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SPECIAL ISSUE 2005 SPECIAL ISSUE 2005 Man and the Biosphere MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE The Chinese National Committee for Man and the Biosphere Photovoice The innovative concept from an environmental protection project has enabled the mountain people in northwestern Yunnan Province of China to take up the camera to record their own daily lives. They say, “We can’t read or write but these photographs can speak for us.” He Zhanyi ( Male 54 years old Enzong Village ) : “At sunrise, my third uncle's daughter-in-law is preparing to drive the cattle to Lashi Lake for grazing. My village has a rule that all the cattle are herded together after the rice is planted. The animals are divided into two groups, buffalos and cattle, with every family in the villagetaking turn at taking care of the herds. The buffalos are herded at the lakeside and cattle in the mountains.” Postal Distribution Code: 82-253 Issue No.: ISSN 1009-1661 CN11-4408/Q SPECIAL ISSUE 2005 This special issue of “Man and the Biosphere” Journal is published for The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, with support from UNESCO Office, Jakarta and the Government of Japan. US$5.00 ＨＦ０２６０ｆｍｆｄ 1 2005.3.4, 3:28 PM Gatailamu ( Female 29 years old Yubeng Village ) : “The Yubeng Village at the bottom of the snow-covered mountains is a place where the gods come to meet. Around the village there are some 20 sacred mountains. There are 30 families in the Upper and Lower Yubeng Villages with 156 people in total looking after 450 Mu of farmland. The villagers can grow only one crop a year. As the environment is suitable for animal husbandry, they have a large number of cattle. Food for human consumption has to be bartered with animal produce in villages in the area around the river mouth or bought at the county site.” ＨＦ０２６０ｆ２ 1 2005.3.4, 4:33 PM Before and Behind the Camera Preface By Guo Jing E ven in a modern society, the power of controlling and utilizing visual art forms (movies, TV, photography, etc.) is not evenly distributed, as there exist tacit rules concerning who calls the shots, who is photographed, how to take photographs, publish, distribute, use and for whom it is produced. The roles of the director and audience, the teacher and the student are to a large extent predetermined. On the one hand, Western movies, DVDs, television programming and digital visual technology are rapidly making their way into people’s homes. But on the other, the one-way flow of information remains unchanged, especially in the countryside. While rural life has become a visual art resource for some, country people themselves have little chance of making art serve their own needs, except for passively watching the outcome. The spread of cinematic and photographic technology has apparent benefits, nonetheless. The falling price of cameras, digital video tape, and computers has enabled those who desire to make their own films. During an investigative tour, the author often came across requests such as: “May I take a photo, too?” And what touched them most are the photos and movies that reflect their own daily lives. The visual images the villagers have access to are mostly from the mainstream media (newspapers, magazines, television, and pirated DVDs) which display the “wondrous” outside world with new knowledge and descriptions of “modern” materialism. The values and lack of reality contained in the media are mostly detached from local traditions, with some media even creating negative impressions. For a very long time, the rural populations have been passive recipients of outside images and information and are powerless to make their views known through visual media. Visual art is simply a source of information but never their voice. In 1991, the Ford Foundation initiated and sponsored a Photovoice program by the name of “Women’s Reproductive Health and Development,” which entailed 53 village women photographing their daily lives. The Photovoice project is an eye-opener to the local communities and has prompted the local authorities to seriously consider handing the camera to villagers to create visual art works that serve their own needs, together with professionals. Another Photovoice project was launched as part of The Nature Conservancy/Chinese government-sponsored biodiversity preservation project in the countryside in northwestern Yunnan Province. One of the early champions of the Photovoice methodology once declared, “Photographs ought to give people a voice rather than a message”. The statement provides an accurate distinction between the photographing and the photo. With new photo making and distribution techniques, fundamental changes between the subject and object have taken place. Integration of the photographer and the photographed unifies the educator and the educated. We call such a method of education “learning our own traditions”. (The author is a research fellow from the Academy of Social Sciences of Yunnan Province) 1 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 1 2005.3.4, 4:09 PM his album comprises photos taken entirely by ordinary village people, which maybe interpreted differently by readers with different perspectives, in terms of art, folk customs and rural culture. The true significance, however, lies in the objects in front of the camera and voice from the photos. T Contents About Photovoice Ann McBride Norton Our Sacred Mountains and Water Sacred Lands - Nature Reserves Respected by the People Guo Jing Our Forests are Confronting the Increasing Pressures Wood Worries - Sorrows in the Fire Yang Fuquan Our Festivals and Customs Diverse Ethnic Minority Customs He Zhonghua 4 Our Respect for Nature - Circumambulation 6 A Rendezvous with Nature 12 Our Dongba Culture - Protection and Preservation 38 14 Human and Nature - Half Brothers 43 21 Our Religion and Rituals - Bimo Practices 22 Traditional Bearers of Respecting Nature - Bimo 29 Our Children Need More Education 30 Guo Jing Zhao Shihong 36 44 Ang Ziming 48 50 The 100 photographs printed in this issue are selected from P22 Our Folkways Northwestern Yunnan Province of China has a rich cultural diversity, including the traditions of 14 ethnic minority groups. The local people there are still following customs rarely seen in other areas today. 2 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 2 5 2005.3.4, 4:09 PM P P6 Our Homeland The plentiful eco-system in the mountains in northwestern Yunnan Province of China has survived thanks to the protection from the belief of Sacred Land. This is a region of temperate climate with one of the richest biodiversities in the world. It is home for all kinds of fauna and flora comprising some 6, 000 species of plants, including 160 varieties of azalea and the majority of herbs for medical use found in China, some 450 species of birds and over 30 endangered animal species such as snow leopards, panda bears (Ailurus fulgens) and golden monkeys (Rhinopithecus roxellanae). However, the area is also faced with pressures from economic development. Education Dilemma in the Mountains Li Ying 55 Our Women - Mountain Guardians Women - Links to Nature 56 He Zhonghua 63 Our Handicrafts - Unique Treasures A Vanishing Handicraft 64 Yang Fuquan 71 Our Days - Village Life in the Mountains Authentic Voices 72 Ma Ruoyu 84 50,000 photos taken by the villagers. MAN AND THE BIOSPHERE Special Issue 2005 Authorized by: Chinese Academy of Sciences Sponsored by: The Chinese National Committee for MAB Published by: Editorial Division of Man and the Biosphere Honorary editor-in chief: Xu Zhihong,Li Wenhua Science advisor: Zhao Xianying,Wang Xianpu Editor-in-chief: Han Nianyong Deputy editor-in-chief: Guo Zhifen Editing director: Zheng Hong Editor: Chen Xiangjun This issue is supported by: The Nature Conservancy Special advisor of this issue: Rose Niu Special editor of this issue: Ann McBride Norton, Ma Ruoyu, He Zhonghua English translator: Meng Yong Proof reading: Amy Kohrman, Yuan Ruifu Art director: Hua Xiang Art editor: Yu Lidong, Zhang Qingjuan ISSN 1009-1661 CN 11 - 4408/Q Domestic distribution: Beijing Bureau for Distribution of Newspaper and Journals Subscription: All Local Post Offices in China Subscription code: 82 - 253 Overseas distribution:China International Book Trading Corporation Despite the poverty, the village life is filled with jollity, such as happiness from family amity and good harvests, love for the children and thrill of the birth of a new calf as well as important events like weddings and funerals. The tradition of mutual assistance alleviates the burden in daily life and festivities are celebrated as symbols of the seasonal changes. P50 Our Daily Life P. O. Box 399, Beijing 100044, China Overseas subscription code: 1383 BM Correspondence to:Man and the Biosphere Chinese National Committee for MAB 52 Sanlihe Road, 100864 Beijing, P. R. China Tel: 86 10 68597347 / 68597302 E-mail: mab@cashq.ac.cn Computer graphics: Beijing Champion-Do Advertising Co.,Ltd. Printed by: C&C Joint Printing CO, (Beijing) LTD. All rights reserved. This special issue of “Man and the Biosphere” Journal is published for The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan, with support from UNESCO Office, Jakarta and the Government of Japan. 3 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 3 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM ABOUT PHOTOVOICE ○ In the picture, the woman with blond hair is the author of this article, Ann McBride Norton, Project Director of Photovoice. She is chatting with the village photographers. