THE ZHUANG OF SW CHINA

Yunnan Province.  Xishuangbanna is Southern Pont

Yunnan in Detail.


The Zhuang are one of 56 ethnic groups of China.  Their population in China is 18 million people, but at this time I don't know how many live in the province of Xishuangbanna.

Their language is considered by many to be
 among the Sino-Tibetan family.

The earliest historical records of the Zhuang so far discovered are among the Rock Paintings of Hua Mountain, dated to the Warring States Period (475-221BC) of Chinese history.

Many years of unruly history during the Han, Tang, Song and Mongolian Yuan Dynasties.  The 19th Century was one of constant unrest with the Taiping Rebellion, Second Opium War, and the Franco-Chinese War.  During the time of Sun Yat-sen, the Zhuang army became known as the "Flying Army" or "Army of Steel".  The Zhuang had a falling out with both Sun Yat-sen and Chaing Kai-shek, and then joined the American bombers to challenge Japanese control...

Zhuang cuisine includes many salty and sour dishes: pickled cabbage, pickled vegetables and pork, and dried fish.  A common Zhuang drink is "oil tea", tea leaves fried in oil with rice grains brewed and drunk with peanuts or a rice cake.

The Zhuang follow traditional animist practices which include elements of ancestor worship.  Some have their own professional priests and traditionally use chicken bones for divination.

THE BULANG PEOPLE OF SW CHINA

Detailed Map of Cities of Xingshuangbanna.   Can you see Jinghong?

     There are 36,500 Bulang living in Xishuangbanna.  They live principally in Bulangshan, Xiding, Mengman, Daluo, Jinghong, Menghai and Mengla.

     Their ancestors are the Ancient Pu people.  They are idigenous people of Hunnan.  After a long term national movement of tribal fusion, one part of the Pu people settled in Xishuangbanna, Simao and Lincang areas and developed into today's Bulang.

     Originally, the Bulang weere hunter-gatherers, but during the Ming Dynastythey started neglecting hunting and harvesting and took up farming.  Differences developed between Bulang groups as they moved to other regions.  Some were more influenced by the Han culture and others by the Dai.

     Somehow they lost their communal ownership of the land and during the Republic of China, a feudal like system became dominant.  At the time of the Revolution of 1949 the first steps to privatize the land greeatly profited the newly emerged landowners.  Popular communes were intorduce in the Bulang region in 1958, with the establishment of cooperatives years later.  The communist mvement brought dramatic changes to Bulang traditional culture.  Since then, great economic changes have taken place.
It's hard to foresee how their traditional culture will fare in the future.

     The Bulang are facing hard times now due to the removal of some services formerly provided by the government, such as health services, education, and infrastructures, resulting in a lack of opportunities to enjoy the benefits of a market economy.

THE LISU OF SW CHINA

     The Lisu are the largest ethnic grop in the Nujiang Valley and I have read that they are also in the Xishuangbanna prefecture. The women are recognized by their black pleated skir, crimson tunic buttoned to one side, hat of plastic shells and bead and ornamental belt.  Lisu men sometimes wear black turbans.  The Lisu language belongs to the Yi branch of the Sino-Tibetan group.

     There are over a dozen clans, each with their own totems.  A hair-combing fetival is held in the first lunar mointh and a harvest festival in the 10th lunar month, when Lisu braves climb barefoot up 30m-high poles, using sword blades as rungs.  Twould be fun to see that....!

THE LAHU PEOPLE OF SOUTHWEST CHINA

     The Lahu ethnic minority has a population of 453,705, distributed in the Lancang Lahu Coounty, Southerm Lancang Prefecture and Menghai County in western Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province.

     Their subtropical hilly areas along the Lancang River is fertile, suitable for planting rice paddy, dry rice, maize, buckwheat as well as tea, tobacco, and sisal hemp.  There are China fir and pine, camphor and nanmu trees in the forests, which are the habitat for red deer, muntjacs, wild oxen, bears, peacocks and parrots.  Medicinal herbs found are pseudo-ginseng and devil pepper.

     Mineral resources are iron, copper, lead, aluminum, coal, silver, mica and tungsten,

     Most of the Lahus speak Chinese and the language of the Dais.  Their language belongs to the Chinese-Tibetan language family.

