Holiday

July 12, 2009

Sacrifice For Ancestors: The Guzang Festival


The GuZang Festival is a great occasion for the Miao people to worship their ancestors. They sacrifice bulls, beat drums, and hold other exciting ceremonies. In the Chinese language, the word Gu means a bull, while Zang means viscera of an animal. The festival only happens once every 13 years, at end of September or November.

An indispensable part of this festival is beating drums. The Miao use maple wood to make their drums, and cover both ends of the drums with cowhide. They believe the soul of their ancestors lives in this big drum. So during the festival, people beat the drum very loudly to awake their ancestors, who come and attend their great worshiping ceremony.

The Miao use two different types of drums for their festival: double drums and single drums. The double drums comprise two identical drums which are 170 cm long and 30 cm in diameter. The double drums are usually kept by a couple who has been married for a long time but doesn’t have a child. They believe worshiping the double drums can bring them children. On the day of festival, the double drums are taken out and used for the ceremony.

The single drum is smaller than the double drums. The Miao make a new single drum for each GuZang festival. After the festival is over, the single drum is left in a cave until it rots.

In the August before a Guzang festival, the Miao drag the old single drum out of the cave, then they will hold a praying ceremony. After that a new single drum is ready to be made.

Two years before the festival, an elderly and respectable man is selected as the leader, who officiates at the worshiping ceremony. The man is in charge of picking up the sacred bulls. The sacred bulls are fed with good food until the ceremony, and nobody is allowed to use the bulls for farming.

During the festival the leader in a unique costume is most noticeable. He wears violet clothes, with a few dried fish tied up around his head. This reveals that their ancestors ever dwelt in along the Yangtze river in east China and made a living on fishing.

The festival lasts 13 days. On the first few days of the festival, the Miao sing, dance, and hold numerous feasts to welcome friends and visitors from far away. They have meat and bean curd, but they are not allowed to eat vegetables.

There are a few more things you absolutely must know about the Miao GuZeng festival, so visit my website below!

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Filed under Holiday by Philippe Chavanne

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July 10, 2009

Costa Blanca is The Property Of The Province of Alicante,


Affordable holiday fun in the Costa Blanca Sun and fun in the Mediterranean Sea is synonymous to the Costa Blanca, the Spanish coastal area. The Costa Blanca is considered the property of the Province of Alicante, beginning with the town of Denia and winding up in Pilar de la Horadada or Torrevieja, as the last significant town in the province.

The coastline from here becomes more picturesque than ever and if you are driving, you’ll want to keep your camera at hand. It’s considered inside the district of Valencia. Examining some of these incredible vacation spots more discreetly, each villa is considered to be someone’s favorite, as it has something extraordinary that will tickle your fancy!

For those visitors to Costa Blanca with rental cars highway A7 links Javea throughout Europe with exit ramps at Ondara and Benissa. The latter is located near the milestone mountain peak Montgo. Javea is found on the east Iberian Peninsula about 90 km from Alicante and a little over 100 km from Valencia City. These two cities in Spain each have international metropolitan airports that make your journey very easy.

Javea has an abundant wealthy, natural landscape. It also possesses wonderfully tended coastlines with white seashores, some of these are, Javea, Altea, Guardamar, and Torrevieja. In addition are a number of monuments to a heritage that has afforded Javea all of its interesting societal and time-honored celebrated visitor sites.

Bullfighting in the Streets You may have always thought expensive tickets were the only way to find a great seat within a bullring, yet in the summertime, it is popular in Javea to drive the bulls into the streets. Eighteen-year-old young men make all the plans for this long-established show. They block off streets and created a dead end street that becomes a makeshift round up. The idea behind this spectacle is for the men to demonstrate how brave they are, since they have become of age. Sometimes at night, pieces of cloths soaked in oil are fastened onto the bulls’ horns. Then set afire. It all looks prehistoric, does it not? Once again, it seems that the men again are trying to resist these valiant bulls.

