The Minorities Issue

A"Journey"to"the"Heart"of"China1"Page"7"

A"Day"in"the"Majestic"Mountains"of"Tibet1"Page"15"

The"Way"of"Life1"Page"24"

Spiders"in"the"Field1"Page"29"

The China Traveller

May 2015Issue No. 101

Table&of&Contents&

Editor’s)Note) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 3)

Introduction)to)China)) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 4)) ) ) ) ) )Contributor’s)Page)) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 6)

A)Journey)to)the)Heart)of)China) ) ) ) ) ) 7)

A)Day)in)the)Majestic)Mountains)of)Tibet) ) ))))))))))) 15)

The)Way)of)Life) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 24)

Spiders)in)the)Jield) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) ) 29)

2

Editors(Note;(May(edi/on.(

In(this(month’s(edi/on(of(The(China(Traveller,(we(come(to(our(annual(magazine(of(pride,(The(Minority(Issue.(We(share(the(travel(experiences(of( four( young( foreign( travel( writers( and( photographers.( All( based( in(different(parts(of(the(world,(all(exploring(different(parts(of(China,(all(on(the(quest(for(an(understanding(of(Chinese(minority(life;(our(travellers(document(24(hours(of(the(life(of(Ethnic(minori/es.(These(travel(writers(witness( fes/vals,( rituals,(weddings,( and(deaths,( away( from(urban( life(or(influences.(We(hope(you(enjoy(this(edi/on.(Go(ahead,(and(immerse(yourself.(

China&can&be&a&confusing&place.&Especially&if&its&your&6irst&time&here.&At&times,&China&can&seem&like&one&big&frustrating&mystery,&but&unraveling&that&mystery&is&what&makes&living&in&China&so&fun.&Once&you&learn&to&accept&the&inconveniences,&you&will&see&that&China&is&one&of&the&most&beautiful&countries&in&the&world.&From&the&peaks&of&the&Himalayas&in&the&Southwest&to&the&forests&of&Sichuan&Province&to&the&Gobi&Desert,&China&is&a&place&of&wonder.&China&is&a&unique&mix&of&old&and&new,&rich&and&poor,&young&and&old,&urban&and&rural.&China&is&one&of&those&places&where&you&will&see&a&man&peddling&his&vegetable&cart&right&next&to&the&CEO&of&a&giant&company&driving&his&Mercedes.&Cities&in&China&are&quickly&becoming&some&of&the&worlds&most&important.&Yet&it&in&the&countryside,&old&traditions&and&customs&still&rule.&There&are&many&things&about&China&that&cannot&be&guaranteed,&but&I&can&guarantee&you&that&here,&you&will&learn&something&fascinating.&

4

Nicolas’ Bio: O r i g i n a l l y b a s e d i n S y d n e y ; photographer and travel writer Nicolas Cameroun Tsanis Horniblow has travelled the wold since a young age. Following his fathers work, Nicolas has spent a lot of his life traveling to minorit ies al l over the world for experiences, documentat ion, and photographical opportunity.

Peter’s Bio: Peter is a American travel writer who is based out of New York. He is a young freelance travel writer that has done a lot of work for National Geographic but in recent times has started writing for other companies. He has spent a lot of time doing travel writing articles in China over the last couple of years. His latest set of travel writing has been for the travel writing company The China Traveler.

Seth’s Bio: Seth is an experienced freelance Amer ican t rave l wr i te r based in Washington D.C. He has traveled to many places in China including, Yunnan, Tibet, Chengde, and Qingdao. He lived in China for 3 years and lived in Taipei, Taiwan for four years before that. He has written for several well known travel magazines such as National Geographic and Conde Nast Traveler.

Ethan’s Bio: Ethan is a traveler from Los Angeles and this time he will be going to Mongolia for a one day travel. He used to be travel a lot in all over the world, but he never been to China before. He works for National Geographic for a long time and now he got a quest for going to Mongolia. Hope you enjoy the story of Ethan in Mongolia!

Meet our writers�In this magazine we have four fabulous travel writers: Peter, Nicolas, Seth and Ethan. They all come from different parts of the world, but now they have come to China for the greatest trip of all time!

Best Camera for the Best Pictures

The New Nikon D-5100

A"Journey"to"the"

Heart"of"China"

