Miao Drum-Raising Festival Pork

Last updated 2026-11-10 — Miao Drum-Raising Festival Pork is an essential dish during the Miao people’s once-every-thirteen-years Drum-Raising Festival. It primarily uses pork belly or thick fatty cuts from black pigs, around two feet wide and two taels in weight. The meat is boiled in plain water without salt or chili. Of course, when guests enjoy this dish during the festival, it’s best to eat more and talk less. After eating your fill, you must not say so directly—instead, use Miao Drum-Raising Festival phrases: say “the granary is full” for being full, and “the water has risen” if you can’t drink anymore, along with other auspicious expressions. Speaking of this Drum-Raising Festival, there’s a Miao saying: “During this once-every-thirteen-years Drum-Raising Festival, eat meat in big chunks and drink wine by the bowlful.”