     More than 2,000years ago, many scholars thought that the "Kunmings". the nomadic tribe pasturing in the Erhai area in western Yunnan were the forbears of the Lahus.  The Lahu people once were known for their skill at hunting tigers.  They roved the lush slopes near them.

     In the 8th century, the Lahu people were compeled to omove south.  By no later than the beginining of the 18th century they already had settled in their present-day place.  They turned to agriculture and a feudal system following many of the customs of the Hans and Dais.

     The Lahu man wear a collarless jacket buttoned on the right side, baggy long trousers, and a black turban.  The women wear a long robe with slits along the legs.  Around the collar and slits are sewn broad strips of color cloth with beautifulk patterns and sudded with silver ornaments.  Women's headdress extends a dozen feel long, hanging down the back and reaching the waists.

     The building style, similar to the Dais, is with stilts, allowing space below for domestic animals.

     Monogamy was practice.  In some areas, young people were free to choose marriage partners, and women played the dominant part in marital relations.

     Traditionally, the dead were cremated.

    The Lahu used to worship many gods.  In the early Quing Dynasty, Mahayana was introduced into the Lahu areas from Dali by Buddhist monks.  These monks were opposed to the Quing regime and religion came to merge with politics.

     Music and dance of the Lahu people have unique styles and are permeated with life.  They use the lusheng- a reed pipe wind instrument and three-stringed guitar.

     Handicrafts include ironwork, weaving and bamboo handiwork, but few products are sold on the market.  The Lahu have led a poor life and their production was backward under the rule of Dai chieftains and the exploitation by Han landlords and merchants.

THE JINGPO (KACHIN) PEOPLE OF SOUTHWEST CHINA

   The Jingpo are an ethnic group who inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighboring areas of China and India.  In the 2000 Chinese census they numbered 132,000 .

     They are known for their fierce independence, disciplined fighting skills, complex clan inter-relations, embrace of Christianity, craftsmanship, herbal healing and jungle survival skills.

      Different categorization schemes complicat the terms Jingpo and Kachin, which also operate as political geography terms of British origin.  In one form, a variety of different linguistic groups with overlapping territories and integraed social structures are described as a single people: the Jingpo or Kachin.  In another form, the native pseakjers of each language in the area are treated as distinct ethnic groups.  Rather confusing!  In British colonial Burma, Kachin people were categorized by the Census as separate different "races" or "tribes"according to languages.  Other officials, missionaries, and the local administration recognized them as a single ethnic group.

     The people cassified as the Jingpo speak at least five different languages, Jingpo proper, Zaiwa, Maru, Lashi, and Azi

     Half ot the Jingpo declare themselves as Christians.  There are also significant groups of Buddhists and Animists.  Before the American missionaries came to the area comprising the modern Karin state, the majority of the kachin were Animists.  Jingpo Animists believe that spirits reside everywhere, from the sun to the animals, and that these spirits bring good or bad luck.  They believe all living creatures have souls.  Rituals are carried out for protection in almost all daily activities, from planting of crops to warfare.

     The houses of wood and bamboo are of oval form.  the women often dress iin black jackets with silver decorations.  They also wear woold skirts made in bright colors.  The men often wear black and wide pants, covering their heads with turbans: the youth with white turbans and the adults with black turbans.

     Their ancestors lived on the Tibetan plateau and migrated gradually towards the south.  When they arrived in Yunnan, the Jingpo were referred to as Xunchuanman.  During the 15th and 16th centuries, the Jingpo continued migrating to their present territory.  Kachin people, provided assistance to British, Chinese, and American units fighting the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.

     Following the end of World War II and Burma's independence from Britain, long standing ethnic conflicts between frontier peoples such as the Kachin and the burman-dominated central government resurfaced.  Uprisings escalated following the declaration of Buddhism as a national religion in 1961.

     The Kachin Independence Organization, after years of fighting the dictatorships of Burma, finally chose to enter into a ceasefire with the junta.  This delivered neither security nor prosperity to the Kachin.

     It will be fascinating to see how closely related the Jingpo are connected to their Chinese Kachin brothers and sisters and to learn more about the Chinese experience of the Jingpo.

THE HUI PEOPLE OF SW CHINA

     The Hui are a large ethnic group defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims.  They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road merchants.