The Raisin Market Transcendental in Javea’s past was the summertime when the greater part of the locals would go to their country villa homes near the town center and harvest grapes. Gathering grapes is a lengthily and demanding process, as they utilize only part of the muscatel grapes characteristic for producing raisins. The grapes, having been cut, are transported to a series of scolding bins and a boiling water and salt, which cracks the grape skin so that it will dry quicker. Javea once brought economic growth to Spain as an international exporter of raisins. Now, in the market however, countless manufactured goods including raisins flow from Alicante.

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Filed under Holiday by Rob Carlton

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Enjoying Spring Break In Florida


For decades Florida has been the Spring Break destination of choice for hundreds of thousands of college students who desire a break from the grind of studying.

Key West is best known for its white-sand beaches and crystal clear water. First time visitors often fall in love immediately with the quaint but historic town. Given the clarity of the water the town is perfect for sports such as diving, snorkeling, and exploring the underwater coral reefs.

In recent years Miami Beach has become the place to go for those who love the club scene, fine dining and fabulous shopping. The charm of the town lies in the colorful buildings lining the streets and the amazingly clear beach. Visitors will find every type of culinary delights available to tempt the palette. Spring is the best time of year as the weather is fabulous and the water is crystal clear.

Daytona is known world wide for the events that are hosted by the city, including the Daytona 500 and Bike week, however during Spring Break thousands of college students descend upon this town and make it their own. The great thing is that if there is a rainy day where the beach is a no-go you can always head to the Kennedy Space Center.

In recent years South Beach has become known as the place to go if you love the club scene, fine dining and fabulous shopping. Unfortunately this is not a cheap town and hotels on the popular Collins Avenue are somewhat expensive; however, you can find a few good deals between 10th and 15th Street.

For decades Florida has been an affordable holiday destination for thousands of college students. If you are planning on going during your Spring Break I advise you book your accommodations early as “no vacancy” signs are common during this time of year.

When preparing for your vacation remember that very little time will be spent in the hotel room. With airline restrictions on checked baggage you can save money by packing light and traveling with a carry on; wear your swim suit or trunks under your clothing so that when you arrive you are ready to hit the beach!

The Globe Cheap Budget Travel Guide Is Everything You Need To Know About Saving BIG On Your Next Vacation!

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Filed under Holiday by Brad Alexzander

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Exploring Europe On Amazing Norwegian Cruises


Norwegian cruises are the best way to take a vacation, and there is no better way to tour Europe than on one of these amazing cruises.

Deciding to vacation with Norwegian cruise lines is one choice that you won’t regret. They will provide you with everything you need to have the trip of your dreams.

Norwegian cruises offers you the chance of a lifetime by allowing you to customize your own cruising experience. You will be able to cruise the beautiful waters of the European coast while taking in the amazing sights that this country has to offer. You won’t regret taking a Norwegian cruise.

The ship’s accommodations and amenities:

One of the best things about this cruise line is the things that they have to offer. The ship itself is like a city at sea and there is nothing they don’t have.

Rooms: The rooms aboard this cruise line are huge with enough space to fill with your entire family. The suites offer a sitting area, television, full size bedrooms, and a private bath.

Dining: The great thing about these cruises is that you aren’t forced to eat in one large dining hall with people you don’t know. You can choose from several onboard restaurants that will offer you and your family a private dining experience. The food is incredible and you can choose to eat whenever you want.

Things to do: There is no shortage of things to do aboard this ship. They offer full sized bowling alleys and a ten meter high rock wall that you can take the challenge of scaling. You can relax by the pool where the staff will serve you a cool drink, or schedule a massage in the full spa. There are plenty of shops if you want to go shopping, and you can go ashore on one of many tours that the boat offers. The choices are truly up to you. At night you can go dancing in one of the many clubs the ship has to offer or maybe take a nice walk out on deck where you can look at the amazing European shore line.

The best thing about Norwegian cruise lines is the freedom that they offer their guests. Most cruises have a set schedule that everyone is forced to follow, but with Norwegian you are allowed to do as you please. You can spend your days sleeping and then take in the clubs at night. You may choose to take one of the amazing tours on shore or you can explore Europe on your own. The possibilities are endless.

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Filed under Holiday by Nathan Carroll

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