Culture and Folk Customs
Taoyuan has its unique folk custom characteristics since it is located in the transition zone between Han nationality and ethnics.
In diet, Lei Cha, a "five flavors soup" by smashing a mixture of tea leaves, ginger, cornel, green beans and salt into powder, is popular drink in Taohuanyuan area. According to legend, Lei Cha prevented the soldiers from pestilence caused by the soldiers being unable to acclimatize to the environment in Taoyuan during the time Eastern Han general Ma Yuan fought southward to Taoyuan.
Taoyuan has unique local operas. Wuling Opera is a popular local opera performed by professionals. Musty Notes received the National Artist Award for its performance and script writing. Nuo Opera drama, called a "living fossil", is still widespread. Sangyanggang Town is known as the hometown of Nuo Opera.
Other folk customs include dragon dance and lion dance during Spring Festival. Meanwhile, the Three Bar Drum, Yugu Drum, and string instruments are very popular as well.
Read more about this topic: Taoyuan County, Hunan
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“The higher, the more exalted the society, the greater is its culture and refinement, and the less does gossip prevail. People in such circles find too much of interest in the world of art and literature and science to discuss, without gloating over the shortcomings of their neighbors.”
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“Myths, as compared with folk tales, are usually in a special category of seriousness: they are believed to have “really happened,” or to have some exceptional significance in explaining certain features of life, such as ritual. Again, whereas folk tales simply interchange motifs and develop variants, myths show an odd tendency to stick together and build up bigger structures. We have creation myths, fall and flood myths, metamorphose and dying-god myths.”
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“He is a barbarian, and thinks that the customs of his tribe and island are the laws of nature.”
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