Embodied Ritual Participation and Ethnic Identity in Guangxi’s San Yue San Festival: A Qualitative Ethnographic Study
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Objective: This study examined how embodied ritual participation shapes psychological experiences of ethnic identity and belonging during Guangxi’s San Yue San Festival.
Methods and Materials: This qualitative ethnographic study was conducted in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, mainly in Nanning and Wuming District. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participatory observation, and document analysis. Participants included local residents, Zhuang cultural practitioners, festival organizers, and visitors. Field observations focused on ritual performances, mountain-song gatherings, communal celebrations, cultural exhibitions, and interethnic interactions. Policy documents, media reports, and academic sources related to San Yue San and national intangible cultural heritage were also analyzed. Data were examined using thematic coding and triangulation across interviews, observations, and documents.
Findings: San Yue San functioned as an embodied ritual space in which singing, collective gatherings, traditional performances, and sensory engagement strengthened emotional attachment to ethnic heritage. Participants experienced pride, belonging, cultural continuity, and group affiliation through direct bodily and emotional participation. The festival also provided a public platform for Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong, Han, and other ethnic communities to express distinct cultural identities within a shared heritage framework. Recognition as national intangible cultural heritage increased visibility, while commercialization and digital promotion created both opportunities for cultural dissemination and concerns about authenticity.
Conclusion: Embodied ritual participation in San Yue San supports psychological negotiation of ethnic identity by linking cultural memory, emotional experience, and social belonging. The festival remains a dynamic space where heritage preservation and socio-cultural transformation interact.
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