     In the 13th century Mongol forces swooped into the province to outflank the Song dynasty troops and were followed by Muslim traders's builders and craftsmen.  Yunnan was the only region put under a Muslim leader immediately after Kublai Khan's armies arrived.

     Of the province's approximately 550,000 Hui,  Kunming holds the lion's share, with otheer populations centered in the counties of Xundian and Weishan.

    Not long after, mosques were raised with the new Yuan Dynasty.  A Muslim was entrusted to build the first Mongol palace in Beijing and an observatory based on Persian models was also constructed here.  Dozens of Arabic texts were translated and consulted by Chinese scientists, influencing Chinese mathematics more than any other source.  Muslims are proud of their Cheng Ho, the famed enuch admiral who opened up the Chinese sea channels to the Middle East and may actually have been the first to voyage to the Americas.

      Heavy land taxes and disputes between Muslims and Han Chinese over local gold and silver mines triggered a Muslim uprising in 1855 and after a short success, the Qing forces returned in 1873 leaving up to 18 million dead nationwide and confirming the Han control of Hui regions.

         Even though they are not ethnically Han Chinese, they have similar cultural practices with the exception that they practice Islam and follow Islamic dietary laws and reject the consumption of pork, the most common meat consumed in China.  Their mode of dress also differs primarily is that men wear white caps and women wear hadscarves or occasionally veils, as is the case in most Islamic cultures.

     Hui women are self aware of their relativee freedom as Chinese women in contrast to the status of Arab women in countries like Saudi Arabia.  Hui women point out these restrictions as "low status", and feel better to be Chinese than to be Arab. 

    

Jinghong Region I

 Jnghong Region

Jinghong Region


                            A Traditional Dai Home

                                             

            YouJinghong, Xishuangbanna in southern tropical China, sharing it's southern order with Burma and Laos.  Compared to most Chinese cities, it is relatively small with only 180,000 people.

           Its name comes from the Thai language meaning "12,000 Rice Growing Districts".  Tropical rainforest areas and jungles dot the region and there is a a wide array of exotic  plants and animals with dwindling numbers of wild tigers, elephants, leopards,and gold-haired monkeys   We are here during the dry seasons with comfortable days in the 70's and 80's.

            As many as fourteen different minority ethnic groups live within  the prefecture and many accessible from Jinghong.  One third of the population are of the Dai, another third are Han Chinese and the rest is  made up of a conglomerate of minorities that include the Hani (Akha), Yi, Lisu and Yao, as well as lesser-known hill tribes such as the  Aini, Jinuo,  Bulang,  Lahu, and Wa.

             Approaching Jinghong by bus, we passed fields of sugar cane, tobacco, banana plantations, tea plants, Norfolk Island pines, bougainvilleas, red and white poinsettias and elegant royal palm trees.  After passing  through at least 20 tunnels on a relatively new spacious toll road, we gathered our suitcases and hailed a taxi for the Forest Cafe and Sara, our local contact.  The taxi driver could never understand us so he dropped us at the Mekong Cafe and met Sara there.

            My first impressions of the area were rather negative: a fourth floor room that lacked basic amenities (bath towels) and no sign of ethnic minority people on the streets as we walked walked around town.  Fortunately, that mood changed after we found more comfortable lodging at the Jinghong Hotel and made plans to visit minority villages with Sara.

           

Manruandian Village

     That afternoon, Sara and I took off in taxi to visit a nearby Dai village and maybe find some weavers.  About one hundred Dai families live in this pleasant village located on the outskirts of Jinghong.

      Sara explained that the the Dai people have lived in this area ever since they were pushed southward from the Yangzi River Valley by the invading Mongols in the 13th century.  She explained that there are many different groups of Dai - up to five kinds live in Xishuangbanna.  The main group is called Shui Dai or Water Dai.  They are also known as the Tai Lu in northern Laos and Thailand.

            The have always lived in spacious wooden houses and bamboo houses raised on stilts.  Today, though, more of their houses are being made of bricks.  The most common Dai foods are sticky rice, fish, bananas, oranges, and lots of their regional Pu'er tea.  The women I visited  were wearing tight short blouses in a bright color and a printed sarong with a belt of silver links.

           

Traditional Home

             Peaking into a house along the narrow walkway,I was delighted to spot a fully dressed loom with a pattern of rich reds and creams.  Luckily we were invited to talk with the weaver.   I was excited to learn about the status of weaving today. I had read that not too long ago, most Dai village women did spin and weave beautiful textiles.  Their cultural traditions such as courting illustrate the important role of textiles.

