A Study On The Funeral Culture Of Miao People In Xiangxi

Every culture has a complicated process of generation,and it is a real representation of the natural and social environment of a place and its group society,as well as the expectations and limitations placed on each family’s or individual’s behavior within the society.The number of individual members will gradually rise as the group society reproduces continuously,and the "norms" and "constraints" that have always been in place have gradually evolved into the culture to which the group society must adhere from generation to generation—this is the interpretation of "traditional culture." The Miao people in Xiangxi have an extremely unique traditional culture that is both in form and content due to their history of migration,struggle,misery,survival,and growth.The traditional culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi has been passed down and perpetuated in a way that "lives on and on",and is a true reflection of the material and spiritual life of their community.It has over time developed into a firm ethnic spirit,a strong ethnic character,a code of conduct,and a moral standard that must be upheld by each individual member of the community.It has been transmitted through the mentality and everyday life of Miao people in Xiangxi for decades.Funeral customs and culture are closely related to the life and demise of social groups and individuals,illustrating how they behave within the social structure.This provides a new perspective on social culture,group dynamics,and ethnic studies,as well as being a crucial component of the cultural and social ecology of ethnic groups in the Wuling Mountain region.The intricate cultural beliefs of a given region,which represent transitory rituals that have an impact on both groups and individuals in society in their daily lives,are at the heart of traditional funeral culture.The Miao people’s traditional burial customs in Xiangxi reflect not only the social structure,philosophy,moral principles,and religious convictions,but also the intimate bonds that exist between the locals and the wider community as well as between humans and environment.Its relevance goes far beyond the funeral culture and rituals themselves since it documents the social history and culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi,as well as how they developed and changed.The thorough investigation and study of the Miao people’s funeral practices in Xiangxi provides a valuable perspective for tracing the cultural roots of the Chinese people and fostering cultural self-confidence,and also serves as a useful guide for preserving the distinctive culture of the Wuling Mountain contiguous destitute areas and safeguarding the ethnic cultural ecology.The first part of this study investigates the history and environment that gave rise to the Miao people’s burial customs in Xiangxi.A thorough investigation leads the author to the conclusion that the development of the Miao people’s traditional funerary culture was greatly influenced by both the natural environment,such as the natural geography,socio-political environment,and economic production environment,as well as the human environment,such as traditional customs,ethics and morals,literature,and art.The heritage of primordial religions,the intermingling of the Wuchu culture,and the stamp of the Miao migration have all had an impact on the development of the traditional funerary culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi,according to a historical analysis of their traditional culture.As a result,both a historical and cultural framework have been established for the transmission and growth of the traditional funerary culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi.Second,the field site thoroughly explores the connotation,cultural structure,cultural traits,and cultural functions of the traditional funeral culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi through the "deep description" of the process of traditional burial rituals in Dongjiao Village,Ganziping Town,Fenghuang.This perspective presents a three-dimensional traditional funeral culture of the Miao people there from a multi-dimensional,deep,and wide perspective.This paper presents the traditional funerary culture and practices of the Miao people in Xiangxi in a systematic manner based on adequate field research,attesting to the persistence,longevity,influence,and penetration of the ethnic traditional culture and traditional funerary culture.It also emphasizes the cultural justification for the funeral customs and practices,which helps to explain why they exist and what purpose they serve.Then the process of change in the traditional funerary culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi is once more reshaped from the perspectives of change history,change features,change dynamics,change mechanism,and change influencing variables.The emphasis is on how social values and contemporary social changes have influenced traditional ethnic funerary traditions.This makes the crucial argument that cultural change never represents a historical step backward or relic,but rather the recreation and application of prior cultural components.The traditional and contemporary funeral practices of the Miao people in Xiangxi are fundamentally questions about the interplay between traditional and modern culture,which is essentially a question about the evolution of ethnic cultural tradition and the direction of modern consciousness.It is not advisable to shun,be negative about,or follow the crowd when it comes to the struggle between traditional and modern culture.The study also examines how the traditional funeral culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi can continue to change people’s perceptions and adapt to the constantly advancing Chinese-style modernization based on the fusion of the local culture and the psychological needs of the people.It provides a theoretical and practical basis for the promotion of modern funeral reform in the Miao localities in Xiangxi and other similar areas.Additionally,from the perspectives of material culture,spiritual culture,and behavioral culture,the manifestations of the conflict between the traditional funeral culture and the modern funeral culture of the Miao in Xiangxi and its reasons were examined.It is found that cultural ethnicity,cultural difference,cultural subjectivity,and cultural conflict are the main contributors to the conflict between contemporary funeral culture and traditional funeral culture.Both the traditional burial customs of the Miao people of Xiangxi and the contemporary funeral customs have their strengths and flaws,and there will inevitably be a gap and conflict as the two sides adapt and integrate from the standpoint of the larger,more dynamic system of culture.Finally,the ecological,cultural,social,and historical value of the fusion of the Miao people’s traditional funeral culture in Xiangxi with modern funeral culture is examined.And on this basis,the significance of the integration of the two is examined.The author carried out a study and analysis of the public opinion of the merger of traditional Miao funeral culture and modern burial culture,and examined in depth the public perception obstacles to the fusion of the two.The author also analyzed in detail the new paths of integration,including the leadership of socialist core values,the promotion of ethnic cultural undertakings,the adjustment and identification of the subject’s psychology,and the harmonization of the subject’s psychology.According to the study,the Miao people’s traditional funeral practices in Xiangxi have a good impact on environmental sustainability and protection,as well as on local people’s in-depth knowledge and awareness of traditional culture in ethnic areas.The adaptation and integration of traditional funeral practices from the Miao people in Xiangxi with contemporary funeral practices is a multifaceted and extensive process that is linked to and influenced by all facets of the society’s growth of the Miao civilization in Xiangxi.Both institutional control and policy direction are required in the process of integrating tradition with modernity,as are individual and collective efforts,the passing on of the torch,and keeping up with the times.Only in this way can the Miao people’s traditional funeral culture’s vibrant vitality be better activated and revitalized,and it will continue to offer the local Miao people the proper spiritual guidance and powerful spiritual motivation,further encouraging its adaptation and integration with modern funeral culture.The traditional funeral culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi is one area of study that this research expands.It can also serve as a useful reference for the inheritance and development of ethnic traditional funeral culture,as well as provide a theoretical foundation and empirical support for the inheritance and development of traditional culture of ethnic minorities within the context of the "Chinese national community." Based on field surveys and interviews,this study examines the implications of the traditional funerary culture of the Miao people in Xiangxi,as well as the distinctive values and spiritual pursuits of the local Miao people.It also examines the ecological,cultural,social,and historical values it contains.It is crucial and far-reaching to have a thorough understanding of the Miao people in Xiangxi and its traditional culture,as well as a correct understanding of how these two cultures relate to one another as "branches,leaves,and the main trunk" of Chinese culture,in order to foster a stronger sense of the Chinese national community and further the region’s economic and social development.