The$noise$was$

deafening$as$I$jostled$my$way$

through$the$Jishou$airport.$My$

fellow$travelers$seemed$to$

have$scant$regard$for$the$well$

being$of$other$people$in$the$

airport.$The$inconsiderate$and$

thoughtless$behavior$was$

bothersome,$but$it$was$only$to$

be$expected.$It$had$been$a$long$

day$of$traveling,$but$I$had$

?inally$arrived$in$my$

destination.$After$navigating$

my$way$through$yet$another$

busy$Chinese$airport,$I$

emerged$from$the$airB

conditioning$and$into$the$

humid$Hunan$summer$air.$

After$a$twoBhour$long$drive$

through$the$Chinese$

countryside,$our$small$vehicle$

?inally$came$to$a$stop$and$our$

driver$announced$that$we$were$

as$close$as$we$could$get$by$car.$$

$$ My$destination$was$a$

small$village$belonging$to$the$

Tujia$ethnic$minority.$I$was$in$

Hunan$province,$home$to$the$

largest$population$of$Tujia$

people$in$any$province$in$

China.$Hunan$is$divided$into$14$

prefectures,$one$of$them$being$

the$Xiangxi$Autonomous$

Prefecture,$home$to$both$Tujia$

and$Miao$minorities.$The$

county$seat$was$in$the$city$of$

Jishou,$the$same$city$that$I$had$

arrived$in$by$airplane.$$

Nestled$among$the$

Wuling$Mountains,$and$settled$

upon$the$banks$of$the$raging$

beast$that$was$the$Yangtze$

River,$this$minority$has$been$

living$in$Northwestern$Hunan$

Province$for$thousands$of$

years.$Before$coming$to$Hunan$

I$had$visited$other$minorities$

in$the$southwestern$province$

of$Yunnan$and$also$in$Tibet,$so$

when$I$was$asked$to$go$to$

China$again,$I$decided$I$would$

7

broaden$my$horizons$a$

bit$and$go$somewhere$new.$A$

colleague$had$once$told$me$

about$a$minority$he$had$visited$

in$China$named$the$Tujia.$I$

remember$?inding$some$of$

their$customs$and$traditions$

quite$interesting,$so$I$decided$

that$Xiangxi$would$be$my$next$

destination.$$

$It$turned$out$that$there$

was$still$a$short$walk$through$a$

mountainous$path$that$was$

required$to$get$to$the$village.$

Since$it$was$nine$o’clock$at$

night,$there$was$not$a$whole$lot$

to$see$when$we$

arrived$at$the$

village.$

However,$my$

host’s$open$

hospitality$

was$very$

much$

welcomed$by$

my$travelBweary$body.$After$

being$escorted$to$my$bedroom,$

I$promptly$fell$asleep,$

exhausted$from$the$day’s$

activities.$

I$awoke$to$the$rays$of$

sunshine$that$?iltered$into$my$

bedroom.$I$quickly$got$up$and$

dressed$myself;$ready$to$

explore$and$learn$whatever$I$

could$in$the$day$ahead.$I$caught$

my$?irst$real$glimpse$of$the$

house$I$was$staying$as$I$

wandered$around$it,$looking$

for$someone$to$talk$to.$It$was$

built$in$a$courtyard$style,$

except$only$three$sides$were$

closed$in.$From$the$open$side$

there$was$a$nice$view$of$the$

rest$of$the$village,$as$the$whole$

house$was$slightly$elevated$

from$the$ground.$A$?light$of$

stairs$was$attached$to$the$open$

side$and$they$led$

down$to$the$main$

village$street.$At$

the$bottom$of$the$

staircase,$a$pair$of$

tiger$statues$

proudly$stood$

guard$at$the$

entrance$to$the$house.$One$

thing$I$can$be$sure$of$from$my$

visit$is$that$Tigers$are$highly$

revered$in$the$Tujia$culture.$

They$are$said$to$scare$away$

evil$spirits,$thus$the$placement$

at$the$front$of$the$house.$

8

The$house$was$made$

mostly$of$wood,$and$consisted$

of$two$main$levels.$The$parts$of$

China$where$the$Tujia$are$

located$are$known$for$their$

forests.$It$only$made$sense$that$

they$used$the$abundant$

resource$of$wood$to$make$

there$houses.$The$entire$

building$reminded$me$of$a$

small$hotel.$The$hallways$were$

all$outdoors$and$once$you$

stepped$out$of$a$room,$you$

entered$one$of$these$outdoor$

hallways.$From$the$second$

?loor$there$was$a$good$view$of$

the$courtyard$below.$Built$into$

the$walls$of$the$house,$were$

detailed$wooden$carvings$that$

must$have$taken$hours$to$

complete.$

I$eventually$wandered$

into$a$small$wooden$room$

where$I$met$my$hosts$and$

properly$greeted$them,$as$I$had$

not$been$able$to$in$the$dim$

light$of$the$night$before.$The$

family$I$was$staying$with$had$

?ive$children;$three$of$them$still$

lived$with$their$parents,$and$

the$other$two$were$already$

married$and$had$moved$into$a$

new$house.$The$mother$spoke$

a$tiny$bit$of$English$but$the$

whole$family$spoke$enough$

Mandarin$Chinese$for$me$to$

communicate$with$them$

effectively.$According$to$the$

father$the$Tujia$language$was$

being$spoke$less$and$less,$as$

only$Mandarin$was$taught$in$

the$schools$these$days.$Parents$

still$taught$their$children$the$

Tujia$language$at$home,$but$it$

wasn’t$spoken$as$commonly$as$

it$used$to$be.$$$

I$was$told$that$usually$

Tujia$people$don’t$eat$

breakfast.$Only$in$the$busy$

farming$season$when$arduous$

labor$is$required$is$the$

morning$meal$necessary.$The$

family$began$brie?ing$me$on$

9

the$day’s$events.$According$to$my$hosts,$I$had$been$fortunate$enough$to$arrive$on$one$of$the$few$days$of$the$year$that$a$wedding$would$occur.$At$this$news,$I$became$overwhelmingly$happy,$thankful$that$I$could$see$a$Tujia$wedding$?irsthand.$These$were$the$things$that$had$gotten$me$interested$in$the$Tujia$in$the$?irst$place.$I$was$told$I$needed$to$be$at$the$village$square$a$Eleven$am$sharp,$as$that$would$be$when$the$ceremony$begun.$$$

$I$knew$I$had$some$free$

time$on$hand$before$the$wedding$begun,$so$I$left$the$house$and$began$wandering$around$the$village$to$see$what$I$could$learn.$There$was$one$thing$that$was$glaringly$obvious$as$I$descended$the$stairs$into$the$street:$Corn.$Its$smell$crowded$the$air,$the$crop$could$be$seen$drying$out$in$the$sun$anywhere$you$looked,$and$the$villagers$seemed$to$have$constructed$a$designated$corn$building.$I$walked$into$the$corn$building$and$noticed$a$man$grinding$corn$with$a$large$

10

Geographic Distribution of the Tujia Minority

Province(% of Total Tujia Population)

Tujia Population

2,639,534

2,177,409

1,430,286

(18%)

ChongqingMunicipality

(18%)1,424,352

(33%)

Other Provinces (8%)

(27%)

356,552

contraption.$The$

machine$was$a$wheel$that$was$

kept$up$by$an$axel$and$the$man$

pushed$the$axel$around$in$

circles$so$that$the$wheel$

crushed$the$corn$placed$

underneath$it.$When$the$man$

got$up$from$his$work$he$told$

me$he$usually$had$to$work$with$

the$corn$grinder$for$hours$to$

get$the$corn$as$?ine$as$it$needed$

to$be.$$

As$I$entered$back$into$

the$main$street$of$the$village,$I$

noticed$that$it$had$started$to$

come$to$life$in$preparation$for$

the$wedding.$People$in$brightly$

colored$out?its$

bounced$across$

the$street,$and$

many$were$

singing$and$

dancing$happily,$

not$

embarrassed$to$

display$their$joy$

to$the$world.$It$was$obviously$a$

very$festive$day$in$the$village$

and$I$was$glad$to$be$there$for$it.$

Both$the$men$and$women$wore$

headdresses$on$their$heads,$

but$the$ladies’$were$far$more$

decorative$and$colorful$than$

the$ones$on$the$heads$of$men.$

One$common$feature$of$all$the$

out?its$was$the$colorful$stripe$

that$ran$down$the$middle$of$

the$shirts.$The$stripe$rounded$

around$the$neck$to$create$a$

beautiful$collar.$$

I$walked$out$to$the$

village$entrance$because$I$was$

told$that$there$was$a$good$view$

to$be$seen$from$there.$Good$

was$hardly$the$right$word.$The$

magni?icent$mountains$

stretched$out$as$far$as$the$eye$

could$see,$purple$hues$capped$

the$mountains$like$a$coneB

shaped$hat$on$

their$heads.$To$

the$north$I$saw$

the$gigantic$

snake$of$the$

Yangtze$River,$

winding$its$way$

through$the$

mountains$and$

providing$life$to$all$the$

creatures$that$lived$near$it.$

This$was$one$of$the$remaining$

‘unblemished’$spots$in$China,$

where$the$massive$concrete$

cities$had$yet$to$conquer.$What$

11

“This was one of the remaining ‘unblemished’ spots in China, where the massive concrete cities had yet to conquer. What I looked upon then truly defined the word picturesque.”

I$looked$upon$then$truly$de?ined$the$word$picturesque.$I$beheld$the$sight$for$a$few$minutes$more,$knowing$that$I$was$in$standing$the$last$quiet$spot$in$the$village$all$day.$$

Things$soon$begun$to$heat$up.$Not$only$in$temperature$but$also$in$activity.$I$reentered$the$village$just$as$the$wedding$ceremony$was$beginning.$The$event$was$spectacular$all$in$its$self,$but$there$was$one$thing$that$stood$out$to$me.$According$to$my$host$family,$crying$was$an$integral$part$of$the$wedding$festival,$and$not$just$for$the$bride$and$groom’s$parents.$The$bride$in$a$Tujia$wedding$is$expected$to$start$preparing$for$the$wedding$at$age$12.$She$is$expected$to$‘learn$how$to$cry’.$The$village$will$sometimes$have$a$‘crying$tutor’$who$will$teach$young$girls$how$to$cry$properly$in$preparation$for$their$wedding.$

In$the$Tujia$culture,$a$bride’s$intelligence$and$virtue$is$often$judged$by$how$well$they$can$sing$crying$songs$during$her$wedding.$$

A$celebratory$feast$followed$the$wedding.$The$food$offered$consisted$of$rice$dishes,$a$variety$of$spicy$and$sour$dishes,$pickles,$and$(yes,$you$guessed$it)$lots$and$lots$of$corn.$The$part$of$China$I$was$in$was$known$for$its$rice$growing.$Other$parts$of$China$are$far$too$dry$to$grow$rice.$My$taste$buds$were$especially$delighted$by$

the$spicy$and$sour$tastes$available$at$the$meal.$$

Despite$the$rain$that$begun$to$fall$from$the$humid$summer$sky,$joyous$singing$and$dancing$ensued.$$The$party$

continued$on$through$the$rest$of$the$day.$I$was$having$such$good$fun$that$I$lost$count$of$the$time.$It$wasn’t$until$the$sun$began$to$set$over$the$Wuling$

12

“From afar, the lives of country-folk are blurry and obscure, but from up close, I can now appreciate their lifestyle far more than before.”

