Residents bid farewell to costly banquets

GUIYANG — Feng Xingran, 82, can clearly see changes to the banquets held in the small town where he lives.

Feng comes from Xiaba village, Guizhou province. It was once heavily burdened by extravagant funerals and dowries for brides, and locals could spend as much as 1 million yuan ($143,000) building a tomb.

According to Feng, when an elderly person passed away, it was common to hold a funeral that lasted 10 to 15 days. Then, 100 to 200 villagers would come and have three meals as well as midnight snacks together.

"This was really a huge economic burden on the family," said Feng. "Funerals today last for no more than five days, and so both the family and their relatives save time, energy and money."

"An ideal village is not just about cleanliness, but also good social manners and customs," said Feng Like, deputy Party secretary of Houping township, to which Xiaba village belongs. To boost rural vitalization, the local government set out rules and regulations, and helped villagers break with traditional customs.

In Xiaba village, every household is willing to comply with the new rules. Tian Weigong, 65, sees the differences in ceremonies in the village.

"Men used to have to stay up late to hold rituals, but now we're free and feel easier and more relaxed," said Tian. His wife said the host family used to set off a mountain of fireworks and firecrackers and invite eight gong and drum bands.

In addition to extravagant funerals, time-consuming birthday parties were also commonplace.

"In the past, villagers in their 20s or 30s would even prepare a birthday feast and invite relatives and neighbors to celebrate together for three days, at huge expense," said Tian Jingshuang from Simaoba, another village belonging to Houping township.

To improve the villagers' lives, Houping township makes full use of the exterior walls of houses and invites art teachers from township schools to draw and color on them.

In Simaoba village, paintings with slogans and countryside scenes can be seen everywhere. Tan Wanjun, village Party secretary, said that these vividly visualized paintings along the country roads help promote a harmonious neighborhood and family traditions.

Xia Guangjian, a teacher at an elementary school in Houping township, excels at painting and has created many works in the village. The township government provides materials and gives subsidies to talented local individuals like Xia.

As villagers transform their traditions, unhealthy practices have been abandoned. Now, they pay more attention to the education of the next generation.

"Now, only one family member will go to a banquet, and many people have chosen to live in the seat of the township to be with their school-age children," said Tian.

Xinhua