To Find The True Journey: The Recognition Of Tujia Waving Dance To Explore

Every Spring Festival, Tujia people gather in "Hand Waving Hall" to worship ancestors and have a "Hand Waving Dance". This investigation based on the fieldwork in Shemihu villiage, a tupical Tujia village in Laifeng county Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture Hubei Province. At the west of the village, there is a "Hand Waving Hall", which is the oldest "Hand Waving Hall" in Enshi Autonomous Prefecture. Since 1956, two cultural workers had found it, the Shemihu village began to be linked to some events of Tujia nationality in Laifeng county and Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.From the discussion of the identification of Tujia nationality, the discovering process of Hand Waving Dance, the rise and fall of this dance in different period, the author attempts to argue, first, not only in content and form, but also in the meaning of the dance, the Hand Waving Dance, as a tradition in ancient times, has changed already. The invention of this tradition means the legitimacy of Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, self-identity and more government attention and financial support to the local govement of the Tujia people. Second, from an existential point, I want to pay more attention to the local Tujia people, discuss the topics of self-determination and authenticity, and the current situation of the Tujia people.