Nian Li

Nian Li (in mandarin, “Nin Lai" in Cantonese, Chinese: 年例; pinyin: nián lì; Jyutping: nin4 lai6) is a unique traditional festival in the west of Guangdong Province, China. "Nian" means a year in Mandarin Chinese, while “Li” means a routine. The combination of these two words means a routine of a year. Thus, people celebrate Nian Li once a year.

Nian Li worship activities in Huangzhushan Village, Maoming, Guangdong province

Among various traditional festivals in China, Lunar New Year must be the most bustling one. However, in areas of the west of Guangdong province and the south of the Five Ridges, Nian Li seems more important to local people. It is a festival full of folk cultural custom and local color. It is so busy that the road is virtually paralyzed by traffic at about 5 or 6 o’clock, the peak time---even traffic police must show up to conduct the traffic.

Nian Li promote the economic development of the west of Guangdong Province. During Nian Li period, one of the traditional activities, a grand banquet, rises the price of meat, vegetable and fruit apparently. Moreover, for better welcoming Nian Li, villagers also construct the infrastructures, like repairing roads and building bridges; they buy kinds of furniture and electrical appliancesand decorate their houses; troupes perform for the ceremonies of Nian Li;^[1] peddlers set temporary stalls in villages.^[2] All these well promote the local economy.

Introduction

Nian Li is also called Lunar New Year Fair in some places, but differing from the traditional festival Lunar New Year Fair in China, it is a local festival celebrated in villages of Wuchuan, Guangdong, Zhanjiang and neighboring Dianbai District, Huazhou, Guangdong, Xinyi, Guangdong, Gaozhou, Guangdong, Maonan District, Mao Guang, Yangchun of Maoming, Guangdong province.

Nian Li located in
The west of Guangdong province(the west among four parts)
#	Name	Hanzi
1	Maonan District	茂南区
2	Dianbai District	电白区
3	Huazhou City	化州市
4	Xinyi City	信宜市
5	Gaozhou City	高州市
6	Maogang City	茂港
7	Yangchun City	阳春
8	Wuchuan, Guangdong	吴川

The dates of Nian Li differ from place to place, centering in lunar January and February. A few others are in autumn (about a month after autumn harvest). In some places, several neighboring villages may have their Nian Li in the same date since they worship the same local land Gods (usually, in rural area, a temple is enshrined and worshipped by several villages around. And they celebrate their Nian Li together). Generally, a village celebrates one-day Nian Li, some few villages two days. And some villages will hold this festival twice (one is called big Nian Li, and the other small Nian Li, depending on the number of guests attended).

Nian Li is a local way to celebrate Chinese New Year in the west of Guangdong province. Ancient people regarded the growth cycle of grain as a year. From 《说文。禾部》,“a year ends when the grain gets ripe”.^[3] Prior to Tang dynasty, aborigines in the western part of what is now Guangdong province did not have the custom of celebrating the Spring Festival. Instead, they had a traditional harvest festival. That is, when the grain got ripe, they feted to celebrate good harvest and pray for good weather for the crops. In the 163rd volume of 《太平寰宇记》in Song dynasty, the custom of Xin Yi was described as, “谷熟时里閈同取，戌日为腊，男女盛服，推髻徒跣，聚会作歌”.^[4] It means that the last day of a year is the day when grain gets ripe. On that day, boys and girls dress themselves and have a party, dancing, singing and making poems. This is the earliest description about Nian Li.

In the late Qing dynasty, many counties’ documents recorded this kind of activities as a custom, showing its developing tendency at that time.

Recent years, with its unique local color and tradition, Nian Li has attracted more and more people's attention including people at home and abroad, and even some experts in folklore. It is predictable that the west of Guangdong province would have a bright prospect in characteristic tourism, once the special traditional custom Nian Li combines with its supreme geographic environment.^[1]