Mountains$that$I$

realized$how$late$it$was.$$

I$thought$to$myself$how$

few$chances$city$dwellers$like$

me$get$to$go$explore$the$

countryside$and$learn$about$

the$customs$and$traditions$of$

the$rural$people$who$live$there.$

Many$people$never$get$this$

chance,$but$I$was$happy$that$I$

was$able$to$make$the$most$of$

mine.$$

I$originally$came$to$

Hunan$province$because$I$was$

interested$in$the$customs$of$

the$people$who$lived$there,$but$

after$living$amongst$them$for$

24$hours,$I$discovered$so$many$

other$things.$I$learned$that$

these$people$can’t$depend$on$a$

supermarket$or$a$department$

store.$They$live$because$the$

land$and$their$environment$

provide$them$with$materials$to$

live.$From$afar,$the$lives$of$

countryBfolk$are$blurry$and$

obscure,$but$from$up$close,$I$

can$now$appreciate$their$

lifestyle$far$more$than$before.$$

$I$packed$up$my$

belongings$and$made$my$way$

downstairs$to$wish$my$host$

family$farewell.$I$thanked$them$

for$giving$me$a$roof$to$sleep$

under$and$food$to$eat.$I$

thanked$them$for$arranging$

this$wonderful$visit$and$I$told$

them$I$would$be$sure$to$

recommend$them$to$my$

colleagues.$However,$more$

importantly,$I$told$them$that$I$

would$probably$never$see$

them$again$and$I$would$

probably$never$return$to$the$

tiny$mountaintop$village$in$the$

Wuling$Mountains,$but$it$is$

moments$like$that,$which$are$

impossible$to$forget.$$

By Seth

13

A"Day"In"The"Majestic"Mountains"of"Tibet"

By:"Peter""

After&a&bone+jarring&couple&of&minutes&of&extreme&

turbulence,&I&saw&it.&&A&view&of&

some&of&the&most&beautiful&

mountains&I&had&ever&seen.&&They&

seemed&like&massive&natural&ice&

sculptures&that&jutted&out&of&the&

ground&and&seemed&to&dominate&

the&skyline.&We&landed&at&about&4&

o’clock&in&the&

afternoon&while&it&

was&still&light&

outside.&I&was&very&

excited.&I&had&always&

wanted&to&come&to&Tibet&because&I&

had&a&friend&in&college&who&was&

Tibetan&and&I&wanted&to&see&more&

of&Tibetan&culture.&

I&then&took&a&several&hour+

long&taxi&ride&to&the&base&of&a&

mountain&where&I&met&my&guide&

and&host.&Over&the&course&of&the&

ride,&I&got&to&see&much&of&the&

landscape&of&Tibet.&I&always&

thought&that&Tibet&was&all&

mountains&and&hills&but&I&learned&

that&not&much&of&Tibet&is&like&that.&

It&is&mostly&seemingly&endless&

plains&and&emerald&green&forests&

but&I&hadn’t&seen&any&of&that&when&

I&was&coming&in.&My&guide&said&

that&was&because&I&Elew&in&from&the&

north&where&there&was&a&large&

mountain&range.&He&told&me&that&

all&the&mountains&in&Tibet&are&

either&in&the&north&or&the&very&far&

south&where&the&

Himalayas&are.&&&

He&said&his&

village,&and&

where&I&would&

be&staying,&was&at&the&top&of&the&

mountain.&After&a&couple&of&

minutes&of&climbing,&we&made&it&to&

the&village&just&as&the&sun&was&

setting.&It&was&the&most&

spectacular&thing&I&have&ever&seen&

in&my&entire&life.&Watching&the&sun&

illuminate&the&valley&below&and&

the&beautiful&Himalayan&mountain&

range&was&one&of&the&most&

spectacular&things&I&had&ever&seen.&

It&seemed&as&though&the&light&

bounced&off&every&mountain,&

“They seemed like massive natural ice sculptures that jutted out of the ground and seemed to dominate the skyline.”

illuminating&them.&It&was&then&that&the&natural&beauty&of&Tibet&struck&me.&It&seemed&like&everything&here&had&its&own&dazzling&quality&to&it.&&

The&village&that&they&lived&in&was&small,&only&about&7&buildings.&Each&building&was&huge&and&made&entirely&out&of&stone.&They&also&had&very&thick&walls&and&small&windows&because&it&gets&very&cold&in&Tibet&and&the&large&stonewalls&help&to&retain&heat.&They&have&small&windows&because&if&the&windows&are&too&big&they&would&loose&too&much&heat.&All&the&buildings&were&covered&beautiful&pictures,&depictions&of&different&gods&and&strong&symbols&I&had&never&seen&before.&

I&then&met&my&host&family.&&It&was&just&my&guide&and&his&wife&but&they&were&very&kind.&They&

greeted&me&in&the&strangest&fashion;&they&put&their&hands&together,&palm+to+palm,&and&stuck&their&tongue&at&me.&I&felt&it&would&be&respectful&to&do&it&back&to&them.&They&both&seemed&about&middle+aged&with&straight&black&hair&and&already&they&were&starting&to&get&wrinkled&skin.&They&seemed&to&be&dressed&in&traditional&Tibetan&clothing.&&The&man&was&wearing&a&brown&fur+lined&robe.&His&wife&was&also&wearing&a&fur+lined&robe&but&hers&had&no&sleeves&to&signify&that&it&was&a&woman’s&robe&and&she&wore&a&small+multicolored&apron.&They&wore&these&clothes&because&they&would&keep&them&warm&and&they&could&make&these&clothes&using&the&material&available&to&them.&All&of&their&clothes&were&made&out&of&either&goat&or&yak&hairs.&I&learned&that&most&of&the&clothing&in&northern&Tibet&where&its&colder&is&more&utilitarian.&In&southern&Tibet&where&its&warmer&they&wear&clothes&that&are&more&colorful.&&

Then&my&host&called&me&over&to&tell&me&that&it&was&time&for&dinner.&Tibetan&cuisine&is&one&of&the&most&unique&types&of&food&in&

16

the&world&because&it&blends&

central&Chinese&dishes,&Nepalese,&

and&Indian&dishes&using&only&the&

ingredients&available&at&this&

altitude.&I&had&a&delicious&dinner&of&

roast&mutton,&beef&and&vegetables&

with&barley&noodles&and&Tibetan&

dumplings&called&Shou.&Shou&often&

has&minced&vegetables&and&

sometimes&mutton&in&them&and&

they&are&very&good.&It&was&some&of&

the&greatest&food&I&have&ever&had&

in&my&life.&The&way&the&dishes&

Elavors&went&to&together&was&

perfect.&The&way&the&Elavor&of&the&

roast&mutton&went&very&well&with&

the&vegetables&of&the&Shou&and&

noodles.&I&asked&my&host&about&

what&types&of&food&they&can&get&up&

here,&as&not&much&food&will&grow&

at&these&temperatures&and&

altitudes.&He&said&that&up&here&in&

Tibet&they&cannot&grow&fruits&or&

rice&and&the&only&meat&they&can&get&

are&from&cows&and&goats.&Because&

of&this&barley&is&a&staple&of&their&

culture&as&it&doesn’t&require&much&

space&to&grow&much&of&it&and&it&

grows&at&this&altitude.&Even&the&

skins&of&the&Shou&have&barley&in&

them,&the&noodles&I&ate&were&

barley&noodles&and&the&bread&I&ate&

was&bread&made&with&barley.&He&

also&told&me&that&Tibetans&have&

acres&and&acres&of&space&to&grow&

food&but&the&problem&is&little&will&

grow&this&high&up.&I&was&rather&

tired&after&my&trip&so&after&dinner&I&

went&right&to&bed&to&get&some&rest.&

After&this&I&went&to&sleep&in&

a&rather&comfortable&bed&with&

sheets&made&out&of&goat&fur.&At&

night&the&temperatures&dropped&to&

the&point&where&I&had&to&put&on&my&

gloves&and&heavy&winter&jacket&to&

keep&me&warm.&

&I&woke&up&in&the&morning&

feeling&refreshed&and&ready&to&see&

more&of&Tibet.&My&guide&and&I&ate&a&

hearty&breakfast&of&buttered&

barley&bread&and&cold&mutton&

before&setting&out.&It&was&also&very&

good&food.&The&buttery&texture&of&

the&bread&went&perfectly&with&the&

rough&Elavors&of&the&cold&mutton.&

He&was&going&to&take&me&around&to&

see&more&of&the&landscape&of&Tibet&

and&then&take&me&into&Lhasa&to&see&

more&of&the&religion&and&the&

festival&that&was&happening&while&I&

was&there.&&&

After&driving&around&for&a&

while&he&told&me&more&about&the&

17

region&of&Tibet.&I&saw&that&the&Tibetan&landscape&looks&even&better&when&the&sun&was&fully&up.&The&light&seemed&to&caress&every&single&Eield&and&mountain&in&the&whole&region&giving&it&a&very&unique&look.&He&told&me&that&since&it&was&located&between&India&and&China&it&has&elements&from&both&places.&I&also&learned&that&Tibet’s&main&religion,&Buddhism,&came&from&India&and&took&hold&here.&He&also&told&me&that&the&cattle&that&they&farm&here&in&Tibet&originally&came&from&India.&Apparently&hundreds&of&years&ago&when&people&were&going&through&Tibet&to&get&to&China,&they&brought&cows&with&them&and&the&Tibetans&starting&farming&them&and&they&became&a&staple&of&Tibetan&cuisine.&