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ resources. By using simple cameras, photographs and stories, villagers gain a visual voice at the table ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ whose cultures have thrived here for more than 2,000 years. Millions of years ago, plates under the earth’s crust shifted, folding like an accordion the land that is now northwest Yunnan Province, producing towering mountain ranges and two mile-deep canyons, twisting rivers, and creating one of the most biologically important places on earth. Here, four of the great rivers of Asia - the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Irawaddy - flow within just 55 miles of each other. The land is ablaze with color and life. Over 7, 000 species of plants and nearly half of all traditional Chinese medicines are native to the area. Ancient forests, unchanged for centuries, are home to hundreds of species of birds and animals, many of them now endangered. And this diversity of life extends beyond the forests and valleys. Three million people including more than a dozen ethnic minority groups - live here, adding a cultural and spiritual richness to the fabric of the land. As China races towards change in the 21st century, this place of tradition and beauty - 66,000 square kilometers in the heart of the most biodiverse temperate ecosystem on earth- faces enormous and immediate challenges, critical among them protecting this rare environment and its traditional cultures. The Yunnan Great Rivers Project, a joint effort by The Nature Conservancy, an American non-governmental organization (NGO), and the Chinese government, is confronting these challenges through a unique collaborative endeavor to protect northwest Yunnan’s natural and cultural ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ e huddled around a wood fire at twiWe huddled around a wood fire at twilight in the traditional courtyard, the vast expanse of the 6700-meter Meilixueshan towering overhead, its glacial surface still visible in the fading light. We had traveled by plane, bumped for a day over narrow, rough roads and trekked uphill for 6 hours to reach this tiny Tibetan hamlet in China’s northwest Yunnan Province. I came to talk with local villagers about a project called Photovoice, to gauge their interest in helping conservation efforts by taking photographs of their traditional culture, their daily lives and the stunning and ecologically rich world around them. The language difficulties seemed to frustrate my best efforts. As I finished and sat quietly, I wondered if the translation from English to Chinese to Tibetan at the end made any sense at all. Then villagers began to speak. One broad-shouldered man, talking with the authority of a village leader, said “Pictures could show people from the outside what life is like here in our valley during the long, hard winter”. A middleaged woman, her grandchild strapped snuggly on her back, spoke shyly and gestured without looking up: “We could take pictures of all the flowers that cover these meadows in spring”.Then a tiny old man, a battered felt hat pulled low on his forehead, slowly raised his hand. “I understand”,he said in a shaky voice. “We can’t read or write but these photographs can speak for us”. China’s northwest Yunnan Province is a land of stunning geography, sacred landscapes, and extraordinary cultural and biodiversity. Today in northwest Yunnan, the voices of man and nature, the past and future, are coming together in a way that holds profound implications for this rare and spectacular land and for the people ○ W ○ ○ ○ “ We can’t read or write but these photographs can speak for us.” ○ ○ By Ann McBride Norton One clear strategy - involving local people in the conservation process in northwest Yunnan - raises the additional complex question of how to engage these people effectively. Many live in remote mountain regions, speak only their ethnic language, some cannot read or write and few have had any opportunity to communicate their values and knowledge to the outside world. If efforts to protect the biological diversity in northwest Yunnan are to be successful, government officials, scientists and international organizations must learn from those who have been living on this land for generations and design strategies that incorporate indigenous knowledge, honor sacred geography and spiritual practices, and build partnerships with villagers of this special place. From the beginning of its work in northwest Yunnan, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) recognized the importance of involving local people, eliciting their ideas and learning from their knowledge developed over hundreds of years of living on the land. TNC’s Photovoice project is perhaps its most extensive, long-range effort to solicit villagers’ unfiltered opinions and expertise. Through Photovoice - part documentary, part art, and part storytelling - villagers have been given a unique way to chronicle their lives and their world and to influence conservation planning and actions. By using simple cameras, photographs and stories, villagers gain a visual voice at the table and a process to communicate 4 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 4 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ headdresses of the Yi minority people, lead a steady trickle of their fellow villagers into the dusty courtyard. They cluster around Jin Zhanxun, a thin, 48 year old farmer in a torn blue suit, who is looking over a set of newly-developed photographs. They are the first photos Jin has ever taken in his life - and the first photos some of the villagers have ever seen. Bashful smiles and titters come from the farmers as they recognize familiar fields, homes, friends, children or themselves - in the pictures. Xi Yuhua and He Hong, researchers for TNC who once a month make the slow trek up a crude dirt road to bring Jin his photos, invite the villagers to take seats on the low schoolhouse benches. They ask Jin to paste his photographs onto the blackboard and explain the stories behind them. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ completed its fieldwork at 4 of the 5 Yunnan Great Rivers action sites in northwest Yunnan: Lashi Lake in Lijiang Country, Meilixueshan in Deqin County, Birong Gorge in Shangri La County, and Laojunshan, a large conservation area that covers part of four counties. Photovoice villages were selected for their importance to biodiversity with consideration given to ensuring a balance of geographic features and ethnic groups. During the year - long project at each site, Photovoice involved 223 local photographers from 64 natural villages. Within each village a cross section of photographers was selected to ensure a balance of age, gender and economic status - adding a variety of perspectives to Photovoice results. One female participant in Photovoice - a mother and farmer commented: “Before my hands were only used for working. I was very nervous about taking pictures but now I feel very capable”. The oldest photographer, a 76 - year - old Naxi man, followed the facilitators through the village as they selected photographers saying, “Choose me. Choose me. I am not too old”! and in fact the old man proved to be quite skilled with a camera. A 40-year-old village leader participating in the projected described one the benefits of Photovoice: “Now I can express my ideas about traditional customs. Before, even if I had an idea, I couldn’t express it. Now that I have a camera, I can do it”. During a village exhibit of Photovoice pictures, one young man told those gathered for the event: “There are some things that we cannot say directly out loud. Photos can express those things that we cannot say. When there are things that we want to say that are not so good, the photos can say them and then our village can try to change them”. Word has gotten out in Upper Nanyao Village - a poor farming community high up in the mountains of Southwestern China - that an event is about to begin at the primary school. A handful of women, some carrying babies, almost all wearing the traditional green, red, and yellow pleated skirts and the high felt ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Photovoice is used by TNC and The Yunnan Great Rivers Project to enhance public involvement in its conservation programs, providing cameras and film as a way for villagers to document and introduce their rich but threatened environment and unique cultures. The villagers expand the meaning of their photographs through explanations and stories that provide the context to understand the significance of their images. For all but a few participants, this is their first experience with a camera. From its inception, Photovoice was developed and implemented with support and assistance from government officials at all levels. Prefecture Governor Qi Zhala opened the first Photovoice Training Session in Zhongdian and Xu Rong Kai, Governor of Yunnan Province, held an exhibition of Photovoice pictures at a meeting of his Yunnan Advisory Mission. A number of Township mayors provided important information to help select participating villages, offered logistic support and along with local leaders and party officials attended Photovoice village exhibits, spending time viewing the pictures and reading the accompanying stories and listening to the issues raised by the local photographers. The Photovoice project sites coincide with the conservation action sites in northwest Yunnan selected by TNC and the Yunnan Great Rivers project for their biodiversity values. Photovoice has ○ ○ “Before my hands were only used for working. I was very nervous about taking pictures but now I feel very capable.” ○ ○ indigenous knowledge and concerns from the grassroots to international organizations, government officials and others making plans for the future of northwest Yunnan. Photovoice provides a way for these stakeholders to understand in an intimate way this unique part of the world and the villagers who live here: their rich cultures and religions, the stunning natural diversity of their surroundings, the joy, hardships and rhythm of their daily lives. Perhaps most important, this understanding comes not from the lens of a photojournalist but through the eyes of the people themselves. By having their voices heard in the decision-making process, villagers can gain personal and community empowerment and a stake in conservation action. Local people are indispensable allies in conservation! The results of the Photovoice project are presented here in Man and Biosphere through the three interwoven story lines that emerged from the photographs of village photographers: ● The World Around Us (The Natural Environment) ● Who We Are (Culture and Spirituality) ● Our Village, Our Home (Scenes from Daily Life) Man and Biosphere is providing a public platform for villagers’visual images to express their own identity and present the real world in which they live. We believe that through these photographs and stories, you will be able see the wonders of northwest Yunnan from the vantage point of the child strapped in the traditional Yunnan way to the mother’s back, peering over her shoulder: an intimate, authentic, breathtaking view of the villagers’ world - as they interact with the natural world, celebrate their festivals, work and play, laugh and cry. Most important, we hope that the results of the Photovoice project depicted in Man and Biosphere will help to reinforce the growing importance of indigenous knowledge to sustainable environmental protection and increase the recognition that local people are indispensable allies in conservation! (The author is the Director of the Yunnan Great Rivers Photovoice project.) 