Music and song are an important and ever-present aspect of the Dong's culture. People often sing while working the fields and as they do housework; at funerals they sing in grief, while at birthdays and weddings they sing for fun. According to Dong traditions, important guests must be greeted by songs before they can cross the threshold of a home and as they depart. But the musical nature of the Dong really come to flower on festive occasions.
The Dong are especially famous for their chorus singing, where men and women sing different tunes in turn. Many evenings, there are get-togethers in village drum towers where polyphonic singing accompanies the music of pipas and special ox-legged shaped Dong guitars.
Dong choruses imitate sounds from nature. Birds, insects, and murmuring brooks, have long inspired the people inhabiting these remote regions.
Traditionally the Dong had no written from of their language. Instead, the Dong's history and ancient legends were imbedded in song which have been passed down through the ages. During important festivals, such songs are always sung to the young.
Dong Villages
Zhaoxing Tang'An Chengyang
Culture of Dongs
Sanyuejie Festival Marriage Customs Music New Year Traditional costumes
Drum Towers Flower Bridges Lusheng Festival
Dong Houses Carrying the Governors Parade
Drama Rice Planting Traditional Common Law Worship the Goddess Sa Sui
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