We&then&arrived&in&Lhasa,&the&capital&of&the&Tibetan&Autonomous&Region.&The&skyline&of&the&city&was&dominated&by&the&Potella&Palace,&the&ancient&home&of&the&Dali&Lama,&one&of&the&most&holy&people&in&the&Buddhist&religion.&It&was&just&as&lively&now&

as&it&was&yesterday&when&I&had&Eirst&arrived.&There&were&people&celebrating&everywhere&and&lots&of&prayers&being&said&and&incense&being&burned.&Incense&seemed&to&permeate&the&entire&city.&&On&almost&every&street&you&could&hear&prayers&being&said&by&groups&of&people&and&religious&music&played&from&every&shop&even&though&they&were&all&closed.&I&asked&my&guide&what&this&was&all&for&and&he&replied&that&this&month&is&the&month&that&Buddha&was&born&so&

people&are&supposed&to&pray&and&celebrate&and&

remember&him&this&month.&But&he&also&told&me&that&the&day&I&came&is&the&day&Buddha&was&born&so&everyone&is&supposed&to&do&religious&activities&on&this&day&because&it&is&the&most&important&day.&He&told&me&that&most&popular&religion&in&Tibet&is&Buddhism&so&this&is&a&national&Tibetan&holiday.&He&told&me&that&this&time&is&also&a&good&time&to&be&in&Tibet&because&everyone&is&so&much&nicer.&They&are&nicer&because&it&is&said&that&all&good&deeds&done&during&this&

18

“The light seemed to caress every single field and mountain in the whole region giving it a very unique look”

month&will&count&for&more&in&the&eyes&of&Buddha&and&all&bad&deeds&will&count&as&being&worse&in&the&eyes&of&Buddha.&I&also&learned&that&lots&of&people&go&to&temples&and&pray&because&it&is&said&if&you&do&that&during&this&month&you&will&receive&great&luck&for&the&entire&year.&

I&decided&to&go&to&one&of&these&temples&and&do&some&religious&activities&just&to&join&in&the&festivities.&I&wasn’t&allowed&to&go&and&pray&or&go&into&the&temple&yet&I&was&allowed&to&spin&some&Mani&wheels&and&play&games&with&other&people&in&the&courtyard&of&the&temple.&Mani&wheels&are&these&religious&wheels&that&look&like&bells&but&they&are&not&bells.&They&spin&like&wheels&and&it&is&said&that&if&you&spin&them&clockwise&you&will&get&good&luck.&

For&lunch&my&guide&and&I&went&to&a&local&restaurant,&which&he&told&me&had&excellent&food.&It&was&mutton&roasted&with&tradition&herbs&and&spices&and&it&was&the&greatest&mutton&I&have&ever&tasted&in&my&entire&life.&I&learned&that&they&can’t&grow&very&many&spices&in&the&mountains&of&northern&Tibet&but&they&grow&them&in&southern&Tibet&where&it’s&warmer.&&

After&lunch&it&was&approaching&time&for&me&to&leave&but&before&I&left&I&still&had&one&last&stop&I&wanted&to&make.&

I&wanted&to&visit&the&family&of&my&old&college&friend&David.&Even&though&you&could&never&tell&from&his&name&he&was&Tibetan,&he&was&the&reason&why&I&wanted&to&come&to&Tibet.&He&didn’t&live&in&Tibet&but&his&grandparents&did&so&I&wanted&to&go&and&visit&them&just&to&say&Hi.&I&wanted&to&stay&with&them&but&they&said&I&would&be&unable&too.&&

My&friend’s&family&lived&in&southern&Lhasa.&They&were&dressed&similarly&to&my&host&family.&The&grandfather&wore&a&fur&lined&robe&and&the&woman&wearing&a&sleeveless&fur+lined&robe&with&a&

19

The Potela Palace as it dominates the skyline of Lhasa

colorful&apron.&After&talking&

with&them&for&a&while&they&decided&

to&show&me&more&of&Tibetan&

culture.&They&showed&me&a&

traditional&Tibetan&game&called&

also&called&Sho.&I&wondered&why&

their&dumplings&and&their&most&

famous&game&were&called&the&same&

thing.&Basically&the&way&it’s&played&

is&between&2&and&4&people&sit&in&a&

circle&around&a&Sho&board.&People&

roll&dice&like&objects&made&out&of&

bone&and&gain&points.&I&joined&in&

and&it&was&very&fun.&I&was&now&

getting&to&the&end&of&trip&as&I&had&

to&leave&for&the&airport&at&4’o&clock&

and&it&was&2.&For&a&Einal&activity&my&

host&thought&there&would&be&

enough&time&to&go&see&a&traditional&

Tibetan&performance.&&It&was&held&

at&a&large&amphitheater+like&

pavilion.&The&play&was&very&

interesting&despite&the&fact&that&

there&was&no&dialogue.&It&was&all&

Tibetan&music&incorporated&with&

dances&to&tell&a&story.&The&way&the&

dance&moves&and&the&music&

blended&together&to&tell&a&story&is&

one&of&the&most&amazing&things&I&

have&ever&seen.&

& Unfortunately&it&was&

time&for&me&to&go&back&to&New&

York&and&back&to&my&ofEice.&I&said&

goodbye&to&my&host&the&same&way&

he&greeted&me,&by&putting&my&

palms&together&and&sticking&my&

tongue&at&him.&He&laughed&saying&I&

still&look&very&unnatural&when&I&do&

it&but&I&was&getting&better.&As&I&

boarded&my&plane&the&last&view&I&

20

had&of&Tibet&was&of&those&majestic&mountaintops&that&seemed&to&dominate&the&skyline.&

It&really&struck&me&how&wise&the&Tibetan&people&were&and&how&unique&their&culture&is.&It&is&a&blend&of&Indian&and&Chinese&yet&they&have&also&had&to&adapt&their&way&of&life&to&survive&high&up&on&the&Tibetan&plateau.&This&is&evident&in&almost&every&part&of&their&life&style,&from&their&food&to&their&housing.&

&&

21

21

The way in which humans in Tibet have to adapt to theirenvironment.

FoodTibetan food is very unique as it is a mixture ofIndian and central Chinese cuisine using onlyingredients available at the altitude. The mainstaples of Tibetan cuisine are Shou (Dumplingswith vegetables and mutton) mutton, barleyand vegetables.

BuildingsTibetan buildings are normally very large andmade out of stone. They are made of stonebecause in the mountains of Tibet stone isabundant. They often have stone walls to retainheat because it is very cold up in Tibet.

ClothesTibetan clothes are normally both colorful andutilitarian. Tibetan clothes normally are color fullwith a dimond like pattern. They are alsonormally large and fur lined because it is verycold up in Tibet

ReligionTibets main religion is Buddhism with someNepalese elements. This is because Tibet islocated very close to India, the birthplace ofBuddhism . It is also close to Nepal, which alsoinfluenced its religion.

Don’t just hear about it, go see it.

! The$Way$of$Life!

! I’m!a!travel!writer!who!is!looking!forward!to!going!to!

Mongolia!because!I!love!China!

even!though!I!live!in!Los!Angeles.!

The!>irst!things!I!knew!about!

China!was!that!China!was!very!

poor.!When!I!was!a!child!my!

parents!always!said!to!not!go!to!