     With Sara translating, I learned that there are less than 20 looms in the100 village homes.  Very disappointing. Are the weavers primarily older women?  How many young women are learning to weave?

            Some of my questions were answered when  I visited a village home.  There were two active looms and the little three year old girl, Yu-Ying-Han was standing at her grandmother's loom carefully pushing the shuttle through with her little hands, and changing harnesses as she stood.  Her grandmother, Yu-Jing-Hai sat a distance away quietly encouraging her.  I was amazed and thrilled. 

            We visited another home where there were five dressed looms with colorful patterns.  I soon learned that an experienced Dai weaver helped establish this weaving workshop, now a part of Banna Technical College.  The weaving is time consuming and it seems to be difficult to market their unique pieces.  One woman told me she weave about 1.5 meters a day and makes about 40 Yuan.  That would amount to 1 3/4 yard for $7.00.

                                              Three Year Old Yu-Ying-Ham at the Loom

                                                             Jinghong Views

                                                  Crossing the Mekong in Jinghong

                                                       School Ethnic Day in Jinghong

                                                         Fabulous Hot Pot Soup

Holiday Dress











             Our Great Hotel In Jinghong

Jianshui and Region

11/16/11

 JIANSHUI and Region

                                                 A Muslim Woman near Tonghai Mosque

             

     A return to Old China with architecture dating back to Ming era and memories of

Genghis Khan and his army still living.....

            Leaving the freeway we visited Tonghai.  Soaring above most other buildings was a massive Mosque with Hui (Muslim) people filling the marketplace and neighborhood - a remnant of Genghis Khan's Mongolian army invasion starting in 1207 and succeeding 70 years later.

 

            The highlight of the day was the visit to the nearby Mongolian Village of Xingmeng where 4000 Mongolian descendants still reside. They have made a dramatic change from a nomadic rough-riding life style to fishing and forging copper ware,  The traditional stone and sun-dried brick village is a pleasant visit

Women in Mongolian Village

                                        Mongolian Village

            Initially we thought our driver had taken us to the wrong village.  Except for the women's clothing with colorfully stripped sleeves and a strip of metal closures, head covers with black turbans topped with a colorful wrap  clothing, which seemed to follow the Muslim colors, the rest of village, especially the temple, seemed Chinese Buddhist.   Only after our driver showed us the Mongolian script under the Chinese characters on the temple did we believe it was Mongolian.

Note the Sleeves

Muslim Mosque in Chinese Style

      Arriving in Jianshui was delightful...charming narrow streets with traditional old  style stone and tile architecture.  We passed the main gate, a huge Ming edifice that served as an entry into the walled city during the Ming period.

The Classic Still Lives in Jianshu

11/17/11

            In nearby village of Tuanshan, we experienced a town with 3/4 population surnamed Zhang, originating from the  Ming Dynasty  1300-1600.  They have been successful business people throughout the region, built exquisite homes with  elegant  woodcarving, painting, calligraphy, and peaceful gardens.  Very sweet residents.

                                               

Small Feet

            There were several old women who had endured the painful foot binding experience.  How I wanted to talk with them about their experience!

            We also saw a remarkable bridge, Twin Dragon Bridge (Shaunglong Qiao), one of the oldest (Qing Dynasty-700 years ago) in China.  It is still elegant with 17 arches, a 3 story pavilion in its center and two smaller ones on either end.  

            Two other remarkable ancient sites in Jianshui:

Zhu Family Compound

Headcoverings in Zhu Home

                        The Zhu family home occupying 5 acres of land comprises ancestral buildings, ponds, and lovely gardens.  It took 30 years to build during the Qing Dynasty by the enterprising family that made their money marketing everything from opium to tin in the region.  The family fell following the chaos of 1910.

            The Confucian Temple, modeled after Confucius home town of Qufu, lined with ancient Cypress trees was finished in 1285.  Its 18 acres includes an inspiring pavilion supported by 18 stone carved pillars 5 meters with elegant scenes of animals,  dragons rising through the mist.  There's also a huge water lily pond with a peaceful meditative pavilion in its center.

