Miao Believers Celebrate Harvest Thanksgiving Festival

The choir of the gathering present hymns to express thanks for the autumn harvest
The choir of the gathering present hymns to express thanks for the autumn harvest (photo: mzwhw.cn)
By CCD contributor: Huang Xuefeng November 18th, 2016

On Nov 7, the annual harvest thanksgiving festival was held by a group of Miao compatriots in Guizhou Province. Some pastoral staff and Bureau officers of Ethnic and Religious Affairs were invited to participate in the thanksgiving activity.

The Miao believers at the fellowship site of Baihe Jing are mainly from Miao villages in remote poor mountainous areas in Bijie City. They lived largely in the idle houses built in the 1960s, and rented farmlands for their livelihood. They brought not only the traditional Miao culture here, but also the belief in Christian. Besides, they established a Christian gathering here.

Shi Yanfen, bureau chief of Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Changshun County, addressed at the thanksgiving festival, “Now your registered residences have been moved from various regions to Guangshun. This suggests that you are now the people belonging here. We will license the temporary gathering site before Christmas day, and to make it a legitimate place for religious activities.”

Yang Chaoyun, Chief and President of Guizhou TSPM & CCC, said: “the Miao nationality has been migrating for thousands of years and some bitterness can be felt when it comes to your history. You constantly traveled around, which leads to your low education level. This in turn directly restricts your economic and cultural development. Over the past 10 years, you have lived with people here in harmony... Now you are finally settled down here. The country will become an all-around moderately well-off society in 2020. You have solved the problem of having adequate clothing and food by working diligently. Next, the party’s and the government’s accurate poverty alleviation policy will target at your living environment, production and every aspect of your life.” At the same time, Pastor Yang Chaoyun shared the Lord's Prayer of the Bible with the brothers and sisters.

According to Huang Dianguang, deputy secretary of the Party committee of Guangnong Community, and Li Deyong, a police stationed in the township, there are 50 households of Miao compatriots living here who come from different regions. Their registered residences have been mostly moved into Guangshun town, because they rented land in Guangshun Town. As their rented lands are in Guangshun Farm, currently the registered residences are held in trust for them by Guangnong Community.

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