China!because!there!is!a!

revolution!going!on!and!its!very!

poor.!However!

now!China!is!

becoming!stronger!

and!stronger.!The!

population!

increases!so!much!each!year!and!

we!all!know!China!has!created!two!

of!the!wonders!of!the!world;!one!is!

the!Great!Wall!which!took!more!

than!one!hundred!years!to!build,!

and!another!one!is!the!burial!

>igures!of!Warriors!and!Horses!

they!found!in!Xi!An.!I’m!not!going!

to!there!because!I!know!there!will!

be!a!lots!of!people!and!I!just!want!

to!compare!what!is!life!like!in!the!

ethnic!minority!and!what!is!like!in!

the!big!city.!The!>irst!stop!was!

Mongolia!in!the!north!of!China.!

In!Mongolia!the!grasslands!

connect!together!and!there!are!red!

and!black!houses!running!like!

there!are!ants!running!on!the!>loor.!

The!mountains!tower!high!up!into!

the!sky,!and!it!seems!like!they!are!

holding!the!sky!so!it!won’t!fall!

down.!This!is!much!more!beautiful!

than!I!imagined.!The!>light!was!not!

that!long!from!Beijing,!and!I!had!

>inally!touched!the!great!land!of!

Mongolia.!There!were!only!three!

people!in!my!group:!me,!my!friend,!

and!one!of!the!person!from!the!

company.!

When!we!walked!down!

from!the!airplane,!and!the!>irst!

thing!we!saw!was!the!blue!sky!

with!the!broad!prairie.!The!

animals!on!the!prairie!were!

running!around!with!some!people!

and!a!person!walked!right!in!front!

of!us.!He!said!his!name!was!Tai!

Tian!Guan!and!he!would!be!the!

one!leading!us!on!our!visit!to!

Mongolia.!That!day!was!a!quiet!

after!noon!because!Tai!Tian!Guan!

said!we!were!just!in!time!to!see!an!

old!person!who!used!to!be!a!great!

leader’s!funeral.!It!is!tradition!that!

people!are!just!put!the!body!out!

24

By: Ethan

The!mountains!tower!high!up!into!the!sky,!and!it!seems!like!they!are!holding!the!sky!so!it!won’t!fall!down.

side!the!house.!I!couldn’t!

under!stand!why!they!would!put!

the!person’s!body!out!side.!Tai!

Tian!Guan!explained!to!me!that!

they!put!the!body!out!side!to!let!

the!birds!eat!him.!If!all!the!birds!go!

down!and!eat!the!body!that!means!

the!person!was!very!good!because!

the!birds!would!eat!him.!However,!

if!there!are!no!birds!that!want!to!

eat!the!body,!this!would!means!the!

person!was!bad!when!he!was!still!

alive!because!even!the!birds!don’t!

want!him.!This!leads!to!another!

aspect!about!Mongolia!culture,!

and!that!is!what!they!believe.!The!

Mongolians!believe!in!Buddhism,!

Taoism,!Islam,!Christianity!and!

Shamanism,!but!their!favorite!gods!

are!the!birds!and!the!<ire.!They!

really!like!those!two!gods!because!

the!Mongolians!think!that!<ire!is!

every!thing.!Without!<ire!they!can’t!

even!stay!for!one!day!because!<ire!

can!cook!food!for!them!and!keep!

them!warm.!The!Mongolians!like!

the!birds!because!they!think!the!

birds!are!the!only!things!that!can!

<ly!in!the!sky!and!when!the!

Mongolians!see!the!birds!they!will!

think!that!will!bring!good!luck!for!

them.!After!the!death!the!bird!eats!

the!body,!and!people!start!praying!

for!the!leader.!Then!Tai!Tian!Guan!

led!us!to!where!they!live.!The!

Mongolians!live!in!the!yurt!

because!they!cannot!<ind!any!good!

things!to!build!houses,!like!rocks.!

The!good!thing!about!the!yurt!is!

that!it!doesn’t!take!long!to!build,!

and!in!Mongolia!there!are!not!

much!wind,!and!a!yurt!is!easy!to!

move!too!because!they!have!to!

move!their!house!a!lot!for!farming!

animals.!!!

We!meet!my!host!

family.!They!live!in!a!big!yurt,!

which!means!very!rich!in!

Mongolia.!First,!I!talked!to!them!

and!I!said!Mongolia!was!a!big!

beautiful!place!and!I!think!the!

Mongolians!should!keep!it!and!

stop!people!trying!to!digging!gold!

or!some!thing!and!they!are!pretty!

agree!with!that!idea.!They!said!

they!were!trying!to!do!that!every!

year,!and!there!always!some!

people!try!to!cut!woods!and!killing!

animals.!We!were!talking!all!the!

stuff!and!half!hour!and!our!host!

family!said!lets!go!and!watch!horse!

riding!!!

After!that!my!host!family!

and!me!are!on!the!way!to!the!

horse!riding!competition.!Tai!Tian!

Guan!said!Mongolians!love!horse!

25

because!they!don’t!have!car!and!even!if!they!had!one!they!still!can’t!drive!on!the!grassland!so!they!use!horses!a!lot.!The!horse!must!be!the!fastest!animal!in!Mongolia,!and!every!one!in!Mongolia!has!to!learn!how!to!ride!horse.!And!that!is!when!people!starting!to!riding!horse!for!fun.!Every!year!there!will!be!hundreds!of!Mongolian!watching!the!

competition.!When!we!on!the!way!to!see!the!competition!I!saw!a!massive!mountain!and!there!were!sheep!all!over.!The!sheep!are!also!very!important!animal!to!Mongolia!because!Mongolians!love!to!drink!sheep!milk!and!they!love!to!wear!the!sheepskin!cloth.!So!that!made!them!to!love!sheep.!And!I!look!around!at!me!I!saw!a!lots!of!good!things.!People!were!singing!songs!and!dancing!their!Mongolian!dance!and!some!people!were!farming,!they!all!look!so!happy.!!

In!the!horse!riding!was!very!fun!and!our!team!won!which!was!good!to!see.!The!people!on!the!horse!were!all!looking!in!front,!but!not!back.!And!their!horses!were!all!very!strong!and!fast.!!It!reminds!me!of!the!vehicle!race.!It’s!just!the!same!as!that!but!with!a!different!style.!!The!host!family!said!we!should!go!and!pray!for!the!gods!in!the!village.!!

In!the!village!my!group!were!ready!for!the!last!thing!we!will!do!in!Mongolia!and!ready!to!go!home.!In!their!spot!we!can!see!a!lots!of!gods!and!the!Mongolians!preyed!to!every!single!of!them!three!times.!We!been!preyed!for!two!hour!and!that!we!can!see!how!much!the!Mongolians!love!their!gods.!We!have!to!put!our!head!on!the!<loor!for!three!times!and!than!give!the!god!some!food!like!milk!and!orange.!The!milk!in!Mongolia!was!very!nice!because!they!have!some!other!things!they!will!add!in!to.!Finally!we!are!ready!for!our!last!step!and!that’s!going!home.!

The!last!moment!in!Mongolia!I!knew!that!!Mongolian!people!live!like!this!because!of!what!they!have.!They!use!horse!other!then!car,!they!build!yurts,!

26

but!building!because!yurts!can!move!easily!and!just!the!last!step!when!my!foot!steps!on!the!air!plane!and!I!look!back!to!Mongolia.!I!think!I!learned!something!today.!And!it’s!the!same!for!every!country!and!every!national!minority,!every!people!have!the!way!to!live!their!life.!In!big!city!people!were!working!hard!to!get!money!for!their!family.!In!Mongolia!or!some!other!national!minority!people!were!just!like!farming!and!to!do!not!much!and!every!day!is!like!a!holiday.!People!

all!have!their!belief!too!like!some!people!believe!science!and!that!are!good!and!some!people!believe!gods!and!that’s!good!too.!But!when!we!think!back!using!!primitive!idea!it’s!all!the!same!!even!just!a!small!little!thing.!I!think!I!have!found!my!answer!to!my!question,!which!was!the!compare!of!the!big!city!to!the!ethnic!minority!and!every!have!their!own!way!of!life!

27

!