5 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 5 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM Homeland Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 6 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM Our Sacred Mountains and Water Ananzhu ( Male 36 years old Yubeng Village ) : “ This lake has been here from a long time ago. It was smaller before but has grown bigger, perhaps having doubled in size now. We call this place “ Base Camp”. In Tibetan, it is called “Xi Wa Zhong” or “Xi Wa Nu”. The old people in the village say this is the meeting place of the Gods of War of the Kawagebo Mountain. In the past, there were many large glaciers but now they have shrunk. We don’t know why. Yet, the lake has expanded. There is a long slope above the icy lake, which looks like an army general. ” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 7 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Liang Yaojun ( Male 44 years old Xihu Village ) : “This is what we call seaweed flower, which only grows in clean, unpolluted water. (This picture is used as the logo of the “Seaweed Flower Association”) The seaweed flower used to grow in a large area in the Lashi Lake. However, as the population increases, people began taking it out to feed the pigs and, as a result, it has gone gradually from the lake . Later, we have established the “Seaweed Flower Assocation” and bought seaweed flower seeds from Heqing to replenish the Lake. However, to us, it is expensive to buy seeds from Heqing. I took this photo because I think the seaweed flower is very important to the Lashi Lake.” 8 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 8 2005.3.4, 4:10 PM Liang Yaojun ( Male 44 years old Xihu Village ) : “The sun was about to set, painting the mountains surrounding Lashi Lake golden. Some fellow fishermen and I were starting to go home. Seeing the beautiful scene, I took out the camera and got a good shot. Each year, during the period when fishing is allowed, I often spend a lot of time on the lake everyday. We get up early in the morning to haul in our fishnets, and then we recast the nets into the lake at about six o’clock in the evening. We normally stay overnight at the site where we’ve cast our nets. We depend on Lashi Lake for additional income. On the lake, we can catch fish or pick seaweed flowers, and now some people are going to start up a tourism operation. However, we can’t just keep on taking from the lake without considering preserving it, or we will end up with nothing left.” Li Wuquan ( Male 38 years old Zeyang Village ) “The place is called ‘Zhayanggong’. ‘Zhayang’ means : road on the cliff and’Gong’means pasture. There is a beautiful waterfall here called Qiudageding and a sacred mountain above it named Nakezhana. It is said that there used to be a large number of snow goats on the sacred mountain. However, due to the frequent hunting, their number has rapidly decreased. We can only see one or two of them now once in a while. People should not yell or take off their clothes here, otherwise heavy rain will fall.” 9 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 9 2005.3.4, 4:11 PM Our Homeland Lu Wenxin ( Male 59 years old Ludian , Lijiang ) Yang Xiaoli ( Female 19 years old Ludian, Lijiang ) : “This is a picture of my village, Diantou Sishe, Ludian. There are 46 families in the village comprising 206 people, almost all Naxis. The few Pumi families like us came from another village before. I took the beautiful scene of snow when I was carrying some vegetables from home to sell on the market at 8 o’clock in the morning. The next day, when I saw the snow scene in other villages also pretty, I took it too.” Lan Chongzhi (Male 57 years old Xidang Village) : “This is the borderline between Xidang Village and Yubeng Village. The snow mountain and glaciers appear mysterious.” 10 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 10 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM “Our cabin (a temporary abode built far from home at the edge of the farmland) is located by the side of the beautiful Gangqu River. The weather is normally good here and the scenery beautiful. It is more beautiful now as it is snowing, which makes everything white. I am carrying things to the cabin while enjoying the beautiful scenery.” Sha Yufang (Female 33 years old Upper Nanyao Village) : “Azalea grows densely on the hills near my home. It comes into bloom in May and June and makes a beautiful sight.” 11 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 11 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM 12 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 12 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ By Zhang Zhongyun ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Bob, a geographer from The Nature Conservancy (TNC), once said, as a scientist, a mountain, fountain, stone, cave, river or tree was only itself in his eyes, something that is composed of ○ ○ different elements with no more meanings. Things are different to the Tibetan pilgrims. In their eyes, everything has a life of secrets and culture. Bob described such a concept of geography as ○ ○ a “Secret Geography”. This phrase articulates the different world views owing to different belief ○ ○ Feng Shui: ○ ○ The central idea of Feng Shui ○ (literally, wind and water) is the ○ ○ the“outer world”, which contains important reason why Tibetans believe in the existence of lives and souls in water, mountains and trees is due to the Buddhist view of the world. According to ○ ○ the Tibetan sect of Buddhism, the universe consists of the elements of earth, water, fire, air, vacuum and cognition, ○ into modern terminology, it concerns ○ wilderness. To translate this concept systems and cultural backgrounds. An ○ world”, in which humans inhabit, and ○ ○ relationship between the “inner ○ the interaction between the human ○ ○ environment. Though the concept ○ known to the world as the “Chinese”-- ○ ○ similar beliefs can also be found in ○ cultures of many ethnic minority ○ groups, such as the Hani, Wa and Dai peoples. For example, when choosing a ○ village site, Feng Shui emphasizes ○ specific environmental requirements. spiritual factors, the universe and everything in it being one single entity and everything in the world having a soul. Furthermore, Buddhism believes that life goes in cycles and therefore every living soul needs to think and act with the “future world” and “reincarnation” in mind. Everyone needs to prepare for a good reincarnation with his words and deeds during his lifetime. One important way of preparation is to make ○ ○ The Yi people preserve woodlands ○ adjacent to the village for ancestor ○ ○ worshipping and the Naxi regard the place connected to the fate of the combination of both material and ○ ○ - the ethnic majority group in China ○ obtained its name from the Han people “White Water Terrace” as the holy whereby the origins of the world are a ○ community and the natural ○ ○ and Nature. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ equality and reciprocity between Man ○ ○ China, overwhelmingly emphasize ○ ○ thinking and behavioral norms handed Souls of Mountains and Waters ○ beliefs of the ethnic minority groups in ○ cultural traditions, which includes the ○ sacred sites” are grounded in local ○ Generally speaking, these“natural ○ ○ ○ traditions. ○ closely tied to a community’s culture and Nature. ○ Confucianism and other traditional ○ ○ southern and eastern Asia, and Taoism, ○ ○ ○ Management of these resources is ○ ○ ○ Hinduism, which are prevalent in ○ ● ○ of responsibility for its natural resources. ○ basis of a community’s traditional sense basic understanding and interaction with ○ a“linear”world. Buddhism and ○ ○ and Nature, and regards man as part of ○ upon the natural environment on the ○ ○ integration and interaction of humans ○ of the East and the Americas, posits the ○ Symbolic significance is bestowed ○ ● ○ following two characteristics: ○ ○ the ecological system and includes the ○ often local and in close connection with cultures should be integrated into our ○ ○ ○ civilization”, based upon the cultures ○ a“cultural environment”. Such a culture is ○ as “sacred” could be better depicted as ○ sacred sites”. Nevertheless, a site defined generations-old traditions of many ethnic ○ Nature. On the other hand, “linear ○ Our Homeland description of nature reserves as”natural ○ worship towards Nature gave birth to the about environmental protection. The ○ basic drive of progress, separate from ○ the eternal champion of humankind. Such ○ Nature”, which is so named to represent ○ for protection - as in the phrase “Mother foreign, top-to-bottom way of thinking ○ world, which deems humankind as the ○ the potential for exploitation and a reason in use by the industrialized western ○ culture is affixed to Nature, there arises civilization”,based on Greek culture, is ○ “meaningless”to “meaningful”. When ○ acts of transforming Nature from ○ rituals at the God of the Mountain are all major systems. The “fragmental ○ ○ natural resources and holding worship ○ wilderness, making plans to exploit ○ drawing boundaries between villages and ○ ○ names to trees, rocks, birds and beasts, ○ humans and the environment. Giving civilizations can be divided into two ○ ○ primary pattern of interaction between ○ culture and it is believed to be the ○ exist. Man’s touch bestows Nature with University, believes the world’s ○ ○ there are humans, pure Nature does not ○ In anthropological terms, wherever ○ ○ cultures. ○ campaigns can co-exist with traditional ○ sign that environmental protection professor of anthropology at Harvard ○ ○ environment as “natural sacred sites”, a ○ traditional places of worship in the ○ Today, the public is beginning to describe ○ ○ that informs their cultural heritage. Mr. Zhang Guangzhi, former ○ nity and Nature is a product of history Rediscovering these folk cultures will enable people to break free from the circumambulation pilgrimages. Pilgrims are expected to go to worship shrines ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ relationship between their commu- hamlet. ○ ○ Linear World View: ○ P eople’s understanding of the ○ ○ The most representative concepts are: ○ ○ down from generation to generation. ○ By Guo Jing ○ Gateway Between Nature and Culture ○ perspective Sacred Lands - Nature Reserves Respected by the People such as monasteries, holy lakes and mountains. All the pilgrimage destina- 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM ○ ○ sible and the epitome of human greed. As such, local value systems have produced customs that regulate human ○ ○ logging is forbidden, and below as “local property”, where appropriate use is ○ ○ the line as “national property”,where ○ ○ behavior. The belief in the existence of “sacred mountains” is of great importance to natural environmental protection. The designation of “holy mountains” is unquestionably significant to the ○ permitted. Because of the conformity of ○ the government rules with the local ○ ○ ○ earth”were always considered irrespon- customs, the state forests have survived. ecological system as well as valuable religiously. Dedication to the environment can only derive from people who ○ ○ The success in protecting the environment around