An unfamiliar flag of red, blue, white, black, and yellow stripes is held abreast of the United States flag, the merging of two cultures-the ethnic Iu Mien and the American. The beating of drums, hand-made with antelope hide, creates a rhythmic beat against the distinct hollow tone of the gong, jingling tambourines, and bellowing of slender, copper-toned horns. In a strict line, men, women, and children march around a tall, wooden building still under construction: the future King Pan Buddha Light Temple-Shrine.

King Pan is a legend that the Iu Mien people have kept with them, ever since their journey from their homeland of China.

King Pan is a mystical character that the Iu Mien call their forefather. He represents a god to the Taoist and Buddhist religious followers, but most importantly, to the Iu Mien, he is the creator of the twelve clans of their people.

Families and people of different cultures come from near and far to support and join the twelfth annual King Pan festival today, organized by the Lao Iu Mien Cultural Association (LIMCA) and other volunteers and sponsors.

This year’s festival is especially significant because it marks the twelfth year since the dawn of the festival, also symbolizing the twelve clans of descendants of King Pan.

Women in this parade wear vibrant clothing. An abundance of silver jewelry is sewn onto vividly colored, embroidered cloaks that drape over their shoulders, and streams of cloth coil over carefully wrapped turbans. Some wear head-dressings, protruding outward and shadowing their pretty faces. Red strings flow from the brims. Most of these women are wearing hand-made costumes, showcasing years of a honed sewing craft, a keepsake and family heirloom that mothers pass onto their daughters when they marry.

The legacy of tradition and family is tangible here—babies rest on the backs of their mothers, teenagers congregate in secluded corners, elderly people sit in the shade on benches lined up against the huge wooden building, and the men and women responsible for this event scurry about to ensure an efficient, traditional program for the guests.

There are many folktales about King Pan, whose legacy is told orally. Based on the book Over a Cup of Tea by Jing Luo, legend tells that Pan-hu, a dragon dog who turned in the head of King Ping’s enemy, was granted the honor to marry his daughter, the princess. King Pan was sent by his father-in-law to rule the Kuaji Mountains. He eventually turned human, and King Pan and the princess had twelve children—six sons and six daughters. King Pan died after being trampled by an antelope. In remembrance of their father, the children made a drum from an antelope’s hide. They beat it forcefully. This legend has transcended time and is represented through the instruments made and used today in King Pan festivals.

There are numerous tales of King Pan and his festivals, but they each return to one conclusion: King Pan’s children, who celebrate and honor King Pan’s memory, are the ancestor’s of the twelve Iu Mien clans: Saephan, Saelaw, Saetern, Saelee, Saechou, Saeyang—from the six sons; and Saechao, Saelio, Saefong, Saezaanh, Saechin, Saeseao—from the husbands of the six daughters. Iu Mien families are born of patriarchal households, so children usually bear their father’s last names.

Through time, two additions have been added to the original clans. They are the in-laws of the original twelve: Saetong and Saepao. “Sae” is the Chinese word for “last name.”

In 1995, a Iu Mien shaman living in America had an epiphany—or message—from his father. The father requested a place of worship so that his followers and children could have a sanctuary and place to pray. This caused a great deal of controversy and concern in the Iu Mien community, but became a sacred goal to accomplish.

After visiting the King Pan Buddha Light Temple in China in 1996, Kouichoy Saechao, co-founder of the King Pan Festival, envisioned a temple in America, similar to the one he saw in China. The temple would be a place to call “home” for King Pan and his followers in the Bay Area, and he would name it after the Chinese temple.

“It took a lot of fundraising and support from people in the community to make the festival and the building of the temple,” says Saechao.

The construction of the King Pan temple began in September of 2007, and its estimated date of completion is May of 2008, when there will be a grand opening celebration for the public to view.
This year’s King Pan festival introduces the temple to the community. Guest speakers from Canada, Portland, Ore., and France spoke of their appreciation and reverence for the remarkable job that the King Pan Temple and LIMCA committee has done on this joyous event and invited people from all walks of life to join.

“I am proud to see that the younger people are involved in coming together and keeping the Mien culture alive,” says Chan Fou Saechao of Canada.

Young dancers perform traditional Iu Mien dances mixed with modern steps, such as the “Lost Drum Dance,” where young boys and girls beat decorative drums and move at a fast pace to the upbeat music. The spectators watch in awe.

Jo Fox, a respiratory therapist at Highland Hospital, got an invitation to the festival from one of her patients, a Iu Mien woman. “Actually, I didn’t know much about the Iu Mien people until today. I am enjoying the festival so far,” she says during the beginning of the parade. After today, she and many others will know who King Pan is.

King Pan’s legend will remain as long as his sons and daughters continue to celebrate his spiritual existence.

“I don’t even know who King Pan is, honestly. I just came to the festival to watch my wife perform,” says Tony “Skeelo” Saechao. “But I did learn more about King Pan today though, and I hope that this isn’t the last festival because it helps keep the culture alive and young people like me shall be more involved.”

An image of King Pan, with his stern face and neatly trimmed goatee, will soon be physically visible. Behind a curtain, a wooden board conceals a 10-foot statue of King Pan, a China-import monument, awaiting its destination in the temple. Meddlesome guests lift it sporadically to get a sneak peek, but to keep its pristine condition, the nailed down barrier deters any spectators from tampering or looking at the statue. Their curiosity turns to the festival.

While the stage exhibits entertainment and guest speakers, members of the community greet each other with smiles and chatter. Some comment about the impressive outcome of the festival and temple. Others talk about mundane things. Parents boast about their children. More importantly, people unify in a single day, and for many, they learn about King Pan—whose spirit has been in existence for centuries now—for the first time.

As the parade progresses, women march steadily representing the twelve clans as they hold up florid diamond-shaped signs revealing the names in bold prints of the clans that they belong to. Meanwhile the men synchronize the sounds of the instruments of drums and horns. Behind the scenes, young children sit on stools while their parents and older women weave head dressings and dress them tactically, paying conscientious attention to details. Families gather and relish the celebratory exhibitions provided, while parents pass on the legend of King Pan to their children.