Spiders(in(the(,ield((

The$dirty$tyres$of$the$4x4$Jeep$

drove$uneasily$on$the$logs$and$

large$sticks.$I$felt$the$car$drop$as$

the$weight$huge$vehicle$proved$a$

challenge$for$the$sturdy$raft$to$

handle.$It$was$the$only$way$to$

cross$the$snakelike$body$of$water$

that$wove$its$way$through$the$

tropical$valleys$of$Yunnan,$quite$

literally$to$put$your$vehicle$on$a$

raft$and$@loat$across$the$rivers$you$

met.$The$old,$wrinkled$@ists$of$man$

operating$the$bundle$of$sticks,$

tapped$at$my$

window$twice.$

He$then$gave$

me$the$thumbs$

up$and$passed$a$

warm$smile,$

exposing$his$

remaining$dirt$

yellow$teeth.$

We$were$off$as$

the$old$man’s$long$wooden$oar$

pushed$us$away$from$the$shallows$

of$the$shore,$and$the$dirt$road$

behind$it.$I$dared$not$to$look$out$

my$window,$squeezing$my$eyes$

shut$as$if$doing$so$would$

drastically$decrease$the$chances$of$

drowning.$One$second$I$was$on,$

the$next$I$was$off,$as$the$raft$and$

the$opposite$river$bank$and$the$

front$of$the$raft$met$with$a$‘thud’,$

stopping$us$in$place$and$giving$me$

the$signal$I$was$alright$to$get$a$

move$on$again.$

$Not$much$was$different$on$this$

side.$$The$lush$greenery$of$plants$

and$@lowers$that$populated$the$

soils$of$the$fertile$valley$were$still$

present.$I$soon$meet$the$muddy$

path$of$the$dirt$road$I$left$on$the$

other$bank.$I$could$see$my$

destination,$down$the$end$of$the$

valley,$at$the$

green$feet$of$a$

limestone$

mountain$were$

the$roofs$of$the$

Dai$village,$a$

Buddhist$

minority$to$

China,$but$

commonly$

found$in$the$tropical$province$of$

Yunnan.$That$was$camp$for$the$

next$24$hours.$It$is$one$of$my$

exciting$destinations$I$made$my$

way$up$to$the$Himalayas$that$

29

“I was suddenly introduced to a strong

aroma of animal smells, that made my

very nostrils tingle with excitement.”

concluded$my$trip.$I$jammed$my$

foot$to$the$accelerator,$I$wanted$to$

get$there$as$quickly$as$possible,$I$

was$excited,$I$could$@inally$see$

what$I$have$wanted$to$see$after$

years$of$planning.$No$tourists,$no$

attractions$or$ripNoff$souvenir$

prices.$It$

would$be$

just$them,$

and$

myself$in$

an$

authentic$

Dai$

village$

isolated$

from$most$

modern$in@luences,$for$one$day,$

and$one$day$was$enough.$

Minutes$later,$I$could$see$spiderN

like$monuments$clustered$

together.$They$were$houses$

mounted$two$meters$off$the$

ground$by$thin$stilts.$The$pointy$

straw$roofs$touched$the$sky$like$

dozens$of$altars.$I$parked$my$jeep$

under$a$lonely$banana$tree,$whose$

bananas$had$already$been$picked.$

Stepping$out$of$my$jeep$and$

feeling$the$light$and$warmth$of$the$

sun$pass$through$the$leaves$and$

hit$the$back$of$my$neck,$felt$all$the$

more$pleasant.$I$was$suddenly$

introduced$to$a$strong$aroma$of$

animal$smells,$that$made$my$$$$$$$$

very$nostrils$tingle$with$

excitement.$Grabbing$my$bag$and$

essential$

items$

quickly,$I$

longed$to$

take$a$closer$

look.$

Walking$

closer$to$the$

cluster$of$Dai$

houses,$the$

aroma$grew$

stronger$and$soon$the$sounds$of$

chickens,$pigs$and$goats$could$be$

heard$coming$from$different$

buildings.$But$no$Human$noises$

could$be$heard,$just$the$occasional$

rooster$cry$that$broke$the$silence.$$

It$wasn’t$until$I$got$up$close$to$

my$closest$house;$I$met$the$

@irst$human$from$the$village.$

He$was$a$young$man,$probably$

in$his$early$20’s.$He$wore$a$

navy$blue$polo$shirt,$and$a$

swamp$green$pair$of$shorts.$

30

With$a$lighter$in$one$hand,$and$

the$other$to$his$mouth,$he$was$

sitting$in$the$shade$of$a$tree,$

smoking$a$cigarette.$At$@irst$he$

didn’t$notice$me,$but$as$I$

walked$in$his$direction,$His$

eyes$scrolled$up$to$met$mine,$

he$got$up$immediately$and$

brushed$the$dust$off$his$pants.$

“Hello$sir”$he$said,$in$an$angloN

asian$accent.$“I$heard$of$your$

arrival$here$last$days$ago,$my$

name$is$Zhang$Hai$Tao,$I$speak$

English$and$I$am$

your$guide$around$

our$village.”$I$was$

surprised$to$see$

someone$out$here$

with$this$much$

English$in$

him;$I$knew$

I$wouldn’t$

need$the$

basic$

Chinese$

wordbook$I$

purchased,$

a$few$days$ago.$I$asked$why$

there$are$not$that$many$people$

in$the$village.$His$reply$was$

“No$sir,$this$village$is$full$of$

people,$they$all$gone$to$see$old$

man,$he$is$very$sick$and$very$

old.$He$may$die$soon,$so$the$

village$go$to$take$part$in$ritual.”$

That$was$quite$surprising$for$

me,$a$Buddhist$ritual$for$the$

dying.$$I$wanted$to$see$that$

ritual,$and$the$entire$village$

with$it.$$

Zhang$Hai$Toa$showed$me$the$

way,$walking$me$through$the$

village$on$a$muddy$path.$

Literally$all$house$were$on$

stilts,$Zhang$told$me$that$they$

were$all$on$

stilts$because$

the$Dai$need$to$

escape$the$

damp$and$wet$

soil$in$the$

monsoon$

season.$

They$were$

also$on$

stilts$to$

keep$farm$

animals$

down$

below.$As$he$said$so,$many$

houses$were$hoisted$over$pigs$

and$other$domesticated$

animals,$only$seeing$them$

through$small$cracks$of$

sunlight,$making$the$@loating$

31

“On Some staircase, ears of dry corn hung lifelessly at the side of

the steps.”