these sacred shrines is have and will live in a place from generation to generation for thousands ○ entirely due to the local religious of years. Outsiders will have to subju- reserves” where professional management ○ ○ ○ consciousness, as opposed to “nature gate to local customs, consciously or unconsciously, in the face of the ○ is required. Since the keepers of nature predominant culture. Although the government has ○ interests frequently occur between the promulgated legislation -- including the ○ ○ authorities and local communities. One “Law of Environment Protection”, ”Forestry Law” and “Wildlife Protection ○ is that it is dedicated merely to Law” - the punitive focus is more ○ “Nature”without regard for cultural reactive than preventative. What is ○ diversity, folk customs or the needs of more, the notion of legal penalties is ○ ○ local communities. Most of the nature reserves ignore the necessity to integrate limited and inadequate. The state of law observation is an embarrassment in ○ flora and fauna protection with the some communities, sometimes even ○ ○ ○ ○ right to development. These shortcomings have made it hard for nature reserve ○ ○ traditional culture and local communities’ achieving contrary results. Nevertheless, where legislative measures are integrated with traditional values and ○ authorities to promote interdependence incorporated into the local ○ with the local communities. consciousness, they acquire strong and of the Ethnic Minority Institute of the ○ ○ (The author is Assistant Research Fellow effective support and strength. The”Law on Regional Ethnic Au- ○ Academy of Social Sciences of Yunnan tonomy” confers certain legislative ○ Province.) power to the local authorities. Therefore, ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Legislation for “Sacred Land” Protection this author believes that authorities in the ethnic minority regions should and could make legislation to protect these ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ natural environment of the region could ○ ○ be interpreted as harsh for human though not so densely populated. Due to ○ ○ survival where arable land is scarce, ○ ○ ○ they treasure natural resources ○ ○ immensely, which are indispensable to formulate laws to protect the “holy mountains”, as any violation of the mountains is not only a religious breach, but also damaging to the natural environment on which the local communities rely for survival. The action of preserving their own environment deserves legal support and protection. The protection of local customs and our common homeland will hopefully promote the harmony between Man and Nature for a better future. ○ their subsistence. There, the Maoist Autonomous Prefecture ought to ○ ○ ○ them at any time at its whim. Moreover, ○ ○ ○ Nature, which is capable of destroying ○ ○ slogans of “Man will triumph over Nature” and“Man’s survival depends on ○ ○ ○ ancient times lived in awe and respect of ○ administrative system and inflicted ○ however, undermined the traditional ○ ○ cial logging in the early 1980s, ○ turmoil during the 1950s and commer- ○ relatively well-preserved. Political ○ ○ holy mountains and waters are limited resources, the locals have from ○ management, the environment of the ○ ○ Thanks to these religious beliefs and authorities of the Diqing Tibetan ○ for protecting the ecological system. The beneficial local customs. For instance, ○ ○ ○ China are a positive and effective method ○ and not sold. The traditional cultures of southwestern ○ can only be used by the house owner ○ ○ animals, and timber for construction ○ carried by humans but not farm ○ rules, such as firewood can only be ○ ○ the mountains. There are more specific ○ allowed to cut firewood or bamboo in ○ period during which the villagers are By Wang Daren ○ Cang” time, which stipulates the ○ ○ monasteries and chiefs also declare “Di ○ ○ Besides the “Ri Gua” line, some ○ have come to harm from human deeds. ○ ○ of lives and to deliver the souls that ○ ○ the resources, to apologize for the loss ○ ○ ○ ○ the holy shrine for providing them with ○ holds large rituals every year to thank ○ ○ population in the surrounding areas ○ ○ observed and respected. The local ○ ○ chanting which enshrines the line to be ○ chief or high monk who performs sutra ○ religious ceremony administered by the ○ ○ A “Ri Gua”line is proclaimed at a ○ ○ ○ responsible fashion. ○ ○ resources below can be utilized in a ○ ○ the line cannot be cut while natural ○ ○ mountains. It decrees that trees above ○ ○ designation of the“Ri Gua” line on the ○ ○ drawback of the”modern” nature reserve ○ ○ tribal chiefs. One of the measures is the ○ authorities such as the monks and ○ ○ attributed to the management by local ○ ○ reserves often are not locals, conflicts of ○ ○ The favorable conditions can also be ○ has been spared massive cutting. ○ ○ ○ preserved and the forest, in particular, ○ surrounding environment are well- ○ ○ beliefs, the sacred shrines and the ○ ○ ○ ○ and rocks. Thanks to these religious ○ resting places for souls in lakes, trees ○ ○ masters of religion, there are also ○ shipped places nominated by the grand ○ water, trees, rocks, and other wor- fighting against the heaven and ○ ○ tions in 1983, earmarking forests above ○ ○ Gua” line by introducing forestry regula- ○ ○ In addition to the “holy shrines”embodied by the mountains, ○ ○ respect for the traditional Tibetan “Ri ○ “holy shrines”. The government showed ○ ○ ○ policy has revived the Tibetan worship of ○ ○ immortal. ○ tomorrow’s, between the mortal and ○ a bridge connecting today’s life with ○ ○ restoration of the “freedom of religion” ○ channel linking this world to that one, ○ the afterworld for reincarnation, a ○ worship are regarded as the gateway to ○ ○ heavy damage on the forests. Luckily, the ○ (dated 800 A. D.). The places of ○ tions are listed in the Holy Scripture (The author is the Director of the Liu Hule law firm of Yunnan.) 13 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 13 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM Homeland Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 14 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM Our Forests are Confronting the Increasing Pressure ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 15 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM Nong Bu (Male 36 years old Shuizhuang Village) : “I went to visit some relatives at Liudongjiang Village, Foshan Township, where I saw them installing biogas facilities. I was envious. I wondered when my village would also have biogas. It is a good way for saving firewood and protecting the environment. I like it very much.” 16 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 16 2005.3.4, 4:12 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Our Homeland He Xuejun (Male Lisu 28 years old Anle Village) Zen Yiwen (Male Lisu 48 years old Anle Village) : “This bamboo forest is 10 kilometers away from our village. The villagers have to come here to cut bamboo poles for planting the white beans and a large quantity is needed. Although bamboo grows very fast, if we continue to cut like this, the natural growth of the bamboo can not keep up with the rise of the demand.” Bai Yufang (Female Tibetan 26 years old Zeyang Village) Bai Zhongren (Male Tibetan 55 years old Zeyang Village) : “These young men from my village are herding livestock on the mountain pasture. They are looking for ‘Gangpi’ in their leisure. ‘Gangpi’ is a herb that can remove toxic heat and is called alpine rhubarb in Egnlish. We either eat it raw or take it home to make soup. Alpine rhubarb usually ripens in August and September. It looks like cabbage, with overlapping leaves, one layer on top of another. The number of ‘Gangpi’ is few. It tastes a little bit sour but delicious when eaten raw. Look, these guys are enjoy it.” 17 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 17 2005.3.4, 4:13 PM Our Homeland Bai Yufang (Female Tibetan 26 years old Zeyang Village) : “This winter a family in my village is building a new house. The construction is still unfinished, but it already looks nice. There are new houses built every year in my village. It consumes a lot of manpower, resources as well as timber. To build a house, we have to apply for a permit of 50-cubic-meter lumber-use from the government and pay thousands of yuan. I think to use modern building materials to buildTibetan-style houses will be the solution in the future.” Yang Pi (Male 18 years old Niuba Village Deqin) : “The time between October to December each year is for firewood cutting in my village. All men will go into the mountains to cut the big trees, which are chopped into smaller pieces to be carried home by the rest of the family, women, children and elders. The logs are piled up in front and behind the house for a whole year’s use.” 18 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 18 2005.3.4, 4:14 PM Lin Qian (Male 64 years old Nagela Village) : “This is little Gema, a master mushroom-picker in my village. Though he is young, he is very skillful in gathering matsutake mushrooms. Sometimes even adults can hardly keep up with him. He is trying hard to get a big mushroom out. Special care is needed to get the matsutake mushroom out, as you can not pull it out by hand. The mushroom has strong roots and it’s easy to damage it if you tried to get it out just by pulling. You need first remove the earth around it with a stick and then pry it out carefully.” Zhao Jihua (Female 45 years old Laojunshan Township) : “For some time now, there are many dealers buying mushrooms on the Shanglan street. This is the second time they have come this year. The price for dried boletus edulis (niuganjun) has increased to RMB3.5 per kilogram and matsutake RMB35 to 40 per kilogram now.” 19 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 19 2005.3.4, 4:14 PM Mama ( Female 49 years old Yubeng Village ) : “These schoolgirls have to go into the mountains to collect firewood in the cold weather during their winter vacation as pine branches can be easily found now. They are sometimes told to go by their parents and sometimes do it on their own accord while going into the mountains to play. I collected a lot of firewood when I was a child but didn’t have to go so far, as firewood could be found near the village. But now, these little girls have to go much farther. They usually leave at about 8 and come home around 11 in the morning. That’s how far they have to go now.” Xiong Lixian ( Female Pumi 24 years old Sanchahe Village) : “Li Wenguan of Shitou Village is chopping up firewood. The pile is enough for his family to use for a whole year.” 20 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 20 2005.3.4, 4:15 PM By Yang Fuquan F ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ or tens of thousands of years, wood has been one of A Robur, with a 20-centimeter