The Customs Of Funerals And Burials Of Tujia Ethnic Group In The Qingjiang Vally And The Cultural Meanings Of Their Song Lyrics

Funerary rites is a prat of folklore and traditional thinking part of the system live in our minds with the ceremony. There are many forms of burial in the history of Tujia ethnic group in the Qingjiang Valley, such as cremation and burial of hanging coffins in the air. But after the system of appointing headmen of national minority to a hereditary title in the Ming Dynasty was established, especially from the Yuan Dynasty to the early Qing Dynasty, cremation has been the one of the most important forms of burial. Most of the local burial customs were influenced by the Han because of the worship of Buddhism and Taoism and the introduction of geomancy. Only the custom of burying with singing and dancing has been kept till now which shows the stability of folk customs.There are excellent folk, norms, and regulating functions, The customs of funerals and burials of Tujia ethnic group in the Qingjiang Valley and song lyrics contain the profound meanings of local culture. Every ceremony and every line of song lyrics in funerals represent specific meanings of culture which illustrates Tujia peculiar psychological features and value orientation. Meanwhile, their perspectives of life, the pious worship for their ancestors and spirits, and their custom of burial with singing and dancing reflect their optimistic, loyal, enterprising and open-minded ethos.Moreover, Tujia ethnic group in the Qingjiang Valley also has keening burial which is neglected intentionally or unintentionally by the people. Since the language of Tujia ethnic group exists without written form, people usually record things in Sichuan dialect. When people collect funeral songs scattered among people or other literary works passed by oral forms with dialects or otherwise mandarin, the flavour of them cannot be retained. As a result, it is a dilemma to both maintain the nationality of Tujia and propaganda its culture.