A—ANIMALS AND PLANTS
B—FESTIVALS
C—FOOD, DRINKS, AND FRUITS
D—GEOGRAPHY
E—HISTORICAL FIGURES
F—INSTRUMENTS
G—LITERARY WORKS
H—OCCUPATIONS
I—PERIODS OF TIME
J—RELIGIOUS TERMS/WORDS
K—SOLAR TERMS (all dates refer to the Chinese lunar calendar)
L—TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY
M—UNITS OF WEIGHT, LENGTH, AREAS, ETC.
N—OTHERS
April the eighth (B)
also called Ox Day, a traditional festival for some ethnic groups in South China, like the Zhuang, the Dong, the Gelao, and the Molao, to worship the Ox God
Bailu (K)
White Dew, the 15th solar term, usually falls on September 7 or 8 ← 221 | 222 →
Baogong (E)
Bao Zheng, a celebrated historical figure, is portrayed as Baogong in a classic Chinese novel. “Baogong” in popular usage refers to someone who is upright and honest.
calabash (A)
a round gourd of the calabash tree
chicken (A)
an important livestock Zhuang people have raised for a long time, and a very popular food Zhuang people eat
civet cat (A)
a catlike mammal, usually a favorite meat for the Zhuang
Chunshe Festival (B)
a festival celebrated by the Zhuang at the beginning of spring before rice planting when they worship the Land God and pray for a good harvest in the coming year
Chushu (K)
Limit of Heat, the 14th solar term, usually falls around August 23
Ciba (C)
a kind of Zhuang traditional food made of sticky rice
Chi (M)
a unit of length, equals one third of a meter
Cun (M)
a unit of length, ten Cun makes a Chi, three Chi makes a meter
Dahan (K)
Great Cold, the 24th solar term, usually falls on January 20 or 21
Daogong (H)
an expert who performs religious rites of Daoism, a foreign religion that has been merged into Zhuang indigenous religions
Dashu (K)
Great Heat, the 12th solar term, usually falls on July 23 or 24
Daxue (K)
Great Snow, the 21st solar term, usually falls around December 7
Dongzhi (K)
Winter Solstice, the 22nd solar term, usually falls on December 21, 22, or 23
dragon (A)
A traditional pictorial figure of China and a creature in Chinese mythology. Chinese people call themselves Descendants of the Dragon (龙的传人).
dragon dances (B)
a traditional dance played with a man-made dragon during Zhuang festivals like March the Third and the Spring Festival
drum (F)
a very common instrument used by the Zhuang on traditional festivals or during religious rites ← 222 | 223 →
Duanwu Festival (B)
falls on May the fifth, a festival in the memory of Quyuan, a great patriot and poet of the Chu State during the Warring States Period
“Eating Fresh Rice” Day (B)
June (in the Chinese lunar calendar) is a harvest season. Zhuang people eat fresh rice to celebrate the harvest on June the sixth.
five-colored sticky rice (C)
Cooked sticky rice with five colors (red, black, yellow, purple and white) which are dyed with plant leaves; is used as offerings by the Zhuang during the Qingming Festival, also called Tomb Sweeping Day and March the Third. It’s a very important Zhuang festival when it’s time to sweep tombs of the dead and their ancestors.
flood dragon (A)
in Zhuang ancient legends, flood dragons live in deep water and often cause floods; flood dragons are given offerings every year, esp. when there is a flood.
flute (F)
a high-pitched woodwind instrument; a slender tube closed at one end with finger holes on one end and an opening near the closed end across which the breath is blown
fox (A)
usually represents as a small fry or a person of little importance
gong (F)
a very common instrument used by the Zhuang in traditional festivals and during religious rites
ghost (J)
in Zhuang primitive religious belief, a ghost is the visible disembodied soul of a dead person that has an ugly look and usually frightens people.
Ghost Festival (B)
Falls on the fourteenth day of lunar July so it is called July 14. In some places, people also call it the Zhongyuan Festival. This is the most important traditional festival for Zhuang people, and duck is the most popular food to eat then.