saw$dust$that$swarmed$the$

under$part$of$the$house$visible.$

With$all$houses$came$

staircases$going$up$to$the$@irst$

and$only$@loor$of$the$house.$On$

some$staircases,$ears$of$dry$

corn$hung$lifelessly$at$the$side$

of$the$steps.$I$asked$why$Zhang$

wasn’t$and$the$ritual.$His$reply$

to$that$question$took$me$by$

surprise.$“$Sir,$I$grow$up$here$

since$I$was$a$boy,$but$I$go$to$

city$for$better$education$and$

job.$I$now$live$in$Hai$Pong.$I$

come$to$see$family$twice$a$year.$

But$I$don’t$like$Dai$ritual$that$

much;$I$grow$old$and$away$

from$it.$The$city$life$much$

better,$but$very$noisy.$I$don’t$

care$about$dying$man,$but$I$

show$you.”$

$As$our$conversation$@inished,$I$

could$see$a$large$crowd$full$of$

color,$a$crowd$full$of$faces.$The$

whole$village$stood$before$us,$

in$their$traditional$clothing$of$

colored$cloth$and$silk,$all$

bundled$together$like$a$parade$

of$beautiful$chameleons.$$They$

were$all$situated$in$front$of$yet$

another$house$elevated$above$

the$damp$ground$by$a$large$

number$of$stilts.$This$house$

was$different$however,$it$was$

darker.$Its$wood$(dressed$in$a$

scant$amount$of$cracks)$

resembled$a$wild@ire$in$the$

dark$of$the$night,$standing$out$

among$the$lighter$colored,$

bamboo$houses.$$Everyone$

turned$to$me,$as$Zhang$

announced$his$and$my$arrival.$

Their$eyes$@ixed$on$different$

parts$of$my$body,$as$if$scanning$

an$alien.$I$was$the$odd$one$out,$

with$my$camera,$hiking$boots,$

and$a$drizaNbone$hat;$it$was$

hard$not$to$miss$me$in$a$

colorful$array$of$dresses$and$

straw$hats.$I$walked$through$

admiring$the$beauty$that$

looked$at$me$so$keenly.$“This$is$

amazing”$I$though$to$myself.$$

I$stood$in$front$of$the$stairway$

leading$up$to$house.$With$only$

the$sunlight$shining$through$

the$seemingly$small$crack$in$

the$ceiling$to$guide$me$up,$I$

walked$slowly,$almost$

purposely$listening$for$creek$of$

the$stairs.$And$on$the$second$

step$or$so$a$“srriiiiiiiiikkk”$gave$

me$the$hint$these$stairs$have$

32

been$here$for$decades,$the$

house$with$it$as$well.$As$I$left$

the$stairs$behind$me,$I$was$

confronted$with$a$curtain$

hooked$to$the$walls$that$carved$

a$little$doorway.$“A$door”$I$

presumed,$inspecting$the$piece$

of$cloth.$That$little$cloth$

curtain$was$the$only$thing$

between$a$real$Dai$house$and$

me.$I$took$it$in,$as$I$lifted$the$

curtain,$and$what$I$came$to$see$

was$laid$right$before$my$eyes.$

A$Buddhist$shrine$greeted$me,$

with$incense$burners$at$its$

feet.$The$smell$tingled$my$

nostrils,$and$made$me$smile$a$

similar$smile$to$the$one$the$

little$Buddha$had$sitting$on$his$

pedestal.$I$looked$around,$

noticing$the$many$farming$

tools$and$plows$that$hung$on$

the$wall.$Straw$tables,$straw$

seats;$literally$everything$was$

made$out$of$some$kind$or$plant$

or$natural$material.$The$only$

exception$was$the$china$eating$

bowls$painted$in$white$and$a$

sapphire$blue$(made$of$china).$

There$was$a$small$window$at$

the$other$end$of$the$room,$

giving$view$to$a$rice$planation$

that$stretched$over$a$fast$

expansion$of$@looded$terraces$

situated$not$far$away$from$the$

houses.$$

But$that$was$only$half$the$

house.$A$wall$cut$through$the$

house$and$another$door$

(curtain)$lay$along$that$wall.$

This$one$was$a$magenta$and$

orange$colored$curtain.$Lifting$

up$it,$a$group$of$monks$in$

orange$sat$before$me,$they$paid$

no$attention$to$my$presences,$

as$if$I$didn’t$exist.$They$were$

praying,$as$all$four$of$them$sat$

on$their$knees$with$there$

hands$shut$together.$With$

those$monks$came$an$old$man,$

lying$on$the$ground$wrapped$

in$a$red$silk$blanket.$Lit$

candles$lay$around$him,$

smoking$the$air.$He$noticed$me,$

unlike$the$monks.$I$got$the$

same$treatment$I$got$outside;$

he$eyed$me$like$I$was$a$holy$

man.$But$something$came$

across$is$wrinkled$face,$a$smile,$

and$more$importantly$a$lively$

smile,$he$still$had$a$lot$of$life$

left$in$him.$It$was$still$my$duty$

to$leave$him$alone,$and$I$

walked$out$of$his$chamber,$

without$hesitation.$I$soon$left$

33

his$house,$and$felt$the$

embrace$of$the$

sunlight$batter$against$

the$back$of$my$neck.$I$

was$once$again$with$

Zhang,$and$we$guided$

me$through$the$village$

(that$was$being$

repopulated$with$its$

inhabitants,$getting$drawn$

away$from$the$old$mans$house$

as$I$did)$

$Zhang$soon$later$told$me$what$

I$had$wanted$to$hear$all$

morning.$“Today$the$Water$

Festival,$You$come$just$in$time.”$

And$I$had$

come$just$in$

time,$just$as$I$

planned$to.$I$

had$planned$

to$come$to$

the$Dai$for$

this$occasion,$

as$the$water$

festival$is$an$

annual$event$

only$lasting$

two$or$three$

days$in$mid$

April.$It$is$

celebrated$due$to$a$tale,$and$as$

story$goes,$a$beautiful$girl$

defeated$the$wicked$King$of$

Fire.$I$had$always$wanted$to$

see$this$from$a$different$

perspective$to$this$festival$in$

Thailand;$the$festivals$

birthplace.$The$Dai$being$

ancient$Thai$migrants$that$

travelled$to$China$also$

celebrate$

it,$but$I$

am$here$

to$see$

how$it$is$

different$

from$that$

of$

Thailand.$

After$all,$

Yunnan$is$

a$very$

different$

place$

from$

34

“They didn’t go straight

for the water, instead

they danced around the

vases, stamping their

feet enthusiastically on

the dirt, and raising

there arms high in the

air.”

Thailand,$and$the$Dai$must$be$

under$some$Chinese$

in@luences,$both$natural$and$

human.$Thus$making$the$

festival$unique$and$even$

different$from$that$down$south$

in$the$tropics.$

Zhang$led$me$to$an$open$space$in$

the$center$of$the$village.$What$lay$

in$the$middle$of$this$grassy$space$

was$a$dozen$clay$vases;$each$@iled$

with$water$from$the$river.$“This$is$

our$water$for$today”$Zhang$told$

me,$sucking$at$a$brand$new$

cigarette.$“When$does$the$festival$

start?”$I$said$in$an$excited$voice.$

“Now”$Zhang$said.$And$it$wasn’t$

even$@ive$minutes$before$this$

space$was$@illed$with$people,$men,$

women,$elders$and$children$of$all$

ages.$I$met$the$same$storm$of$color$

I$met$before,$as$the$women$came$

with$their$long$dresses$of$blue$and$

pink$and$green,$while$the$men$

came$in$their$reds$and$oranges.$A$

group$of$young$boys$advanced$

from$the$crowd,$buckets$in$hand$

and$heading$for$the$clay$vases.$

Three$were$dressed$in$pink,$while$

another$was$in$a$thin$white$shirt$

with$green$pants.$The$crowd$

cheered$them$on$with$chants$in$a$

language$that$wasn’t$Thai$or$

Chinese.$They$didn’t$go$straight$for$

the$water,$instead$they$danced$

around$the$vases,$stamping$their$

feet$enthusiastically$on$the$dirt,$

and$raising$there$arms$high$in$the$

air.$Then$the$whole$crowd$joined$

in,$copying$their$motions$but$in$a$

ring$far$larger$than$that$of$the$four$

boys.$It$was$almost$like$a$party,$as$

everyone$joined$in,$chanting,$

singing$and$dancing$with$beautiful$

voices.$The$party$soon$turned$

crazy$and$wetter,$as$they$boys$

suddenly$turned$to$the$vases,$

@illing$their$buckets$to$the$whole,$

and$throwing$it$at$the$circular$

crowd.$At$that$moment,$no$more$

dancing,$just$running$into$water,$

the$focus$was$getting$wet$and$

having$a$good$time.$I$joined$in,$

naturally.$I$had$come$here$to$see$

this,$and$I$was$right$in$the$middle$

of$it.$Water$droplets$splashed$left$

and$right,$and$it$went$seconds$

before$I$was$soaked,$and$it$went$

on$for$a$halfN$hour.$

$A$tiring$half$hour$it$was,$as$I$soon$

met$a$wellNdisserved$meal$of$rice$

and$cooked$bamboo$shoots.$It$was$

an$odd$@lavor$for$an$odd$dish,$but$

35

the$almost$radishNlike$taste$of$the$bamboo$danced$around$on$my$tongue,$satisfying$my$taste$buds.$As$my$plate$was$left$spotless$of$every$last$rice$grain,$I$asked$Zhang$if$I$could$take$a$stroll$around$the$whereabouts$on$my$own.$He$didn’t$refuse,$and$I$was$soon$out$of$the$village$exploring$the$rice$terraces,$and$the$muddy$pastures$by$the$river.$It$had$clouded$over,$and$grey$clouds$could$be$seen$hovering$steadily$over$the$distant$mountains.$It$was$beautiful,$the$rays$of$the$sun$hiding$behind$the$clouds,$hit$the$landscape$like$a$giant$spotlight.$A$long$wooden$canoe$made$its$way$down$the$river,$@loating$steadily$like$it$and$its$human$operator$had$all$the$time$in$the$world.$It$was$at$that$moment$I$realized$this$was$the$real$China.$Literally$the$wild$China,$away$from$tourists$or$the$high$payment$tourist’s$attractions$that$followed.$Away$from$the$urbanized$life$of$Hong$Kong,$Shanghai$or$Beijing.$This$was$the$China$before$all$that.$However,$I$wondered$if$it$would$always$stay$this$way,$with$so$many$people$like$Zhang$falling$under$the$in@luence$of$the$City$life.$But$I$didn’t$have$to$

worry$about$that,$as$I$was$in$the$middle$of$it$all,$and$should$it$change,$there$will$always$be$memory.$I$stared$back$at$the$houses$of$the$village,$as$a$rainbow$arched$over$it.$The$houses$looked$like$spiders$in$a$@ield,$forever$coexisting$with$what’s$around$it,$forever$feeling$at$home.$$

