侗族,主要聚居在贵州黎平、天柱、榕江、从江、锦屏、三穗、镇远、剑河、玉屏侗族自治县、万山区及石阡县等地区,与贵州毗邻的湖南、广西、湖北等地也有分布。贵州侗族人口288万人(2000年),占全国侗族总人口的49.72%。侗族的村落依山傍水,聚族而居,大寨三、四百户,小寨三、五十户,极少单家独户。鼓楼与风雨桥,是侗族村寨特有的标志。每座侗寨都是侗族文化生态博物馆。
有侗寨就有鼓楼,一般一个族姓建一座鼓楼,大的村寨多达四五座。鼓楼是杉木结构的塔形建筑,不用一钉一铆,全部靠卯榫衔接,综合展示了侗族精妙的民间建筑技艺。鼓楼作为侗族社会政治文化中心,具备侗寨议事、集会、娱乐、休息等诸多功能,在侗民心目中拥有至高无上的地位。
依山傍水的侗寨,会有横跨河沟的风雨桥。风雨桥又称“花桥”,以其能避风雨并饰彩绘而得名。风雨桥由桥墩、桥面和廊亭三部分组成。廊亭木柱间设有座凳栏杆,栏外挑出一层风雨檐,既增强桥的整体美感,又保护桥面和托架。风雨桥集桥、廊、亭三者为一体,是侗族桥梁建筑艺术的结晶。
贵州侗族分为“北部方言区”和“南部方言区”,两地区文化有一定差异,民居也各有特色。北部方言区民居受外来文化影响较大,其中清水江畔的宗祠,具有明显的徽派风格:南部方言区村寨以鼓楼、风雨桥和吊脚楼为建筑特色。
侗寨建房围绕鼓楼修建,在其附近修建住房、戏楼、风雨桥、鼓楼坪、防火池等公共建筑,村头寨尾修建寨门和井亭。
侗族民居多为“干栏”楼房。楼房分两层或三层,楼下安放石碓、杂物和饲养牲畜,楼上人居。房屋前半部为廊,宽敞明亮,为全家休憩或从事手工劳动的场所,后半部为内室,室中设有火塘。内室既是“祖宗”安坐之位,也是全家取暖、饮食、待客的地方。火塘两侧或第三层楼上是卧室。侗族民居一般是一家一楼,也有同族几家房子廊檐相接,相互连通建筑群。侗族一般住房附近利用杉杆搭建梯形禾晾,修建吊脚粮仓。粮仓也多修建在水上,有利于防火,防盗、防鼠、防潮。
侗族保留着许多原始宗教的信仰,相信万物有灵,认为自然界各种物类和自然现象都有神灵主宰,并影响人们的生产和生活,因而无论是山川河流、古树巨石、桥梁、水井等,都视为有神灵之物,都是崇拜的对象。侗族社会最受尊敬和最具神秘感的神是“萨岁”。侗族北部方言区村寨多建有宗祠,侗族南部方言区各个村寨,均修建有萨坛。人们认为萨岁能保境安民,主宰一切,每逢年节,都要举行祭祀活动;而寨中大事,则由寨老依据款约商议解决。强烈的自然崇拜,折射出侗族民众与自然和谐共生的生活理念。
侗族是歌的民族。侗人无时不歌、无事不歌,且形成了老年人教歌、中青年唱歌、青少年学歌的传承体系。侗族大歌自20世纪中叶便走出国门,1986年在法国巴黎金秋艺术节上震惊了西方世界,被西方音乐家们称谓“清泉般闪光的声音”。2006年,侗族大歌成为首批国家级非物质文化遗产,2009年9月,《贵州侗族大歌》成功入选联合国教科文卫组织《人类非物质文化遗产代表作名录》。
歌声浸润着侗族民众的生活,并形成了多姿多彩的节日文化。逢年过节或逢大事,寨中人皆身着盛装聚集到鼓楼吹笙踩堂,对歌唱戏,通宵达旦,热闹非凡:或在戏楼观看侗戏,感受戏曲人生。
The Dong nationality, main inhabit a region multitudes in Guizhou river of column of smooth, day, banyan, from river, bright and beautiful screen, 3 spic, town autonomous county of the Dong nationality of river of far, sword, Yu Bing, 10 thousand a mountainous area reach Shi Qian area of prefectural and other places, and other places of the Hunan that borders with Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei also has distributing. Population of Guizhou the Dong nationality 2.88 million person (2000) , 49.72% what occupy total population of countrywide the Dong nationality. The dorp of the Dong nationality draws near according to hill water, get together a group of things with common features and house, dazhai-a production brigade in Xiyang County 3, 400, gurry 3, 50, few sheet home alone door. Drum-tower and harships bridge, it is the mark with peculiar village of the Dong nationality. Every Dong stockaded village is museum of zoology of culture of the Dong nationality.