            We're enjoying most of the food tremendously.   Tonight an awesome fish with broccoli and fried potatoes and lots of fun laughing with fellow diners.  If there is no English menu, we just walk around the room and point at other peoples' selections.  

     And we loved our cozy and friendly guest house right in center of town, Huaquing Hotel.

      Views as we walked around Jianshui.

Yi Ethnic Woman in Jianshui

Yi Ethnic Woman in Jianshui

Menghai Market,Paper Village,Old Village

Last day in Jinghong Region

            December 3, 2011

                               Menghai Market

     We woke up to jubilation and women singing.  I imagined that it was the continuation of the Akha celebration.  There they were in our little park taking a rest stop on their way to a village festival!

      Market Scenes

Who Knows?

Checking Out the Treasures

Dai Woman

Mushrooms

Tofu

A Great Buy!

Fire Water

Last day in Jinghong Region

            December 3, 2011

                                         

       

                    

                

                               

Menghai Market ranks as one of the top markets we have been able

to visit...It is orderly, quiet, and offers almost everything one would need.  The fruits ad vegetable diversity is way beyond anything I have known. 

Manzao Village - Paper Making  

      Clean, concrete walkways throughout this successful village of about 1300 meters altitude.  Everywhere we saw women preparing the various steps for their mulberry paper making.  The men go to their mulberry trees in the forest near the village and cut the bark off the trees.  Then the women clean the bark, soak it, prepare it for the grinding machine, sack the mulberry paste,  soak it again in order to prepare it for the drying screens, after which the screens with thin or thick mulberry paste are smoothed and placed to dry in the sun standing upright.  The village is also engaged in tea, rice,   and vegetable production. 

Paper Drying In Sun

Smoothing Paper Before Drying

Helpers

Village Center

                Tropical Landscape in Village

Paper Ready to Sell

Temple Paintings of Buddha's Life

Peacocks, Symbols of the Dai People

Dai Village Entry Gate

Cleaning the Mulberry Bark Before Papermaking

        This totally organic product is essential for wrapping the precious Pu'er tea from these mountains.  It's also a geat paper for photo mounting, painting, Buddhist texts, and treasured throughout the world.  I love the smell of it....

    

 

Paper Pulp Leaving Blender

Artisanal Tea Shop
           Tea culture, we have found out, is a most complex process.  It's similar to wine in  many ways.  The various fermentation and aging processes, storage containers, marketing, tremendous pricing variation, health impact, and general mystic.

            I'm going to briefly describe this valuable Pu'er tea of Xiishuangbanna and then list the four basic kinds of teas and a few comments of each. 

            In this region are six world famous tea mountains.  People come from all over China, Taiwan, Japan to buy the organically prepared Pu'er Tea.  The Tea Road has been alive even longer than the Silk Road and still is vibrant in Xishuangbanna today.

            The label for the totally organic tea that we are tasting carries the following location:

Menghai (county) Menghun  (town) Minggu (village) great tea 350y for 200 gram.  The area is very near the Burma border.

           

            There are  four kinds of  tea with various preparations:

            Green Tea

            Black Tea - has a one day fermentation, ages naturally

            Sunsha- is put in cakes and let to ferment or cook slowly

            Shoxa - called cooked tea

           

Sunsha put in cake and let ferment naturally slow

Black tea a one day fermentation and let it age

Man-Diyu-Old Dai Village

Beautiful Setting

Importance of School

Village Story

Community Well

Advice in Dai and Chinese Language

           

Dai Women of Village

            Located outside of Ga-Sa town.

            Charming village marked by Dai traditional gateway with a daily street market alongside the winding walls of the  traditional Dai style home.   Lily ponds, traditional banyan village tree, wall art throughout depicting the right way to live, village tailor, silversmith making the Dai traditional apparel.  On top of the village hillside resides the village Temple..

              Xishungbanna has been a fascinating adventure.  Visiting the little unique ethnic    villages nestled throughout the hillsides was thrilling.  Investigating the ways of making a living added much understanding of village ways and life.  We are so grateful to all the people who helped us along the way: hotel guest house staffs, Mr.Peng, our kind driver, Jacky at Yuan Yang, in Jinghong area, sSara of Forest Cafe, Greg and Pierre, of Mekong Cafe, fellow travelers along the way, and most of all the kind Chinese people who almost always provided us the greatest kindnesses.