The Miao area in western Hunan was known as "Miao territory" during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. The local mountains and rivers are magnificent, the climate is pleasant, and the resources are rich, making it a fertile land for the Miao traditional culture to thrive. However, due to the lack of transportation, the collision, erosion or assimilation of foreign cultures was blocked, so that the Miao traditional culture was better inherited and developed. The Miao cattle-killing sacrifice in western Hunan is one of the oldest and most unique original ecological cultural forms of the Miao people. In 2006, the Miao cattle-killing sacrifice was identified as the first batch of intangible cultural heritage list items in Hunan Province. The Miao cattle-killing sacrifice in western Hunan is the largest primitive religious sacrificial activity of the Miao people. The main objects of the sacrifice are the ancestors of the Miao people, in addition to many ghosts and gods, such as the thunder god, the sun, moon, mountains and rivers gods, flower demons, wood demons, monsters and spirits, etc. There are two main purposes: one is to avoid disasters, mainly to relieve serious illness; the other is to seek blessings, mainly to seek children. This value orientation runs through the entire process of beheading the cow. A complete set of fixed rituals, witchcraft, witch dance, unique skills and mass participation in singing and dancing activities have been formed around it, which constitute the basic content of the cow-smashing sacrificial activities: (i) Rituals. All rituals are presided over by Miao witches. Except for the two rituals of "making a wish" and "buying a cow", which need to be held in advance, the rest of the rituals are held after the cow-smashing sacrificial activities officially begin. The duration is as long as four days and three nights. The venue is arranged in the home of the sacrificer and the open space outside the door. According to historical documents and the latest surveys, the procedures of Miao cow-smashing mainly include making a wish, buying a cow, opening the door, honoring the ancestors, enjoying guests, arranging the past, eliminating monsters, redeeming the reputation and profit, feeding water to the cow, beheading the cow, sending the cow away, and leaving the guests. (ii) Witchcraft. During the process of beheading the cow, the Miao witch sometimes beats the bamboo tread, mutters to himself, sometimes rings the copper bell, shouts loudly, and when he gets excited, he also dances. What exactly he was chanting and shouting about? For many years, due to the profoundness of the ancient Miao language, no complete translation has been published. Judging from the existing translations, it contains extremely rich content. Its content can be roughly divided into two categories: one is the Miao epic, and the other is the prayers to ghosts and gods. (3) Witch dance and witch music. Witch dance includes scarf dance, knife dance, copper bell dance, shield dance and prayer dance. The witches wear red robes, phoenix crowns on their heads, and square-headed wooden clogs on their feet. They dance the above dances according to the needs of different subjects with the accompaniment of instrumental music. The vocal melody of witch music is low, mainly chanting, with fast and slow rhythms, and ups and downs. The accompanying instruments include ox horns, suona, bamboo drums, copper bells, large and small gongs and drums, trombones, cymbals, etc., with loud sounds, distinct rhythms, and strong appeal. (4) Unique skills. In order to entertain gods and people, the witches also hold unique skills performances before the ox-killing ceremony begins. According to the wizard, this skill is neither Qigong nor magic, but the "hard work" they learned from their master. The items they often perform include "biting the plowshare", "climbing the knife ladder", "touching the oil pan", "eating porcelain bowls", etc. (V) Mass singing and dancing. Miao songs are almost throughout the whole process of slashing cattle. Miao songs are divided into two major tunes, high-pitched and flat-pitched, and flat-pitched is divided into more than 20 tunes. The content involves all aspects of the Miao society's production and life, historical events, historical figures, customs and customs, etc., fully showing the Miao cultural characteristics of using songs to convey emotions, narrate stories, and have fun. The dance programs interspersed in the Miao slashing cattle mainly include drums, dragon dances, etc. Drums are divided into monkey drums, production and life drums, etc.; according to the number of participants, they can be divided into single drums, double drums, and multi-person reunion drums. Drums are mainly performed during the "moon jump". The ancient sacrifice of ox-smashing and the dragon-relay ceremony with singing and dancing in the Miao ethnic group have become precious "living fossils" of ancient human sacrifices; the content they describe is an encyclopedia of Miao culture. (No pictures yet, please provide them.) (No pictures yet, please provide them.)