Stockaded village having Dong has drum-tower, general an a group of things with common features surname builds a drum-tower, old village amounts to 45. Drum-tower is the tower shape structure of fir structure, need not nail one riveting, rely on mortise and tenon to join entirely, revealed the folk with wonderful essence of life of the Dong nationality integratedly to build craft. Drum-tower regards culture of politics of society of the Dong nationality as the center, have discuss official business of Dong stockaded village, assembly, recreation, rest wait for a lot of function, paramount place is had in eye of Dong common feelings of people.
Draw near according to hill the Dong stockaded village of water, can have the harships bridge of brook of over or across. Harships bridge says again " beautiful bridge " , can take shelter from the wind to rain acts the role of coloured drawing or pattern and get a name with its. Harships bridge is welled balanced by pier, bridge floor and corridor 3 parts are comprised. Corridor sets a stool baluster between booth stake, the winkle outside column brim of a harships, heighten the integral aesthetic perception of the bridge already, protect bridge floor and bracket again. Bridge of harships bridge collect, corridor, booth 3 person for an organic whole, it is the crystallization with artistic construction of bridge of the Dong nationality.
Cent of Guizhou the Dong nationality is " upper and dialectal area " and " southern dialect area " , two areas culture has certain difference, civilian house also has distinguishing feature each. Civilian house gets upper and dialectal area foreign culture impact is bigger, rinse among them the ancestral hall of river bank, have apparent badge to send a style: Village of southern dialect area is building distinguishing feature with bridge of drum-tower, harships and condole foot building.
Dong stockaded village builds a room to be built around drum-tower, the public construction such as pool of level ground of bridge of building of housing, play, harships, drum-tower, fire prevention is built around its, end of village head stockaded village builds stockaded village door and Jing Ting.
Civilian of the Dong nationality is in the majority for " dry column " building. The building divides layer or three-layer, put stone downstairs a treadle-operated tilt hammer for hulling rice, sundry and feed livestock, upstairs person is resided. Before the building half are corridor, capacious and bright, for family have a rest or the place that are engaged in manual labor, second half ministry is ben, igneous pool is set in the room. Ben since " ancestor " how sit, also be the family warms oneself, the food, place that entertain a guest. Igneous pond two side or the bedroom is on third floor. House of civilian of the Dong nationality is a first floor commonly, also have agnate the eaves of a veranda of a few houses is conterminous, connect a building each other group. The Dong nationality uses fir lever to build air of echelon standing grain near general housing, build condole foot barn. Barn also is built more go up in water, be helpful for fire prevention, guard against theft, prevent rat, moistureproof.
The Dong nationality is retaining the belief of a lot of primitive religion, believe everythings on earth has clever, think nature all sorts of content kind have deities dictate with natural phenomenon, affect the production of people and life, no matter be megalith of river of mountains and rivers-land, ancient tree, bridge, well,wait consequently, count the thing that has deities, it is adored object. Society of the Dong nationality most getting respect and the look that have mysterious feeling most is " Sa year old " . Dialectal area village builds north of the Dong nationality more have ancestral hall, area of dialect of south of the Dong nationality each villages, all build platform having Sa. People thinks Sa year old can protect condition how civilian, dictate everything, whenever year section, want to hold sacred activity; And the important matter in stockaded village, often make an appointment with according to the paragraph by stockaded village consultative solve. Intense nature adores, reflection gives the life concept of people of the Dong nationality and natural and harmonious accrete.
The Dong nationality is the nation of the song. When Dong person is not had not song, without the thing not song, and formed old people to teach song, medium the youth sings, the inheritance system that adolescent learns a song. Old song of the Dong nationality takes door going abroad from 20 centuries middle period, was in French Paris 1986 western world was stunned on artistic fall moral integrity, by western musician people appellation " the flashy sound like Qing Quan " . 2006, old song of the Dong nationality becomes first national form immaterial culture bequest, in September 2009, " old song of Guizhou the Dong nationality " successful and selected U.N. teachs Kewenwei the organization " the mankind is immaterial directory of culture bequest masterpiece " .
Singing is infiltrating the life of people of the Dong nationality, formed the festal culture with much colorful appearance. On holidays or meet important matter, stockaded village go-between all is worn full-dress collect drum-tower to blow sheng to walk hall, to vocal play, all night until dawn, lively and extraordinary: Or Dong show is watched in play building, experience opera life.