Gelao Community Upholds Ancient 'Feeding the Tree' Harvest Ritual

2 days ago7 min read

In the misty highlands of southwestern China, the Gelao people continue a timeless agricultural tradition known as ‘Feeding the Tree’—a ritual prayer for abundant harvests that connects this community of over 677,000 people to their ancestral lands in western Guizhou. This ceremonial practice represents a deep ecological wisdom where human survival and natural fertility exist in reciprocal relationship, with offerings made to arboreal spirits believed to govern agricultural prosperity.The ritual occurs as planting season approaches, serving as a community-wide expression of hope and reverence rather than theatrical performance. Anthropologists confirm this practice remains a genuine cultural tradition, unaffected by tourism, reflecting similar agricultural rites among indigenous communities worldwide where land is regarded as a living partner.The persistence of ‘Feeding the Tree’ in contemporary China underscores how traditional knowledge systems continue to inform modern agricultural practices while strengthening cultural identity. For the Gelao people, this ritual represents both practical agriculture and profound cultural preservation—maintaining ancestral connections to the terraced landscapes they've cultivated for generations while asserting their distinctive heritage in an increasingly homogenized world.

#Gelao ethnic group

#Feeding the Tree ritual

#cultural heritage

#traditional agriculture

#Guizhou China

#featured

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