Guyu (K)
Grain Rain, the 6th solar term, usually falls on April 19, 20, or 21
indigo (A)
a kind of plant used to dye cloth black or blue, as well as to paint walls
ink (L)
A metaphor of learning and knowledge. The saying “A learned man has ink inside” implies that a learned man has a lot of knowledge.
Jin (M)
a unit of weight, equals 500 grams
Jingzhe (K)
Insects Awaken, the 3rd solar term, usually falls on March 5, 6, or 7
Journey to the West (G)
An epic written by Wu Cheng’en during the Ming dynasty about the historical journey taken by Xuanang. On this seventeen-year overland journey to India, he was accompanied ← 223 | 224 → by his disciples Sunwukong, Zhubajie, and Shaseng. In the end, they arrived successfully and got the scriptures, so Xuan Zang was honored with Zhantan Buddha by Rulai Buddha Palm. The Buddha in this proverb refers to Xuan Zang.
Kitchen God’s Day (B)
Falls on December 23 in the Chinese lunar calendar. It is also called “Small Year” as it is viewed as the beginning of the Spring Festival. Zhuang people clean their kitchens and offer sacrifices to the Kitchen God, sending him to heaven before welcoming him back on New Year’s Eve.
Kongming (E)
A famous man in Chinese history. Kongming is another name for Zhu Geliang, a great politician, strategist, writer, and calligrapher during the Three Kingdom Period. He is known as a great military advisor and is famous for his intelligence.
Land God (J)
a very important god Zhuang people give offerings to as they believe the Land God can protect their land and property.
Liang (M)
a unit of weight, equals 50 grams
Lichun (K)
Beginning of Spring/Spring Begins, the first solar term, usually falls around February 4
Liqiu (K)
Beginning of Autumn/Autumn Begins, the 13th solar term, usually falls around August 8
Lixia (K)
Beginning of Summer, the 7th solar term, usually falls on May 5, 6, or 7
loach (A)
a freshwater fish in the loach family Cobitidae. They are native to East Asia but are also popular as an aquarium fish and have been introduced elsewhere in Asia as well as to Europe and North America.
March the Third (B)
the only official festival for the Zhuang in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Miao (N)
one of the 55 ethnic groups in China
Mogong (H)
an expert who performs the rites of Zhuang indigenous religion
Molun (H)
a female religious professional who performs rites during the festival on July 7 to worship ancestors. Today, Molun refers to a Zhuang folk art form still performed during the festival on July 7.
Mountain Tai (泰山) (D)
located in Shandong province in East China, is the best known among the four renowned great mountains in China.
Na tree (A)
a tree that grows widely in the Zhuang area
Nianzi (A)
a plant that grows widely in the Zhuang area ← 224 | 225 →
New Year’s Eve (B)
On December 31st in the Chinese lunar calendar, the night before the Spring Festival, all Zhuang people rush back to thier parents’ homes for a big dinner. Making Zongzi and cooking them overnight are a common custom during New Year’s Eve.
phoenix (A)
a traditional pictorial figure of China, is a legendary Chinese bird, usually represents as femininity
Qing (M)
a unit of area, equals 6.6667 hectares
Qigong (O)
Qigong (pronounced chee-gong) is an exercise and healing technique developed in China more than 4,000 years ago. It is an ancient Chinese health care system that integrates physical postures, breathing techniques and focused intention.
Qingming (K)
Clear and Bright, Fresh Green or Pure Brightness, the 5th solar term, usually falls on April 4, 5 or 6
Qiufen (K)
Fall Equinox, the 16th solar term, usually falls on September 23 or 24
red three-legged stove (L)
Traditionally, Zhuang people build a big earthenware stove to cook for a big family. If there are not many people eating at home, they prefer to use a small three-legged stove because it is moveable and makes cooking easier. The steel stove turns hot and red as soon as it is burnt.
rice wine (C)
a kind of wine made from rice. The Zhuang have a long history of making rice wine which is widely used as a drink but as well as an offering during religious rites.
