A Research On Functions Of Traditional Folk To Construct Local Harmonious Ethnic Relations

Folklore or folk custom is the living culture created,enjoyed and lineaged by citizens or ethnic groups. The tug of war by ten thousands people (popularly calling: pulling string) in the Old City in Lintan (ancient Taozhou) has roots in ancitent folklore "Shi Gou" in the usual place "Jingchu" in warring state period when Lantern Festival every year. But it really anchored in Taozhou should be traced to the twelfth Hong Wu years in Ming Daynasy (AD.1379) when Hui muslim General Muying put down a rebellion of eighteen Tibetans with his troops.After the victory,a large number of solders in his troops settled in Taozhou,todenged and defended,then the tug of war which was popular in troops as a training game was anchored in Old Town of Lintan and handed down. As the years have passed,the tug of war by ten thousands people in Taozhou sequeled to folk,congragate and entertaining activity from the original training game in troops. Historical evolution for more than six hundred years has entrusted the tug of war by ten thousand people profuse notion of culture,and has entrusted it numerous enhancements,for example praying for heavy crops, warding off ill luck and evil, cultural adaptation and lineage,social communication and coagulation, entertainment,economic fuctions and so on. The tug of war by ten thousand people in Lintan has lost a lot of simple and preliminary motives and many old religious fuctions and meanings, and began to add a few recreational cultural elements.Harmonious ethnic ralations in multi-ethnic regions have great significance for local even national social stability and economic development. From the old, all the ethnic groups,including Han,Hui and Tibet, take part in the tug of war in Lintan together. In this fork activity,there is no limit of folk and religion,but only the partition of residential zone. This kind of extensive participation of a folk activity is very scare in the minority regions. To some extent,it can soften the borders between ethnic groups. It is also a binding agent of the coexist of different cultures and internal regulatory mechanism of ethnic relatons. It is very important for such a multiracial, multicuitural region—Lintan to construct a harmonious relationship between ethnic groups,and to promote ethnic solidarity.