The Comparison and Analysis of Buffalo Soul Festival of Zhuang Nationality and Buffalo Racing Festival of Thai Nationality

Abstract

The Zhuang nationality and the Thai nationality once lived together in the same area and they are closely related on the language culture, but their languages and customs have changed and have been split. However, it occurs that they have established lots of customs of farming festival which are similar with each other in the long-term agricultural industry. Used as an important implement, buffalos make huge contributions to agricultural production, which is the reason why the farming customs of the Zhuang’s Buffalo Soul Festival and the Thai’s Buffalo Racing Festival are related to them. By using the methods of documentary, comparative and utilizing induction analysis, this paper explores similarities and differences between the customs of the festivals of the Zhuang and the Thai and found out it exists that the two festivals have similarities in the property, goal and content and the differences in the time, ritual and process, which are related to the environment, culture and religion. They have the function of enriching cultural life and inheriting national culture. In the process of modernization, strengthening the protection and inheritance of these folk festival cultures, and realizing the reconstruction and innovation of festival culture may boost the communication and collaboration between the two countries making them seek common points while reserving differences and contribute to the human community with a shared future.