Huijie Festival

As a traditional holiday of the Achang people, theHuijie Festival usuallyfalls in mid-September of each Chinese lunar year. The Achang people believe in the Hinayana. Huijie used to be a religious get-together. Legend has it that a Ge Da Ma (In Achang language, it means Bodhisattva) overcame many difficulties on his way to the heaven for acquiring the scriptures and finally succeeding in it. Then he decided to return to the world on September 15. To welcome his return, the Achang people arranged the black dragon and white elephant; young men and women collected rice and prepared vegetarian diet for the offering. This gradually became a traditional festival.

On the occasion, men dress in blue, black or white frocks with buttons down the front and black trousers, with a bag on the shoulder. And they wear a long piece of headcloth. Married women put on clothes buttoned down the front with long and narrow sleeves, and skirts covering the knees. They also wrap puttees and black or blue head cloth. Girls mostly set their braids over their heads. They have on their chests four ranges of silver buttons on juxtaposition, on which hang four silver chains. They also wear ornaments such as flowers, chaplets, and earrings. During the holiday, the main activities includeplayingwhite elephant and black dragon dance.The white elephants and black dragons are made by handicraftsmen in the villages, who use bamboo as the frames, paper as body cover and cloth as trunk. While playing the white elephants, a man hides himself inside and draws the rope on the pulley to control the swing up and down of the trunk. Young men in attires wave the black dragons.

At the beginning of the Huijie, people tie red silk on the white elephant and black dragon. By beating drums and gongs, men and women, young or old, gather around the elephant and dragon playing team, going around the village once. Then they all come to the square, and encircle the elephant and dragon. Abruptly the drums, gongs and cymbals start beating together. People begin to perform the merry and bold Elephant-Leg Drum Dance. While dancing, the cymbal beaters keep standing side on side with the drummers, jumping left and right, extending and drawing back from time to time, body heaving like wave. They make a large stride ahead while dancing, then squat by retreating, with striding, retreating and squatting three times. When the performance reaches the upsurge, the crowd of onlookers cheer and applaud. At the same time, the white elephants shake their trunks much more frequently and the black dragons dance more fiercely.

会街，阿昌话叫“熬露”，是户撒和腊撒地区的传统节日。“会街节”是阿昌族同胞为了庆祝稻谷丰收而举行各种庆祝活动，同时还有物资交流，青年男女进行社交和表达感情的一场传统盛会。会街的重头戏当属“青龙白象”展演，每个村寨里的艺人用竹木精心编扎好青龙、白象在会街当天在族人的拥簇下拉着到指定地点评比。扎制青龙、白象并不是一件简单的事，老艺人先用木头做架子、纸糊身，布做象鼻和龙头、龙尾。要结实、轻巧、形象。耍青龙、白象时，人藏在龙身象肚里，有的人负责抬龙、搬象，有的专门负责扯动龙头、龙尾和象鼻，所以青龙就能抬头、张嘴、闭嘴、摆尾，白象就会上下左右甩鼻子了。历年来的传统，立青龙白象均由德高望重的老者主持，敬拜天地，感恩今天风调雨顺收获丰，祈祷明日诸事和谐事事顺。

会街节是德宏一带阿昌族的盛大宗教节日，每年农历九月初十开始，节期5天，每天赶一个街子。会街节过去以求神保佑为主，现增加了群众娱乐，物资交流等内容。阿昌族会街节是户撒和腊撒地区的传统节日。过去多在农历九月中旬举行，一般持续5天左右，现在已改在国庆节前后的三天举行。

“会街节”是阿昌族人民的一种传统节日，主要是人们进行物资交流，青年男女进行社交

和表达感情的机会。耍青龙、玩白象，是会街节期间 最隆重、最精彩的娱乐活动。 民间艺人制作的白象、青龙。一般用竹木编扎，彩纸裱装，活灵活显，表现出阿昌人民的勤劳智慧和对幸福生活的憧憬。

节日来源

会街，阿昌话叫“熬露”，每年农历八九月间举行，是迎接佛祖返回人间的日子。传说佛祖“个打马”（释迦牟会街节尼）为母亲上天念经三日（相当于地上三月）返回人间时，佛光普照，青龙白象呈祥。阿昌会街必耍青龙白象，即源于此。

阿昌族会街节是户撒和腊撒地区的传统节日。过去多在农历九月中旬举行，一般持续5天左右，现在已改在国庆节前后的三天举行。

“会街节”是阿昌族人民的一种传统节日，主要是人们进行物资交流，青年男女进行社交和表达感情的机会。在会街节上，首先映入人们眼帘的是阿昌族民间艺人制作的白象、青龙。一般用竹木编扎，彩纸裱装，活灵活显，表现出阿昌人民的勤劳智慧和对幸福生活的憧憬。

主要活动

阿昌族视青龙、白象为吉祥、幸福的象征。会街前，要扎好青龙、白象。会街这天，当天空霞光初露，小伙子们便身背户撒长刀，挎着象脚鼓，姑娘们身着娇艳的民族服装，在鼓乐和鞭炮声中簇拥着披红挂绿的青龙、白象进入会街节广场。当主持节日的长者宣布节日开始，顿时，鼓声、（钅芒）锣声、（钅发）声交织成一片。青龙、白象也活跃起来，青龙时而摇头、时而摆尾、时而张嘴欢笑；白象时而甩动长长的鼻子，时而前进，时而后退，接着滑步、下跪、后仰、前倾，笨拙的憨态引起人们一阵阵哄笑。此时，姑娘小伙子们便围着青龙白象翩翩起舞。他们双脚跳跃挪动，身体象波浪般地起伏，边跳边蹲。此时的会场，鼓乐齐鸣，龙舞、象跃 、一片欢腾。

阿昌族人民崇拜白象。“耍白象”是阿昌族的一种民间传统舞蹈。这种舞蹈，动作变化多端，朴实自然；情节妙趣横生，引人入胜，形象地再现了阿昌人的现实生活，给人们以生活美的享受。

在会街节上，最吸引人们的是阿昌男子围绕白象欢跳的象脚鼓舞。他们边敲边舞，鼓声时缓时急，节奏明快，声音粗犷而洪亮，还不时伴有晃鼓、甩鼓、摆鼓的花样动作，刚劲洒脱，形象优美。围观的一群群阿昌族姑娘身穿节日盛装，头插鲜艳的并红花，打扮得婀娜多姿，不时爆发出一阵阵欢笑声。在欢声笑语中，白象的鼻子甩得更欢了，青龙张嘴频频点头，尾巴翘得更高了……。

节日舞蹈

会街节期间，当白象摆动长鼻，青龙昂首摇尾时，阿昌族青年敲着象脚鼓，围绕着青龙白象，跳起了欢快的象脚鼓舞。鼓声中，姑娘们头戴鲜花，手持绿叶或鲜花、手帕，合着象脚鼓的节拍，跳起了青龙白象舞。跳到高潮时，便情不自禁地喊起“约怀怀、依喂”来，意即幸福、幸福、永远幸福。舞蹈纯朴自然，出脚不高，摆手幅度不大，节奏缓慢，气氛热烈，有浓厚的乡土气息。

“青龙白象舞”简介

青龙、白象制作

扎制青龙、白象并不是一件简单的事，老艺人先用木头做架子、纸糊身，布做象鼻和龙头、龙尾。要结实、轻巧、形象。耍青龙、白象时，人藏在龙身象肚子里，有的人负责抬龙、搬象，有的专门负责扯动龙头、龙尾和象鼻，所以青龙就能抬头、张嘴、闭嘴、摆尾，白象就会上下左右甩鼻子了。