For$some$reason,$time$seems$to$@ly$at$the$speed$of$sound$when$you$are$with$the$Dai.$It$wasn’t$only$until$I$found$Zhang$I$realized$it$was$7:00$pm.$And$that$Dinner$was$well$underway.$Though$it$only$felt$like$three$hour$or$so,$a$whole$afternoon$had$passed$instantly.$Zhang$accompanied$me$to$house$that$reassembled$all$others;$still$having$the$stilts,$and$the$company$of$pigs$and$chickens$that$hid$underneath.$It$was$his$family’s$house,$I$@igured$as$I$met$a$midNaged$Dai$couple$that$immediately$recognized$Zhang$as$he$greeted$them.$They$were$just$about$to$serve$dinner,$and$gladly$invited$me$to$join.$$Dinner$was$different$from$the$lunch$I$had$earlier.$Meat$was$the$main$course.$From$what$did$tasted,$it$was$a$mutton$leg,$as$

36

different$parts$of$what$made$up$a$

leg$were$served$in$a$star$anise$

spice,$with$the$obvious$

accompaniment$of$rice.$I$felt$sorry$

for$the$animals$below,$rummaging$

around$in$their$enclosed$space,$I$

had$most$likely$eaten$one$of$them.$

Tea$was$served$in$the$common$

teacups$that$every$Chinese$

household$had.$A$mango$was$cut$

and$shared$for$desert,$bringing$an$

end$to$dinner.$Zhang$told$me$I$

would$sleep$here$for$the$night.$

“My$parents$be$delighted,$to$have$

you$stay$for$night.”$He$said.$I$took$

that$offer$without$hesitation.$The$

Dai$have$such$good$hospitality;$

along$with$that$they$are$very$kind.$

I$was$shown$to$my$matrass,$one$of$

the$only$aspects$of$a$comfortable$

bed$in$the$whole$house.$With$it$

came$a$thin$blanket.$I$was$keen$to$

go$to$bed$early$as$I$was$still$

recovering$from$minor$jetlag.$

Lying$down$in$my$bed,$feeling$

comfortable,$I$let$the$smoky$smell$

of$the$incense$put$me$to$sleep$

quickly.$

I$woke$up$to$the$“pat$pat$pat”$of$

the$rain$falling$on$the$roof$of$the$

house.$Zhang$came$in$minutes$

later,$He$was$different,$He$was$in$

traditional$clothing,$A$blue$cloth$

shirt,$with$a$black$line$running$

through$the$middle$of$his$chest.$

His$greasy$hair$was$combed$neatly.$

“Hey,$You$sleep$well?”.$I$nodded,$in$

satisfaction$as$I$had$a$very$

comfortable$sleep.$“$That’s$good,$I$

though$you$be$woken$up$in$night,$

something$happened.$The$old$man$

dead,$he$died$in$sleep,$not$wake$

up.”$That$took$me$by$surprise;$the$

man$I$met$yesterday$is$no$longer.$

No$more$smile,$no$more$life.$“We$

must$pay$respects$at$funeral.$Do$

you$want$come?”$I$really$didn’t$

know$what$to$do;$I$wanted$to$see$

what$happened$and$how$a$Dai$

funeral$took$place.$I$had$to$take$it.$

I$got$dressed$and$I$was$on$my$way$

with$Zhang$minutes$later.$$

We$walked$in$the$rain,$down$the$

path$we$took$yesterday;$only$today$

it$was$muddy$and$wet$as$the$

constant$drops$of$falling$water$

littered$it.$We$were$at$the$house,$

and$just$as$I$expected,$a$crowd$of$

people.$I$walked$into$the$crowd$for$

a$better$look.$The$village$was$

crowded$around$a$cof@in,$and$with$

it$came$the$monks$from$yesterday.$

An$old$woman$followed$behind$

them;$the$deceased$mans$wife.$

The$widow$followed$slowly,$

37

shedding$tears$as$she$walked.$She$

had$a$candle$in$her$hand.$The$

widow$advanced$towards$the$

cof@in$and$held$the$candle$above$

her$head.$Suddenly,$she$snapped$

the$candle$in$half,$separating$her$

soul$and$spirit$from$the$dead$man.$

The$monks$sang$a$prayer$I$couldn’t$

comprehend,$and$as$they$@inished,$

picked$up$the$cof@in$and$moved$

away$from$the$house,$down$into$

the$trees.$They$crowd$followed,$

but$I$didn’t;$I$had$seen$too$much,$

and$I$was$prepared$to$only$see$

that$much.$I$went$back$to$the$

house.$Half$an$hour$later,$Zhang$

came$back$soaked.$He$told$me$we$

followed$the$monks$to$a$cemetery$

in$the$forest$outside$the$village,$

where$the$body$was$buried.$I$just$

realized$after$breakfast$(if$there$

was$one)$I$had$to$be$on$my$way$

out.$Zhang$was$already$one$step$

ahead$of$me,$asking$me$if$I$needed$

help$packing$my$bags.$He$told$me$

fruit$would$be$todays$breakfast.$$

Soon$later,$breakfast$had$@inished,$

and$our$goodbyes$had$to$be$said.$I$

knew$this$was$a$place$that$

wouldn’t$be$easy$to$forget.$What$I$

had$done$and$what$I$had$seen$

were$too$special$to$simply$forget.$

The$Dai$live$an$extraordinary$life,$

as$they$live$in$an$extraordinary$

place.$The$way$they$lived$on$stilted$

houses$to$escape$the$wet$soil$

beneath,$the$way$their$rice$

terraces$stretched$down$the$

valleys$full$of$plentiful$fertile$soil$

(just$perfect$for$the$best$rice).$I$

feel$that$this$minority$is$strong$

with$its$traditions$and$that$they$

will$outlast$all$others;$that$are$

taking$shelter$in$urban$homes,$

under$urban$in@luences.$There$

hospitality,$being$sensationally$

comforting,$there$intense$

enthusiasm$making$their$festivals$

exotic$and$exciting.$All$amazing$

things$that$sum$up$my$24$hour$

stay$here$with$the$Dai.$I$walked$

down$to$my$jeep$in$the$rain,$and$I$

was$on$my$way$again,$looking$back$

at$the$spiders$in$the$@ields,$and$at$

there$feet;$I$could$see$Zhang$

waving$a$goodbye.$$$$

((((((((((((((((((((

38

In Yunnan

While

The Five Things to Keep in Mind

1. Expect muddy and rugged roads. If

you are traveling away from

urbanization, chose strong, high

suspension 4x4 vichles

2. There is no connection

in most parts of Yunnan.

Incase of emergency

bring a satellite phone.

3. There are many

different minorities in

Yunnan, each speaking a

different language.

Consider organizing a

guide or an english

speaking native.

The weather can

fluctuate quickly, going

from wet, to cold, to

hot. Bring a mix of

clothing to best

combat the weather.

Have fun, enjoy visiting

the beautiful region that is

Yunnan

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Citations:

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"Five*Year*Plan*for*West*China*K*Petrex*GmbH."*Petrex)GmbH.*N.p.,*01*Mar.*2012.*Web.*17*May*2015.*

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