Dragon Boat Festival, Shimizu江两岸packed, with the exception of competing boats, there are foot drums, blowing Sheng such folk activities, which is young men and women during the outbound side duet, love the festive season.
Dragon boat racing in the village, the general of a Walled a dragon boat, more than 200 are two or three. Dragon Fang long house-shaped profile, referred to as the "Dragon Boat Shed." Shelf for a row of seven eight-column wooden structure, on the surface have a roof to roof, hillside. Total length of 25.6 meters, 2.7 meters wide, 3.24 meters high. After surveying the field of 13 Zhaizi "Boat Shed", the length of almost equal height.
Selection drum master: a chai or a clan as a unit, the first session (that is, every year) the selection of a drum master. Hmong as "嘎纽", that is the main drum of Italy, commonly known as the "drum head." "New Zealand" is the meaning of drums, originally, when the dragon boat dragon boat racing is a major, drum is secondary. But not to the dragon boat to refer to the year, and to call for a drum, it may be dragon boat racing and the "ancestral Drum Festival" (also called "Club Drum Festival", the Department of Miao people a drum as the main offerings, music festival worship ceremony) of the. Or that it originated in the "ancestral Drum Festival" conductor and do, so only use the term "drum master" this name.
"Drum head" is a dragon boat by a total of home owner households rotation. Dragon Boat Festival each year just passed, "drum head" pig please Zhaizi persons吃酒time, we all need to decide the coming year, "drum head" candidate. New "drum head" chosen after the previous "drum head" who wants to drum and leading to his home. Some lived a stockade on the most common, on the most common in the housing distribution by rotating the ball is now in a room, that is, from the room by the elders still alive Tam rotation. If the older generation of people to give up only by a generation to take turns to assume. When their turn. Generally reluctant to give up, because Zhaizi in many households, take decades or even centuries before the first turn, turn to life twice as lucky. There are no life-long turn. It is worth noting that "ancestral drum festival" The same is true of host generated. When the "drum head 'is a matter of great glory. When the" drum head "on condition that all aspects of the decision, such as the one place of one of the prominent figures, or the many relatives and friends, their family property or the well-respected elderly thick. As for his son and more people may also be elected, because many relatives and friends. The most easy-elected for the girl and more and more married people (this is perhaps the right to practice uncle in a reflection of festivals). because when a boat " drum head ", the only dragon boat went to friends and relatives to give gifts, which will be able to show off the" drum head "of the popular relations, get a good reputation, can raise their social status, marriage prospects of their children also have Zen benefits. Furthermore, to accept a large number of gifts, if not handled properly, will bring home more prosperous. So when the "drum head" will have to consider their own family property, but also to consider the size of their relatives and friends, both are indispensable. such as the rotation to less well-off family, he was reluctant to give up, the family will be happy in the economic and food and drink to help. due to a sense of their relatives and friends too little, small gifts, unbecoming and unwilling to bear, and not reluctantly, while others cite others.
When the "drum head" of the people will maintain a candy snacks, go out to inform the three pro-six Qi, new and old friends called the "leak." The implication, that is, next year my family belongings "drum head ', and would like your help in order to allow me to draw dragon boat decency decent surface.受礼persons (not to go out to inform the customs of the village, relatives and friends, through other sources that next year they have relatives When the "drum head"), and also began to make preparations for a gift the following year. By then, relatives and friends will be prepared to do the gifts directly to the river bank waiting, saying "Solitaire." mainly to send a gift of livestock or poultry, followed by firecrackers and a long red silk一丈. son-in-law is a gift of at least pigs, and son-in-law's immediate relatives or family room, a gift can not be less than one sheep, the general sent goose or duck. In the past, Miao Village in People in power when the "drum head", his relatives and friends also have to cattle, horse as a gift of.
Miriam gifts this is the way, a dragon boat is zoned into the Zhaizi mouth, first released three gun. Shore of the gifts to see their own relatives and friends to the boat, then quickly lift a gift to the flood side, to be dragon boat came to a complete stop at the shore, the hands of a bunch of gifts or firecrackers炸响, and then at the head of the Department of corner on红缎, followed by a glass of wine before斟上King "drum head" followed by another boat to all the people Sincerely cup, and then only to a gift to the dragon boat above.
"Drum head" that day can be a lot of gifts, but also a lot of expenditure, apart from the hostel there are those who participate in rowing meals three meals a day food and wine, in the boat after he had to prepare liquor pig. Zhaizi entertain the people and guests. When friends and relatives back, to send a gift is猪羊, then return chickens and ducks. If the gift is sent by chickens, ducks do not have a rebate. Reciprocity. Gifts to friends and relatives after the turn when the "drum head" must be based on the original gift he sent to redouble sent.
Once upon a time, a village there are single-minded Land, forests, rice or money fund as a source of Dragon Boat Festival, calling it a "public Tian", "hills" or "public Valley." Fields and mountains to the annual income for the cost of Dragon Boat Festival. Later, this approach is gradually disappearing.
Today's "drum head" will no longer be used in rotation methods, and to switch to the selection method of the election, "drum head."