diameter, requires 10 the most indispensable sources of energy for human years to grow. Despite being a fast-growing tree, the survival. The sun, moon, and stars in the sky have given Roburs will be wiped out before long by the massive people light but fire on earth gave birth to civilization. charcoal production, much to the dismay of the local When mankind learned how to harness fire and introvillagers. duced it into their homes, an interdependent relationship Planting trees for firewood consumption and began. charcoal making in Yunnan Province, especially in The northwestern part of Yunnan Province, throughout areas of high altitude, must be made a high priority. the upper reaches of the Yangtze Biogas and electricity are River, used to be covered with virgin inadequate to serve basic In the past, the villagers’firewood consumption forests. In the 1950s, however, heating and fodder-making was inconsequential to the vast forests. With massive industrial logging compurposes because they don’t the substantial disappearance of the virgin menced in the name of economic generate enough heat. forests and the rapidly dwindling supply of progress. Unfortunately, it proMoreover, it is believed that wood reserves, firewood burning has become a grave problem for the eco-system. gressed at such an alarming rate that local customs and traditional dense forests disappeared practically resource management methods overnight. Logs were taken away day should be more fully utilized. and night by hundreds of trucks or sent floating downMany ethnic groups in the region, for example, rotate stream in the rivers. On the Jinsha River, for example, one the areas from which they choose to gather firewood. could see floating lumber covering up the water surface The Naxi people call this practice “Ju Ran” or “Ju Hao like noodles. Making matters worse, this deforestation Ken”. Wood cutting is conducted in an orderly manner was not accompanied by replanting. every one to three years on a spot, tapping different As a result, the verdant mountains turned brown and locations to maintain a balance between tree felling and land erosion became an increasingly serious problem, forest rehabilitation. which eventually contributed to the catastrophic floods on Today’s energy crisis also can be attributed to the the Yangtze River in 1998, as well as exacerbated the traditional way of life in this region. Despite the frequency of landslides. availability of the stoves, the ethnic groups living in the In the past, the villagers’ firewood consumption was mountains prefer the use of open fires in their homes, inconsequential to the vast forests. Moreover, local which are kept alight day and night, consuming a communities observed strict rules of forest management, considerable quantity of firewood. In remote areas which ensured the sustainable preservation of the where there is no electricity, the fire also serves as a resource. However, with the substantial depletion of the light source. As a result, the depletion of the forest is virgin forests and the rapidly dwindling supply of wood forcing the fire keeper to take longer and more arduous reserves, firewood burning has become a grave threat to trips into the mountains to fetch wood. the local ecosystem. The Yi villagers in Yulong County have long believed Recognized as one of the 10 most biodiversity-rich a fire should be the center of family life. It is used for regions in the world, northwestern Yunnan Province is cooking, receiving guests, entertainment, and family losing at least 129,200 hectares of forests a year to firewood discussion, as well as for religious worship and sorcery. consumption. At this rate, if no alternative source of The home fire is a display of fortune and continuity of energy is introduced immediately, the natural forests will the family. Firewood is the only fuel used to cook with disappear in 50 years, together with its unique diverse and to provide heat and hot water. To them, “life ecological functionality. depends on firewood” and “even the poor should not Diminishing energy sources is an increasing problem for be short of firewood”(Yi proverbs). Not only is the fire local communities. For example, little more than a decade kept burning year-round as long as someone is at ago, a bundle of firewood required 1 to 3 hours of cutting home, but the flame is kept strong. and transporting; several trips could be made in one day. The centering of life around fire is, therefore, one of Today, wood gatherers can barely bring one bundle home the major factors of energy over-consumption. To save in a whole day. the forest, a change of lifestyle is necessary. A comproIn Yunnan Province, one source of the drain on natural mise must be reached among the ethnic groups who resources is poverty. For instance, in a village in Yulong build the fires around which family life and religious County (Lijiang Municipality) on the southern side of and traditional rituals take place. It is hoped that the Yulong Mountain, at an altitude of 3,180 meters, the planting of fast-growing tree varieties will allow the people used to live in harmony with the surrounding fire burning tradition to coexist with the efforts of dense forests. These forests, however, are all but gone due energy conservation and environmental protection. to over-consumption. The village’s most important source (The author is the Vice President of Academy of Social of income derives from charcoal burning of the Robur tree. Sciences of Yunnan Province.) 21 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 21 2005.3.4, 4:15 PM perspective Wood Worries - Sorrows in the Fire Folkways Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 22 2005.3.4, 4:15 PM Our Festivals and Customs Li Shuhua (Male 34 years old Henan Village) : “This group of pictures is to show the process of how the beams are erected and mounted. Offerings are prepared and presented (steamed buns, a pig head, cigarettes, wine, tea, sweets, millet, colored flags and clothing for the carpenter). First, the male elders in the village are invited to bless the beams. Then, the carpenter will drip the middle beam with the blood from the comb of a cock, which is dropped in the middle and both ends of the beam. Then he will climb up to the roof top to pull it up and set off fireworks while yelling. After the beam is mounted, liquor, coins and grains will be applied on it and steamed buns will be thrown. Altogether seven buns are thrown out to different directions, east, west, south, north and the middle, which are picked up by the children below. After the beam is mounted, the elders will start a feast. When building a house, we have the custom of cutting off one little piece of wood (normally in the shape of a cross) from one end of the central beam on the day when the construction begins. It is then buried at a pre-chosen spot and not to be touched. From then, incense is burnt in front of the piece of wood every day until the night before the framework is erected. On the day of erecting the framework, the little piece is burnt.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 23 2005.3.4, 4:15 PM Our Folkways Wang Jianzhong ( Male 55 years old Qibie Village ) : We celebrate the New Year by holding archery contest and burning incense. After burning the incense, the elders will use an incense burner, a vase and a colored flag to welcome the God of Victory and New Year blessings to the home of the host of archery contest. The colored flag is made of colored threads tied onto an arrow. On the way to welcome the God of Victory and New Year blessings, the elders will sing songs as they march. The incense burner, vase and colored flag are village properties, which stay at the home of the host only for one night and then be returned to the care of the community. 24 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 24 2005.3.4, 4:16 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Mama ( Female 49 years old Yubeng Village ) : “This picture was taken at the gate of a small temple in Lower Yubeng Village. The temple is called Xieluben, named after a cone-shaped stone, “Xieluben” (Scripture of the East), near the temple where, it is said, the god of Mt. Kawagebo keeps his treasures. According to the legend, the key to all sacred sites in the Kawagebo area is found here. If a new sacred site is to be designated, people must come here for the key. The little temple was built for worshipping the sacred stone and is used also for other religious purposes in the village. It is a popular place for the old people in the village to do their praying rounds and socialize. The elders come to pray and meet here every day.” Cili Kangzhu ( Female 40 years old Mingyong Village ) : “The Guozhuang Bonfire Dance is usually performed at important Tibetan events, like weddings, festivities, and celebrations without restriction on age or gender. Since it’s a slow-tempodance and the lyrics are profound and serious, the young people prefer the Xuanzi Dance with lyrics more forthright and tempo more vigorous. So participants in the Guozhuang Bonfire Dance are generally older and more learned community members. In the old days, people taking part in the Guozhuang Bonfire Dance would need to dress up for its solemnity but today it has become more casual.” He Kexi (Female 22 years old Lower Wenhai Village) : “I took this picture in Longpan where I was attending a burial. The diseased is an uncle of mine who was 60 years old. In Longpan, when a person of a Naxi family dies, a Dongbaist burial service is performed. According to my father, however, the service is far simpler now than in the past. Only a handful of the Dongbaist priests are still alive today. Most of their Scripture books were confiscated during the Cultural Revolution, and now they can only chant the sutra by depending upon their memories. I didn’t understand what they were chanting. In the evening after the burial, many people took part in the ‘Renmeicuo’ Dance, which is performed only on funerals. The paper banners are made by the Dongbaist priests who draw images of tiger, white crane and red deer on them. I don’t know what these images represent. That day, I took lots of pictures and this is one of them.” 25 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 25 2005.3.4, 4:16 PM Our Folkways Cili Duji ( Male 75 years old Yangza Village ) : “The people wearing red hats are chosen for their knowledge of the rules and prestige for the bride escorting team. The bride send-off and welcoming teams are conducting an antiphonal singing dialogue.” Cizhu Zhuoma ( Female 36 years old Zeyang Village ) : “My father is reading the Tibetan sutra in the morning and preparing to pray. He is well versed in the Tibetan scripts, and the villagers respect him a lot. He learnt the Tibetan written language in a Geza village when he was young. In addition to being able to read, he also practices medicine and fortune-telling. The villagers invite him to preside over ceremonies of festivities or celebrations.” Yang Simei (Female Shanlan) : “On the wedding day of my husband’s nephew, we followed the young men of the bride welcoming team to the bride’s home. After the bride finished her dressing up, she was carried by her brother-in-law on his back to the gate, where relatives of the groom were waiting. The family of the bride then demanded betrothal money from the groom’s family, which came to fetch the bride, and treated them to drinks. The bride was crying sadly under the bridal veil, as required by the custom.” 