Identity Symbols and Spiritual Connotation of Zhuang Ethnic Minority Rice Farming Culture in Long'an, Guangxi Province, China

Abstract

Long’an is located in the northwest of Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region in China. It boasts a rich heritage of the Zhuang ethnic minority rice farming culture, making it the birthplace of this agricultural tradition. The Zhuang people are a rice-cultivating ethnic group, and their rice farming culture, known as "Na" culture, forms the core system of Zhuang culture. The ancestors of the Zhuang people in Long ’an have developed rice farming methods and subsequently formed a series of "Na" cultural systems, including language, clothing, housing, food, and festivals. In 2013, Long’an was recognised as China’s "Na Culture" Hometown. In 2015, it successfully made it to the third batch of China’s important agricultural heritage list. Cultural protection, inheritance, development, and economic construction in Long’an have all revolved around these aspects, making this research particularly significant and valuable. This research used the method of documentary research and fieldwork to study and investigate the rice culture in Long’an to understand the historical background of the Zhuang ethnic minority rice farming culture in Long’an. The study has analysed the identity symbols of the Zhuang ethnic minority rice farming culture in Long’an. It has also summarised the spiritual connotation of the Zhuang ethnic minority rice farming culture.