农历五月二十四至二十七为苗家龙舟节的正日，而早在五月十八九日，就得将龙船洗刷一新。至二十二、二十三两天，将母船于船系为一体并安上龙头。二十四日隆重举行开划仪式，在河边或缓口有龙神之位的井边、沟边，置方桌一张，桌脚要绑上去掉树叶和树皮的树枝，绑雨伞一把，绑红布、纸钱和一把青草。桌上供米一升，去毛白公鸡一只，以扫邪敬神。过去过龙舟节的头一天，要请巫师念经，现在这里巫术礼仪大多从简。但巫术规矩不停，如龙船在划渡中不得半途停顿或休息，须一鼓作气划至终点。待龙船调头后，掌舵者分给水手每人一束青草用以驱邪，合一齐投入江中。
龙舟节期间，清水江两岸人山人海，除竞船外，还有踩鼓、吹笙等民俗活动，这期间更是男女青年游方对唱、谈情说爱的佳节。
划龙舟的村寨，一般一寨一只龙舟，两百户以上的多是两只或三只。放龙舟的房子形长廓，称“龙舟棚”。棚为一排七间八柱式木结构，上有瓦面屋顶，依山而建。全长约25．6米，宽2．7米，高为3．24米。经过实地测量十三个寨子的“龙舟棚”，长短高矮几乎相等。
推选鼓主：以一个寨或一个氏族为单位，第届（即每年）推选一个鼓主。苗语称为“嘎纽”，即鼓主之意，俗称为“鼓头”。“纽”是鼓的意思，本来，划龙舟时龙舟应该是主要的，鼓是次要的。但不以龙舟来称呼当年的主办者，而以鼓来作称呼，这可能是划龙舟和“祖鼓祭”（也称“鼓社祭”，系苗族人一种以鼓为主要祭品、祭乐的祭祖仪式）有关。或者它起源于“祖鼓祭”主持者兼办，因而才沿用“鼓主”这名称。
“鼓头”是由其共有一只龙舟的住户家里主人轮流担任的。每年龙舟节刚过，“ 鼓头”杀猪请寨子上的人吃酒的时候，大家都要决定来年“鼓头”的人选。新“鼓头”推选出来之后前一任“鼓头”便要将鼓和龙头送到他家里。有的寨子上住着一个大姓的，就由其大姓中分房轮流担任，轮到某房，即由该房按还在世的长辈轮流担。如老一辈人放弃，才由一辈来轮流承担。轮到的时候。一般不愿放弃，因为寨子里家户不少，需要几十年甚至上百年才轮到一次，一生中轮到两次的算是幸运了。也有终身没有轮到的。值得注意的是“祖鼓祭”的主持人也是如此产生的。当“鼓头’是极为荣耀的事。当“鼓头”的条件是从各方面决定的，诸如系一方一地的头面人物，或者亲戚朋友众多，自己的家底厚或是德高望重的老年人。至于儿子多的人，也有可能当选，因为亲友多。而最容易当选的，为姑娘多并且多已出嫁的人家（这也许是舅权习俗在节日中的一种反映）。因当了龙舟“鼓头”之后，这只龙舟每到一地亲友们来送礼物，这便可以炫耀一下“鼓头”的人缘关系，可以获得好名誉，可以抬高自己的社会地位，对儿女的婚姻前程也有禅益。再则，接受大批礼物，如果处理得当，还会使家中更加富裕。故当“鼓头”时除了考虑自己的家底，更须考虑亲友的多寡，二者缺一不可。如轮流到家境较差的人家，他不愿放弃时，家族也乐意在经济和饮食上给予帮助。因感亲友太少，收礼不多，有失体面而不愿承担的，就不勉强，而另举他人。
当上“鼓头”的人会置备糖果点心，外出通知三亲六戚，新老朋友，叫做“透风”。言外之意，即明年我家当“鼓头’了，希望得到你们的帮助，以便让我把龙船划得体体面面的。受礼者（没有外出通知习俗的村子的亲友，通过其它渠道得知明年自己有亲戚当了“鼓头”的），也开始作隔年送礼的准备。届时，亲友们都将备办的礼物直接送到江边上等待、称“接龙”。送的礼物主要是家畜或家禽，其次是鞭炮和一条长约一丈的红绸缎。女婿的礼物最少是一条猪，而女婿的直系亲或房族，礼物也不能少于一只羊，一般的要送鹅或鸭。过去，苗寨中当权人物当“鼓头”时，他的亲友也有以牛、马作为礼物赠送的。
送礼的仪程是这样的，龙舟划进了寨子口，先要放三铳。岸上的送礼人看到是自己的亲友船来了，便迅速将礼物抬送到河滩边，待龙舟在岸边停稳，送礼人手中的一串鞭炮即炸响，然后在龙头的角上系上红缎，接着斟上一杯酒先敬“鼓头”又依次向所有龙舟上的人敬上一杯，然后才把礼物送到龙舟上面去。
“鼓头”这一天可以得到很多礼物，但开支也是很大的，除了招待所有参加划船的人三餐饭食酒菜外，在划船结束后，他还得杀猪备酒。招待寨子上的人与客人。当亲友回去时，送的礼物是猪羊，则回赠鸡鸭。如果送来的礼物是鸡、鸭就不必回赠了。礼尚往来。以后轮到送礼的亲友当“鼓头”，必须按原来他送来的礼物加倍送去。
从前，一个村寨上有专一的田土、山林、稻谷或金钱作为龙舟节的基金来源，称之为“众田”，“众山”或“众谷”。田和山林以每年的收益作龙舟节的费用。后来这一方法逐渐消失。
当今的“鼓头”不再是用轮流方法产生的，而改用推选的方法选出“鼓头”。