26 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 26 2005.3.4, 4:17 PM Yang Simei ( Female 50 years old Laojunshan Township ) : “On the wedding day of my granddaughter, her mother and aunt are helping her to dress up. The people who are invited to dress up the bride should be healthy and from a good and happy family as a token of wishing the newly weds a safe and healthy future. When the bride is carried to the entrance of the groom’s village, the elders who come to send off the bride will wait there with the bride. The groom’s family will send a woman with food and candies to treat the bride send-off team. After a simple lunch, the bride is carried to the groom’s home. Then the whole village will drink, sing, dance and celebrate till midnight. Sometimes the celebration lasts until daybreak.” Li Wuquan ( Male 38 years old Zeyang Village ) : “A young couple in our village are getting married this month. The wedding is lovely and jolly. According to our custom, someone needs to tell stories on the occasion. Asheng, the respected and prestigious elder, is invited to host all important events in the village. He tells stories of how the heaven, earth and human beings came into form. Then he recounts the history of the groom’s family, emphasizing on the good reputation. He blesses the new couple, hoping they will be together through to the end, and offers them advices. At the end, he presents a Hada to the new couple and wishes them a happy marriage.” 27 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 27 2005.3.4, 4:18 PM Anan ( Male 52 years old Yubeng Village ) : “This is a traditional ceremony to worship the ‘God of Mountain’.Usually this ceremony takes place on the 10th day of the first month of the lunar year and is carried out at a specially chosen location facing the Kawagebo Mountain where there is a big pine tree. The ceremony is mostly attended by men from the Upper and Lower Yubeng Villages and sometimes little girls also take part. It is the Tibetan custom that only men participate in ceremonies praying and offering incense to the God of Mountain. Men dress themselves up and take food (Tsampa meal, meat, tea, and liquor) with them. The food is not specifically prepared for the ceremony but as we will spend all day there, we have to eat in the mountain. Facing the holy mountain of Kawagebo, we pray and burn incense to pay our respect. We also pray for good weather and plentiful rainfall in the coming year so that we will have a good harvest. It is said that there was a heavenly book, which told us where to burn incense and pray to the God of Mountain. We learned this from our elders and teach it to our children. No one has seen the heavenly book but everyone believes its existence. This tradition has remained unchanged for many, many years. We do not make any specific preparations in the village before the ceremony and only go into the mountain to meet there. The most important aspect of the ceremony is the incense burning which we use to pray for good luck. Because this is the year of Horse, all people born in years of Horse are here. We dance on the ceremony as we do at the Spring Festival. In the picture, it looks like they are playing music but the Lamas are actually chanting the sutra.” Wang Tingguang (Male 54 years old Wanglibie, Liming) : “Ding Shunchang of Wanglibie Village, Liming Township, is over 70 years old now but still continues playing his gourd-bamboo pipe (a traditional musical instrument). He is fond of the instrument since childhood. Whenever there’s an event such as wedding or funeral, he is invited to play and sometimes take the lead in the Gourd-Bamboo Pipe Dance. He is dubbed the ‘King of the GourdBamboo Pipe’ by villagers near and far. Many people in the village play the instrument and so it is known as the ‘Village of GourdBamboo Pipe’.” 28 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 28 2005.3.4, 4:19 PM (The author is an Advisor to The Nature Conservancy’s Photovoice project.) ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Festival, the Yis participate in buffalo fighting, a wrestling competition and a chicken sacrifice to the Earth Demon; the Bais hold horse races and women dye their fingernails red; the Naxis conduct buffalo fighting and ancestor worshiping, all in accordance with their respective folk customs. Despite the disparities in specific rituals, the Torch Festival is commonly celebrated in the hope of a good harvest and the prosperity of their crops and animals in the coming year. In the old days, locals would walk around the fields with torches and apply resin to the flame producing sparks to drive away the evil spirits. In hindsight, all the customs were born from their ancestry’s worship of Nature, in close relation with the environment. The ethnic groups, especially those in the high mountains, deep forest or vast grasslands, where the temperature is normally low, are in close contact with the mountains, trees, fire and water in their daily lives, which shapes the environment they depend upon. An interdependent relationship, based on awe and reverence to Nature, has developed and been carried on since ancient times, constantly enriched and enhanced, having branched out into a myriad of customs we witness today, through the worshiping of gods of the mountains, waters, trees, hunting, sun, moon and rains. There are also taboos, of course. Superstitious or not, they serve to prevent destructive behavior, to the benefit of the environment. For instance, villagers are forbidden to cut any trees in water sources or those deemed holy, like guardian graves or forests deemed too old or too young. In addition, their water supply should never be polluted and frogs not eaten. On the Summer Day, ashes are spread on the floor to prevent snakes from coming into the house. On the Dragon Boat Day, people take a special herbal drink for health. During the Torch Festival, resin is burned to drive away insects. We are fortunate that virtually all traditional customs and festivities can co-exist with environmental protection. ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Lamas are invited to funerals to perform sutra chanting and to births to give a name to the new baby. Religion fills their daily activities with making pilgrimage, daily praying and home altar worshipping. The Naxis believe in Dongbaism which is more evident in the periphery than in central Naxi populated areas where access to people from all over is more common. The Bai people observe the Handi sect of Buddhism, which is a combination of worshipping Buddha, ethnic heroes and historical figures (including those of the Han people). Religion influences all important rituals and festivities. The Pumis’ primary religion is the polytheistic Hanguiism, which is partially influenced by Tibetan culture. Their customs integrate both cultures. In addition, as the Pumi population is widely dispersed, they have adopted customs from other neighboring ethnic groups. The Yis follow Bimoism and Bimo priests still play an important role in the communities. The Bimoist practitioners are responsible for witnessing all important occasions such as childbirth, sickness and death, as well as overseeing festivities with primeval rituals. The Lisu belief is a combination of paganism and Christianity, celebrating both ethnic and foreign gods. Despite differences in the customs, the ethnic groups celebrate common holidays such as the Spring Festival (Lunar New Year), Dragon Boat Festival and Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival), at the same time as the rest of the country, though their activities may differ. For instance, during Spring Festival, in village where Photovoice is conducted, one can witness rituals such as the Bai people’s swing-ride and pine worship, the Naxis’ heaven worship, arrow shooting competition, and flower presentation to the elders, the Lisus’ archery contest, the Tibetans’ horse race and the Pumis’ holy tree worship. The Yi, Bai and Naxi people universally celebrate the Torch Festival. Nonetheless, apart from the common feature of dancing around a bonfire with a torch in hand, the timing, mythology and related activities vary. At the Torch 29 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 29 2005.3.4, 4:19 PM Our Folkways olk customs are an important part of a region’s culture and usually touch every aspect of urban and rural life, both spiritual and material. The pictures taken by Photovoice village photographers and the corresponding stories, to a great extent, reflect the traditions and customs of rural life and offer a unique, first-hand glimpse for ethnographers, folklorists and historians, and public policy makers alike. The Photovoice project includes Tibetan, Yi, Naxi, Pumi, Bai, and Lisu minority groups, as well as the Han people. Customs of these ethnic groups have both similarities and dissimilarities. Weddings, for example, are usually the most lively, passionate and ritualistic of all customs. There are the Yi people’s bride-carrying (on the back of an elder brother) and the pouring of water on the bridegroom. The Tibetans have an enormous bride seeing-off and welcoming procession and storytelling, both serious and humorous. The Bai bride is shielded from evil spirits with an umbrella and sunglasses. The Pumis have a longtable bride acceptance banquet. The Naxis have a Dongbaist ceremony. Each minority’s version of the wedding displays their unique ethnic distinctiveness. Yet the ethnic groups share many similar wedding day rituals, such as singing competitions between the male and female guests, and of course dancing and feasting. Over time, the wedding customs also have seen changes and additions. Nowadays you might find a groom carrying the bride into the house on his back or the bride and groom drinking from a nuptial cup. For the ethnic groups, religion possesses a strong influence over their customs. The Tibetans are Buddhists (Lamaism) and religion is present in every aspect of a Tibetan’s life, from cradle to the grave, affecting births, weddings, funerals, housing, clothing and festivities. At a wedding, for instance, a white conch trumpet is blown to call in the voice of Buddha. ○ F ○ By He Zhonghua perspective Diverse Ethnic Minority Customs Folkways Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 30 2005.3.4, 4:19 PM Our Respect for Nature Circumambulation Mama ( Female 49 years old Yubeng Village) : “We are trekking on the mountain path, braving the hardship and weariness, seeking only liberty for the soul.