Explainer | China Gelao ethnic group performs ‘tree-feeding’ ritual to give thanks, pray for good harvest
Ancient custom sees knife or axe used to make incisions in ‘chosen tree’ before offerings of meat, rice, wine are inserted into cuts
China’s Gelao ethnic group practises an ancient ritual known as “Feeding the Tree”, a bizarre yet unique tradition believed to ensure bountiful harvests.
The Gelao people are an ethnic group in China and Vietnam, with an estimated population of more than 677,000 in China as of 2021.
They live in the Gelao autonomous counties in the Western part of Guizhou, southwestern China.
Traditionally, they rely on agriculture, growing rice in flatter terrains and cultivating various grains in the mountainous drylands.
The “Feeding the Tree” or Wei Shu ritual in Chinese is traditionally practised during two major annual events, the Spring Festival and the Gelao New Year, which falls on the third day of the third lunar month.