtone singing), were presented one after another, winning thunderous applause from spectators.

Although the space is crowded, actors and actresses with the Ulan Muqir Troupe quickly win over the audience with their wonderful performance. (Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

The host, Deli Gel, and his wife live on animal husbandry. That morning, to receive the art troupe, Deli Gel’s family got up very early to prepare milk tea and boiled mutton for guests.

“We are so happy that the art troupe comes to our home today.” 

Host Deli Gel.

According to the couple, the Ulan Muqir art troupe not only gave wonderful performances, but also made contributions to publicizing national policies together with staff from local government departments responsible for medical, scientific and technological, poverty alleviation, epidemic prevention, and legal affairs.

Boasting a history of nearly 55 years, the Ulan Muqir Troupe in Chahar Right Rear Banner is a grassroots art organization that has long been rooted in rural and pastoral areas.

The troupe is now comprised of 39 staff members, with an average age of 33. They present more than 100 performances each year across the banner. Locals affectionately call the troupe “an art ensemble which brings people on the grassland closer to each other.”

Welcoming Chinese New Year with Holy Flame

In Chinese lunar calendar, 17 January 2020 was xiaonian (literally, “Lesser New Year”), which marked the beginning of the celebration for Chinese New Year.

This very day was also the Fire Worship Festival in Mongolian culture. Before the festival, people of the Mongolian ethnic group hung up new prayer flags, which symbolize high spirits, vigor, and good luck for the whole family in the coming year.

After the sacrificial ceremony for the Fire Worship Festival in a family begins, participants sit together, and the person presiding over the ceremony holds a blessing arrow while reciting scriptures.(Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

At the end of the sacrificial ceremony for the Fire Worship Festival, the hostproposes a toast to participants. (Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

Early in the morning, all men and women in the family of Tumen Uliji in Baiyan Tsagaan Town were busy preparing for the Fire Worship Festival.

With the assistance from the local government, the two children of Tumen Uliji took up animal husbandry.

In addition, with the increasing popularity of grassland tourism, local herdsmen have capitalized on natural resources including volcanoes and grasslands to run leisure farms, attracting many tourists from other parts of China.

Local swearing festive clothes participate in the Fire Worship Festival held at Morin Khuur Square. (Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

About five kilometers away from Tumen Uliji’s house, a grand Mongolian fire festival and winter Chahar costume exhibition was held at Morin Khuur Square.

Wearing festive clothing, locals offered sacrifices to the holy flame and prayed for good harvest and happiness in the coming year.

Children at the Fire Worship Festival held at Morin Khuur Square. The festival attractsa large number of locals and tourists every year. (Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

The Fire Worship Festival at Morin Khuur Square kicks off in the afternoon. The person who presides over the sacrificial ceremony lights incense and chants scriptures, praying for good harvest and happiness in the coming year.(Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

“We Mongolians are nomads and have a close relationship with nature. Holding the Fire Worship Festival can allow young people to better inherit Mongolian culture and appreciate gifts from nature.”

Vice President of Chahar Culture Research Institute Gangtumuer

Local residents in Baiyan Tsagaan Town prepare milk curds, a traditional food of the Mongolian ethnic group, for celebrating Chinese New Year.(Photo Courtesy: Oin Bin)

(This content is provided by Beijing-based China Pictorial.)