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 31 2005.3.4, 4:20 PM Our Folkways Gatai Lamu ( Female 26 years old Yubeng Village ) : “This is a picture of pilgrims - a group of teachers from Xidang Primary School — at the Sacred Waterfall. The waterfall is believed to have been blessed by the Buddhas. A homage trip to it will not only make a mute speak or a stammerer talk fluently, but also relieve the pilgrims’ sins, who will have peace. The waterfall is capable of foretelling a pilgrim’s fortune. According to the local people, if an unfortunate person goes to the waterfall to pay homage, it stops flowing or turns into a small trickle running down the cliff. Otherwise, the pilgrim will get drenched from head to toe. So, when a pilgrim arrives in front of the waterfall, he should pray, kowtow and burn incense for the blessings of the gods and a good soak by the sacred water.” 32 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 32 2005.3.4, 4:20 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Ananzhu ( Male 36 years old Yubeng Village ) : “The place is called “Alushengya”, which means the Mountain of Southern Light, one of the four treasure-lands of the sacred mountain, Kawagebo. Pilgrims leave their bamboo canes and Tsampa meal here when they arrive as sacrifice to the sacred mountain and kowtow for its blessing.” 33 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 33 2005.3.4, 4:20 PM Our Folkways Baima Zhashi (Male 60 years old Deqin) : “‘Qudengejiang’is also called ‘Self-circumambulation Temple’. It’s the only passage for Tibetan pilgrims to take the outer and inner pilgrimage routes at Kawagebo. Here, they get the key to the sacred mountain . Tens of thousands of Tibetans come to Qudengejiang every year to get the key to enter the sacred Meili Mountain Palace. These pilgrims are the prostrating kowtowers. It is said that it takes them more than 3 month to circle the Meili Snow Mountain.” Sina Jiangchu ( Male 29 years old Yangza Village ) : “Tugenya, a mountain pass on the outer pilgrimage route of the Kawagebo.” Gatai Lamu ( Female 31 years old Yubeng Village ) : “The Nujiang River Gorge. There are some workers building the road from Chawarong to Gongshan. It is the only way for the outer pilgrimage route. The person holding the bamboo cane in the photo is a pilgrim.” 34 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 34 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM Cili Duji ( Male 75 years old Yangza Village ) : “By the side of the highway above my village, it is a place where pilgrims often stop to take tea and a rest. The water and firewood are left in the room by the villagers, who believe doing something for the pilgrims is also good for themselves.” Ananzhu (Male 36 years old Yubeng Village) : “This is a resting place half way on the pilgrimage route to Meili Snow Mountain, called ‘Daguya’. Pilgrims usually take a rest here. The Yuqu River, which runs from north to south, suddenly turns to the north here, and flows to the south again after circling the mountain. That’s why it is named ‘Daguya’, which means that it is the mountain the Yuqu River makes a circle around.” Ananzhu ( Male 36 years old Yubeng Village): “Duogela mountain pass. It’s the only passage on the outer pilgrimage route. The pilgrims hang praying flags for blessings when they pass by.” 35 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 35 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ the animal symbol, all the gods come and meet and pilgrims may acquire multifold merits. 2003 was the Year of Goat on the Tibetan calendar, a symbolically important year for Kawagebo and the Tibetan community of Deqin County. A circumambulation pilgrimage around the mountain would provide merits by 100,000 folds, according to beliefs. As a result, some 100,000 Tibetan pilgrims swarmed in to take the trek from all over the country. Walking on foot is the most important form of circumambulation when pilgrims have to climb up snow-covered mountain passes and walk down into humid valley floors between the altitude of 1,000 to 4,000 meters, following rugged tracks. It is said the circumambulation route in Kawagebo was chosen by great masters of the Kamaka sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Nobody complains about the roughness of the path or attempts to take an easier route. The path was picked particularly for its harshness as circumambulation is considered a process of faith fortification. The author came across an old man in his seventies named Meila from Changdu, Tibet, on the route. He had taken the Gangrenpoqi Mountain in the previous year and made it to Yunnan Province for Kawagebo with his family this time. It took them 3 days on bus and 3 days on foot to get to Kawagebo. When he was taking the first round, he was bitten by a dog and his right foot was swollen. His son tearfully begged him to go home, but was ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Our Folkways n June 2003, I took a pilgrimage trek of mountain circumambulation with a Tibetan family from Deqin County, Yunnan Province, an experience he will never forget. Although mountain hiking has grown into a trendy sport nowadays, the centuries-old ritual of mountain circumambulation has seldom been undertaken by a nonTibetan. Mountain circumambulation is one of the popular forms of pilgrimage in Tibetan culture, which is called“Kora” in Tibetan (literally, walking around). To circumambulate is to go around a structure or place of worship such as walking around a stupa, a monastery, or a holy mountain. It can be further divided into 3 modes: inner, medium and outer routes. To take an inner circumambulation, the pilgrim walks around inside a holy place, a medium one is to walk immediately outside the structure and a larger circle around the place is required for an outer route. To an average Tibetan Buddhist, circumambulation is believed to be the most effective expression of religious faith and way of merit earning. All holy mountains worshipped by the Tibetans have their respective animal symbols. A is Horse for Gangdis, Goat for Kawagebo, Monkey for Zari (Southern Tibet) and Rooster for Risongkongbo (Daocheng, Sichuan Province) and Jizu (Dali, Yunnan Province). According to the traditional belief, during a holy mountain’s year of ○ I ○ By Guo Jing ○ perspective A Rendezvous with Nature brushed aside. He insisted on taking a second round. At the Yangchao Bridge, he could move no more. When the local villagers treated him to some pancakes, he devoured the food quickly, his hands trembling. They, too, tried to persuade him to take a couple of days’ rest but he hobbled away after taking some intravenous drips at a local clinic. It is said some pilgrims die on circumambulation hikes. Pilgrims have to make through holes and hollows in rocks and trees on both the inner and outer routes. It is not merely a form of self-challenge of the extreme-sport type but contains a more profound meaning. The Tibetans refer to such places as“narrow passages of the intermediate afterworld”. The so-called intermediate afterworld is the state between death, when the soul leaves the previous life and reincarnation. According to the “Scripture of Deliverance of the Dead”, when the dead enter the intermediate afterworld, it is much like a newborn coming into this world, full of anomaly and bewilderment. The dead will see both benign- and malign-faced gods and the light of deliverance and the luring flame to hell, alternately. A person who had stored up Buddhist merits and knew about the true meaning of death would get through the tests effortlessly to deliverance and a good reincarnation whereas a person who had done too many bad things or indulged in too much greed would drop into hell 36 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 36 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ month later did not have our good print named “Longevity of Six as a punishment and be reincarfortune as the road we had Worlds” depicting worlds of nated into a beast or starved soul. covered was all blasted open by mountains, waters, trees, birds, How, then, could a person dynamite. It was said the local animals and humans living achieve good results in the authorities were building a happily in good harmony. In the intermediate afterworld upon highway to Gongshan County, world of mountains, all types of death? The most important thing Yunnan Province, in order to have life form can exchange and is, during one’s lifetime, to learn horse caravans replaced by auto transform, supportive of each the way to redemption through transportation. On the other side other. Circumambulation reshapes various rituals, reading the of Kawagebo, there is Chawalong, the community’s sense of space teachings and images of the gods’ one of the most inaccessible areas and understanding of the holy who will appear in the intermediof Tibet, where supplies ate afterworld, and are traditionally carried how to overcome the What is more, circumambulation is not only a personal pursuit on horsebacks from obstacles as well as of deliverance but also an act for protecting one’s kinsmen Yunnan. The new road earn merits. To underand environment, like fulfilling a contract with Nature. will undoubtedly much take circumambulation improve the local of a holy mountain is supplies. However, it is the best way of learnseemed the local authorities have mountain, giving birth to the belief ing for deliverance. In other overlooked the safety of the that humans, mountains, waters, words, the journey is deemed a pilgrims. According to later trees, birds and animals are process of going through the arrivals, the old paths were almost interdependent. afterworld before rebirth. To an all destroyed at stretches under Nonetheless, traditional reliaverage believer having no formal construction, where they had to gious rituals, such as theological training, this is the shift the luggage from horsebacks circumambulation, are faced with most practical and rewarding way to their own backs and climb over impacts of economic development. to learn the profound but necesthe steep ridges at great risk. A Today, as all circumambulation sary secrets of deliverance. The Westerner who came back from a routes have highway accesses, a “narrow passages” on the road are tour of circumambulation showed considerable number of pilgrims taken symbolically as the “journey me some video clips portraying are choosing auto transportation in the intermediate afterworld”. pilgrims running away from a instead of hiking. Highway There are upper