This article lists the various Zhuang customs and culture of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China (Johnson & Wang 2008).
The Zhuang peoples of Yunnan and Guangxi have a rich written and unwritten literature (Johnson & Wang 2008).
bone carvings as instruments for fortune-tellingSwqmo: records of Zhuang history, ethnic relations, astronomy, farming technology, literary arts, religious beliefs, customs and traditions, and so on.Swqdugzaeq: ("Chicken Divination Scriptures")Swqyaq: traditional medicine guidesSwqlwnz: folk songbooksPaeng'zong: banners hung during sacrifice ceremonies for funeralsPaengban: long banners hung during sacrifice ceremonies to repel evilPaengsaeh: banners hung during animal sacrifices for religious ceremoniesZhuang folk literature often takes the form of songs. There are various folk tales, myths, legends, and historical poems and chants.
"The creation of the world hymn""The cutting down the banana tree song" ("Kau Tam Gvoa")"The song of the origin of bronze" ("Gvau Dong")"The rice paddy-planting song""The house-raising song""Village visitation songs""Wine banquet songs""The national partition song""Banlong and Banli"Poems of the Poya Songbook"The escape from marriage song""Yiluo and Diling""Buloakdvo""Bronze drum legends""Tea origin songs""The Legend of Wenlong"Zhuang folk arts include (Johnson & Wang 2008):
Masa classical music: classical orchestras of Masa Village, Maguan County, YunnanZhuang ceremonial musicBawu: a type of Zhuang folk music dating back to ancient timesMubala: ancient Zhuang wind instrumentHuqin: stringed instrument made from a water buffalo horn or horse bone; may be two-stringed or four-stringedSvaeu'na toasting: playing a suona while balancing a cup of wine to serve to guestsbronze drum dancestraw man dancewater buffalo dance (longh yah vaiz)paper horse dancehand towel dancesun (tang'vaenz) danceHandicrafts
Traditional Zhuang folk handicrafts includes the following (Johnson & Wang 2008).
bird totem hatselephant trunk shoes reflecting Zhuang elephant worshiptotem back carriers, consisting of fish, bird, and abstract symbolic designscloth monkey medicine bagsembroidered ballsspinning topsAi nyeauh: teeter-totter; the ai nyaeuh gvaen is a more complex variantwood printspapertraditional waterwheelstraditional brocades and weavingssilver jewelrystraw matsbamboo basket weavingrattanPaeng'vae: a type of linen made of grass leaves and hemp fibers, made by weaving the two 90 degrees with each otherThe Zhuang of Wenshan have a colorful variety of folk customs (Johnson & Wang 2008).
sacrificing to the field deitymountain sacrificesworshipping Zoa'nongz, the god of the ndoang (forest)sacrifices to Zoachu, the sun deity and original ancestor spirits now living in trees of ancient forestssacrifices to the mother tree or mih maix (among the Dai or Tu of Wenshan)Third Lunar Month Festival; young men and women sing call-and-response songs to each otherLongdvaen festival: theatric performances in Guichao Township, Funing CountyOpening the seedlings' door ceremony: a healthy, beautiful girl is chosen to plant the first seedlingCeremony for repelling insects: insects are loaded onto paper boats, which are floated away in the water while drums and gongs are beatenSacrifices to Nong Zhigao in the 6th and 7th lunar months; purple-dyed glutinous rice is offered, and sometimes cattleBuffalo King Festival - celebrated in Niutouzhai Village, Wenshan County, where there is a Buffalo King Temple. The Zhuang have long worshipped the water buffalo.offerings to the sun: In Shangguo Village, Xichou County, Zhuang women bathe in the river, put on their traditional clothing and headdresses, and then make offerings to the sun with yellow glutinous rice, which they carry up Sun Mountain.Firstfruits FestivalSky Sacrifices: practiced in Bahao (Pya'Kau), Guangnan County, which a wooden hall on Bozhe Mountain is dedicated forhvaeng ting Svaeu (townhall shrine) sacrifices: in Guima Village, Guangnan Countysweeping the village to chase away evilfestival of the ancestor sacrifice of the 7th lunar monththe Duanwu medicine festivalsacrifice to the song immortal: shrine in Ake Village, Guangnan Countyreception of the Princess Huanggubullfighting festivalsacifices to bronze drumssacifices to Nong Zhigaoyear end festival: practiced among the Bu Dai Zhuang.Zhuang children's festival; dates chosen by each individual villageZang'yaq: Zhuang folk medicineQingcyaeu: the Sanqi (Panax notoginseng), which has the Chinese nicknames "not to be exchanged for gold" and "the southern divine herb"Laeujyaq: medicinal liquor