Sha (N)
one branch of the Zhuang ethnic group in China
Shigong (H)
an expert who performs Zhuang religious rites
shoulder pole (L)
a pole made of a hard bamboo tree that Zhuang people use to carry loads of goods
Shuangjiang (K)
First Frost, the 18th solar term, usually falls on October 23 or 24
Spring Festival (B)
Like other ethnic groups in China, the Zhuang also celebrate the Spring Festival, a traditional festival originated from Han culture, and now an official holiday for all people in the country, when people go back to their parent’s home for a family reunion. No matter how far away their working or living places are, they rush back for a very big dinner together on New Year’s Eve. The Spring Festival starts on the first day of lunar January and usually lasts to the end of the month. However, the celebrative activities, customs, and the food people eat may be very different from the north of China to the south. Some popular customs in Zhuang areas are eating Zongzi, performing dragon dances, visiting friends and giving red packet money to children. ← 225 | 226 →
steamed buns (C)
a kind of Zhuang traditional food made of sticky rice
stone mill (L)
a rice milling tool widely used in Zhuang areas
straw sandal (L)
shoes made of straw that farmers wear when working in the fields
tea seed oil (C)
a kind of oil made from tea seeds which is widely used in cooking in the Zhuang area
three-legged stove (L)
a small moveable stove made of steel
Thunder King (God) (J)
A spirit of nature of the Zhuang who believe that the Thunder King (God) protects goodness and punishes evilness.
tiger (A)
In the Zhuang culture, tigers are the king of animals on the mountain. They live in deep and high mountains. The tiger is a traditional pictorial figure, usually representing power, strength and sometimes a fierce and dangerous person.
tung oil (N)
Also called Chinese wood oil, is made from tung fruits and is used to make paint or ink.
Xiaohan (K)
Slight Cold (Lesser Cold), the 23rd solar term, usually falls around January 6
Xiaoman (K)
Lesser Fullness or Grain Full, is the 8th solar term, usually falls around May 21
Xiaoxue (K)
Light Snow, the 20th solar term, usually falls on November 22 or 23
Xiazhi (K)
Summer Solstice or June Solstice, the 10th solar term, always falls on June 22
Yushui (K)
Rain Water, is the 2nd solar term, usually falls on February 18, 19, or 20.
Xuan Zang (E)
A Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang dynasty. He became famous for his seventeen-year overland journey to India. See also Journey to the West (G).
waterwheel (L)
a wheel with buckets attached to its rim, used widely by Zhuang people to raise water from a stream or pond for irrigation
wood fish (F)
a percussion instrument also known as temple blocks
Yawang (E)
The Rice Goddess who is transformed from a bird in the Story of Yawang, a well-known Zhuang folktale. ← 226 | 227 →
Yangwang Festival (B)
falls on July the twentieth, when the Zhuang in the area of Hongshuihe give offerings to Yawang, a goddess of rice who is changed from a bird. Yawang died on July the twentieth, so people named the date as the Yawang Festival which is rooted in Zhuang people’s animist beliefs.
yellow weasel (黄鼠狼) (A)
a wild animal that loves eating hens, usually presented as doing something without the best of intentions, esp. in the proverb “A weasel giving new year’s greetings to a hen has ulterior motives.”
Yuanxiao Festival
a part of the Spring Festival, falls on January 15th when people in many places hold a lantern show, and people go downtown to enjoy it with children carrying different lanterns.
“Yugong’s Removing Mountains” (G)
an ancient Han fable, about Yugong, a ninety-year-old, trying to remove the high mountains in front of his house. Finally, the gods were moved by what he did and carried the mountains away.
Zhang (M)
a unit of length, equals three Chi
Zhu Geliang (E)
the real name of Kongming
Zongzi (C)
a well-known Zhuang traditional food made of sticky rice and meat and wrapped with plant leaves ← 227 | 228 →