Bookmark and Share
Home Map > About the Authors > Field Work > Rollins Musicology Excursion

Rollins Musicology Excursion

Zhaoxing (Guizhou)

Once the images have loaded, click a thumbnail below to view an enlarged image and a slideshow:

Zhaoxing (肇兴) is a country (乡 xiang) of predominant Dong (Kam, 侗 in Chinese) nationality with a total population of approx.4,000 people. Many scholars believe that Dong is an ethnic group belonging to the larger Tai family, who inhabit in Guizhou and its neighboring Hunan and Guangxi provinces. During my trip, an official campaign aimed at strengthening public primary education was taking place in the rural areas. The red banner reads, 'Education is the cornerstone of a nation's hundred-year strategy ...' I interviewed Mr. Zeng Qingrong, Director of Cultural Activity Center (文化站). He is 60-year old and lives with his wife who uses their street-front house to run a small convenience store. This is their 'dining room' where Zeng's ancestral shrine is set up. This is the second floor of Zeng's house. The left side of corridor (not visible here) is windowless, designed for air circulation, which is typical for the local architecture. Tourism is becoming an important local economic resource. Many residential houses have been converted to 'farmer family inn' (农家乐). The old lady is busy winding, but why in front of water? 'Anything you can do, I can do better' - the girls were showing off their bic bac tricks ... 'Pork Soup for A Little Soul': The Braids Girl. Tang'an is a village of 800 population, about an hour walk from Zhaoxing. A unique architecture here is called 'fengyu qiao' (风雨桥 lit. 'wind-rain-bridge') or 'hua qiao' (花桥 'flower bridge'). The roofed bridge provides villagers a shelter for bad weathers as well as a place for socialization. Lovely baby, but why wore red-cross hat? This region was not affected by the recent earthquakes ... And you all, too! Yes, I promised to send them their lovely pictures. Gulou is the center of the village where ritual ceremonies and public gatherings take place. It's a cultural symbol of the Dong. Each village at least has one Gulou. Zhaoxing has five of them. This was confirmed by the two teachers I met at their school, Chengge Elementary. Even for the teachers, they have to either go home for lunch if they live nearby or use very limited cooking facilities to cook their meals at school. Only two of them were doing that when I was there. Tang'an has three sub-villages located on the upper, mid, and lower hills. Chengge Elementary is located in the mid sub-village. After I left the school, I saw a crowd gathered at the gulou (drum tower). I then met with a group of people carrying foods, chickens, and meats. I was told they're going to celebrate a fellow villager's new born grandson. I was even invited! The Dong follow the traditional burial customs similar to those of the Han Chinese in the rural areas. Pictured here is a graveyard used by the local people since the Qing dynasty. A narrative singing of a local tale. Evening scene of Liping street. Houses and river.

Images and text courtesy of Li Wei
For the image collection, please visit: The Dong People of Zhaoxing

Rollins Logo

Lugu Lake (Yunnan)

To access Lugu Lake, the most conventional route is through Lijiang (丽江), a popular tourist spot known for Dongba (Naxi) culture. A popular ethnic dance here is called Gorchom Circle Dance. Technically it is not too difficult, but keeping the group in sync needs little bit of work. Dining is an tricky business here in Lijiang - there are so many restaurants with so many choices and ... These 'lotus lentens' (莲花灯) are meant to float in the river as a kind of offering to the sprit of deity. This is the famous 'Eighteen Turns' (十八道湾) we passed through. It's lunch time, so we stopped at a Mosuo restaurant. Here is a typical way to order your dishes at a local family restaurant: instead of looking at the menu, go to their kitchen and pick whatever you like. The gourd-like in the mid of first row are lotus roots, and the white stuff on the far right in the second row is yak cheese. Finally we entered the Lugu Lake area, the home to the Mosuo people. The Mosuo are an agrarian culture, and raising crops (such as grains and potatoes) is big part of their local economy. Some are rather lavishly decorated such as this. Grandmother Room is the center of the family, where family gatherings and important ritual ceremonies (e.g., grown-up ceremonies) take place here. Fire is venerated by the Mosuo. Non-Mosuo guests should be careful not to walk across the fire pid even it's not in use. On our way to Sichun Musuo territory, we stopped by this incredible site of scenery. Now we're in the Sichuan Mosuo Lugu Lake territory. The directories here show some of the major sightseeing spots. A nearby Tibetan Buddhist monastery called 'Lama Monastery' (喇嘛寺). Our guide Wang Jun helped arrange a visit to a local Musuo family. Her name is Sada Buche, 47, and the little boy is her grandson. Back to Lige Village again. I couldn't help but take more shots of the beautiful Lugu Lake. And ... Good bye to you, the sacred Lion Mountain. We entered the Yi concentrated area. The Yi count for 60% of the population in Ninglang County (宁蒗) and is the largest ethnic minority in the area. These girls were dressed up for a wedding party. On the day we flew to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province, bombs aboard two buses killed two people. Immediately after the incidents, many avoided taking bus and opted for bike or taxi. Though the security enforcement did not seem to be worried ... Next day, we visited Yunnan Museum of Minority Nationalities.

Images and text courtesy of Li Wei
For the image collection, please visit: Excursion to Lugu Lake

Vine with image