Huijia Festival (回甲节 Huijia Jie)

Date: varies in different areas

There are an estimated 1.92 million Chaoxian (Korean) people living in China's northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning with the rest scattered in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and some cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Those who live in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province speak and write Korean while those who live together with the Han people simply use Chinese.

Basically, the Korean minority celebrate the same festivals as the Han people which including the Spring Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Pure Brightness Festival, etc. The Korean people also have three famous household festivals, namely, a baby's first birthday, the Huajia Festival (celebrating people's 60th birthday) and the Huihun Festival (celebrating the sixtieth wedding anniversary).

The Korean people have a long-standing tradition of respect for the aged. In their daily life, young people should never drink or smoke before old people or walk in front of them. If you have the intention of bypassing them, you have to come up with an excuse politely. When old people come head on you, you have to step aside and give away. Young people should also use all the respectful words when talking to old people.

Huajia literally means people aged over 60, and Huihun means old couple who have been married for over 60 years.

Of all the ceremonial banquets held by the Koreans, the Huijia Banquet stands as the grandest. On this occasion, all relatives and neighbors will be invited for dinner to express the children’s heart-felt gratitude for their parents who gave birth to them and reared them.

Talking about Huajia Banquet, there is a story.

Once upon a time, an ancient Korean King imposed a law that all old people aged 60 have to be buried alive. A man surnamed Kim, however, managed to hide his aged father to escape death. Years later, some foreign country threatened to invade Korea unless the king can find correct answers to three questions. The king is desperate as he had no idea what are the answers. However, the young man went to the King and told him all the answers that averted the crisis for the country. The king was astonished when the young man told him that the answers were given by his old father who was supposed to be buried alive. Then the king abolished the ruthless law and held a grand Huajia Banquet to commemorate wisdom of old people.

On the day of Huijia Festival, the Korean villages are immersed in happiness and jollification. Every family is busy making traditional Korean food like "spank cake," cold noodle and dog meat, etc. The person who on that day came to sixty years old will be dressed up, wear a big red flower on his chest and be seated in the middle with others sitting on both sides. His children, grandchildren and relatives would kneel down in front, offering him wine one after another to show their respect and gratitude.

On this particular day, the Koreans will fully engage themselves in dancing, playing swings and wrestling, all as a result effectively play up the joyful atmosphere in the festival.

The date of the festival varies according to different areas. In Heilongjiang Province, it is held on the 20th or 24th of the sixth lunar month, but in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, it is held on the 15th of the eighth lunar month.