Blocking the Gate
When Tujia families in the countryside marry off a daughter, they set up a square table outside the main hall with wine and dishes. The groom's party is blocked outside, and a song master is invited to sing—of heaven and earth, whatever comes to mind—and the groom's party must answer. If they want to take the bride, they must send a song master to compete, and only when the blocking song master is sung into defeat will the table be removed and the groom's party allowed through.
This article has been compiled from historical materials on 'Zhangjiajie Tour Guide Network' (33519.com · Specialty Foods / Cuisine / Customs section). Prices, business hours, administrative divisions, and statistical data mentioned in the text may already be outdated. Before traveling, please refer to the latest announcements from merchants, scenic areas, and local competent authorities; the parts involving folk legends and folk customs are local historical and cultural anecdotes, provided for cultural reference.
Blocking the Door
When Tujia families in the countryside marry off a daughter, they set up a square table outside the main hall with wine and dishes on it. The wedding party is blocked outside, and a song master is invited to sing—about heaven and earth, whatever comes to mind—and the wedding party must answer in kind. If the wedding party wants to take the bride away, they must send a song master to sing in reply, and only when the blocking song master is sung into defeat will the other side remove the square table and let the wedding party into the main hall. This is called "blocking the door." It is said that long, long ago, Prince Qin of the eastern Tusi and Peng Mei, daughter of the western Tusi king, were betrothed. On the wedding day, the eastern Tusi's wedding party arrived at the western Tusi's gate. But it turned out that Prince Qin had already slept with Peng Mei. Just then, the fetus in Peng Mei's belly was born, and the baby cried loudly. To cover up the family scandal, the western Tusi on one hand ordered people to play drums and music to drown out the baby's cries, and on the other hand tore down the curtain of the main hall to block the wedding party, and deliberately had the song master sing and ask the wedding party strange questions, in order to buy time for Peng Mei. The eastern Tusi thought that blocking the door with music and singing was a courtesy of the western Tusi! After returning, they established this "courtesy" in the eastern Tusi and other places. Later, the Tujia people truly preserved "blocking the door" as a wedding custom for marrying off daughters.