and lower smoky blast. In addition to the construction is underway on the passages through the mountain tests of Nature, the determined Tibetan side of the Kawagebo and tree holes. Pilgrims are pilgrims now have to face dangers opposite Yunnan Province. One expected to take the lower created by their fellow human day, as our team was climbing passage first, which represents the beings. along the right hand side of the hell, and upper one later, which On completion of the circumamNujiang River, there came a stands for heaven. The bulation trip, the author heard the thunderous bang from the concircumambulators believe local government was planning a struction site with a thick cloud of whether a person can get through circular highway around the smoke and dust as the workers a hole has nothing to do with their Kawagebo and construction of a were blasting open the rocks to body size but instead their road linking up the Lancangjiang make way for the road. We accumulated merits or demerits. River and Nujiang River had stopped to watch and waited. What is more, circumambulabegun. When the roundabout Seeing things having stayed quiet tion is not only a personal pursuit highway is accomplished, there is for a while, we edged forward of deliverance but also an act for a probability that pilgrims would gingerly below the construction protection of the individual’s choose to make circumambulation segment, fearing the workers kinsmen and environment, like by automobiles with a large might set off another blast unfulfilling a contract with Nature. number of tourists following, aware of our passing by The commitment to circumambuposing new challenges to the underneath. It was sheer luck that lation year after year is a form of tradition of pilgrimage on foot. no new detonation came as we reconfirming the holiness of the (The author is a research fellow made our way through the danger mountain and community’s from the Academy of Social zone. reliance on the environment. In Sciences of Yunnan Province.) However, pilgrims arriving one Tibetan art, there is a traditional 37 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 37 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM Folkways Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 38 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM Our Dongba Culture Protection and Preservation He Xiudong ( Male 22 years old Dongba Culture Institute ) : “He Jirong is a Dongbaism student at the Dongbaism Research Institute, who has come to Shuming with me to study. He is learning the Dongba scripture from the senior Dongbaist priest, He Xun, beside the fireplace.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 39 2005.3.4, 4:21 PM Our Folkways He Xiudong (Male 22 years old Dongba Culture Institute) : “Zhizha — paper modeling on bamboo woven framework — is a traditional handicraft of the Naxi Dongbaism. Few people can do it now. He Xun and He Ming in Shuming Village are Zhizha masters. I was sent to Shuming Village to learn the craft from them last month. In the picture, He Xun is weaving a yak head.” He Jigui ( Male 76 years old Dongba Culture Institute ) : “This is a picture showing me teaching students how to make ‘Youluo’(sacred idol). As a Dongbaist priest, it is elementary to know how to make idols. I teach them how to make ‘youluo’ and what it means. A Dongbaist priest from Mingying Village once said that ‘youluo’ and ‘duoma’ were different. ‘Youluo’ is the sacred idol and ‘duoma’ the ghost. ‘Youluo’ is made of barley flour. So I brought it from my home at Luying Village so as to enable the students to make the idols look genuine . In addition to the basic skills, mentality is important for making a sacred idol. One needs to have a clear idea of what kind of an idol to make in the head and keeps thinking about it. It’s a tradition to make it on the surface of a drum. and the finished wet idol is dressed with barley powder. It is called ‘benjiu’, which means that we’ve already given a name to it. The students have learnt fast and mastered the basic skills.” 40 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 40 2005.3.4, 4:22 PM He Xiudong ( Male 22 years old Dongba Culture Institute ) : “My grandpa, He Xun, is 75 years old and the only Dongbaist priest still alive in our village. Despite his great age, he insists on helping with the household chores, like cutting firewood in the mountains, tending the pigs and working in the field. One day, I brought a Dongbaist Scripture book from the Dongbaism Research Institute in Lijiang and wanted to ask him if it was the same with the Scripture book in our village. I found my grandpa where he was cutting bamboo at the foothill and showed him the book. He read it through from beginning to end and told me that it was very similar to the book in our village, only with some differences in the chapter on how to deliver the souls.” 41 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 41 2005.3.4, 4:23 PM He Xiudong ( Male 22 years old Dongba Culture Institute ) : “In preparation for a conference on World Cultural Heritage Protection to be held in Lijiang in October 2001 by the United Nations, the county government asks the Dongbaism Research Institute to perform a worship ritual, ‘Jishu’ at Yuzhu Qingtian for the participants from all over the world. The institute asks us students to take this opportunity to learn to make woodcuts.” He Jigui ( Male 76 years old DongBa Culture Institute ) : “He Xiudong is a grandson of He Xun, an old Dongbaist priest in Shuming Village, Tacheng. When He Xiudong was five or six years old, he herded pigs and sheep in the mountains with his grandpa, who taught him Dongba writings and dances. Now, he knows a lot of Dongba dances and can read more than 60 Dongba Scripture books. He is studying diligently at the Dongbaism Research Institute. From the decorations in his house, it can be seen that he loves the Dongba culture very much. Every day, he is bent over reading and writing in Dongba, and is transcribing a Dongba scripture.” 42 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 42 2005.3.4, 4:24 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ values are derived from centuries of cultural evolution and they reveal how the Naxi have developed a wholesome comprehension of the affinity of Man’s survival with the ecological system. As a result, religion is conducive to building public awareness to respect and protect Nature and caution them from inflicting damages. Today, the Naxi religious philosophy has developed into a set of ecological ethics. In Naxi villages, elders of high morality and prestige are elected to the Elders’ Committee that oversees traditional customs and conventions. Those who damage Nature will have to face moral condemnations. For the Naxi public, it is their civic duty to keep the rivers clean and mountains green. In the wake of socio-cultural changes and the impact of globalization, the Naxi Dongbaism, like many folk cultures, is faced with possible extinction. The Dongba priests, who are the bearers of cultural heritage, once enjoyed a prestige and high status within the community and were always present to lead rituals to worship the heavens, ancestors and earthly gods as well as funerals. Since 1949, however, clerics have been subjected to waves of persecution, especially during the Cultural Revolution, and their distinctive status was not restored until the 1980s. Unfortunately, the number of properly trained Dongba priests is shrinking. Of the 10 Dongba priests who worked at the Dongba Culture Research Institute in the last century, none remain today. With the exception of remote and mountainous areas, the number of locales observing traditional rituals is declining. Even at places where the rituals are still celebrated, the routines are performed often in a watereddown fashion. Sutra books, ritual apparatus and divine statues are rarely available on the market. Priests who know how to perform a ceremony are even scarcer. Many ceremonies held today are more like “entertainment” events, financially supported by the interested institutions and organizations. Misconceptions such as “Man can overpower Nature”in the past combined with the commercialism of the present have weakened the traditional beliefs of the importance of ecology. Moreover, the fear of Nature’s vengeance only exists in remote and mountainous areas where traditional culture is more vigorous. Anthropologists, folklorists, sociologists and ecologists should all be concerned by this situation. Luckily, accompanying local economic development is a growing awareness of the importance of protecting both the ecosystem and traditional culture and balancing the economy and bio-cultural diversity. The Naxi Dongba, an important part of China’s heritage, is also of great significance to the cultivation of ethnic culture and tourism. Efforts should be made, therefore, to cherish and protect the Dongba’s legacy. Nonetheless, in the modern era, it is unrealistic to assume that traditional culture can be preserved in its original state without changes. While how to preserve the Dongba culture during the economic development process is a question for further discussion, it is a common understanding that preservation and development are both needed. Yet, the issue of how to handle this relationship is complicated as, theoretically and methodologically, views and approaches differ markedly. Leaving the religion to the whim of nature alone runs the risk of its extinction whilst intervening, as an act of preservation, could frustrate local attempts to remove “backwardness”. For academics to preserve Dongba culture in museums would render it meaningless, because of the loss of an in situ connection. And to purely rely on the tourism industry, Dongba culture would likely suffer equally from its exploitation by commercialism. Although the Dongba Cultural Research Institute has achieved a great deal by salvaging and repairing the ancient scripture books, more in-depth studies and efforts are required to better protect and preserve the Dongba Culture. (The author is the Director of the Dongba Culture Research Institute of Lijiang, Yunnan Province.) 43 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 43 2005.3.4, 4:24 PM Our Folkways ○ T he Naxi, an ethnic minority group in southwestern China, have their own religion, Dongbaism. The Dongba Culture is not only renowned for its own pictographic writing system, the Dongba scripture, paintings and dances, but is also prominently known for its religious philosophy of harmony between Man and Nature. The Dongba Scripture says Man and Nature are half brothers, offspring of the same father and different mothers, who ought to live in peace with each other. That is to say Man should treat Nature with good will and not cut down too many trees or kill too many animals. In turn, Nature will provide Man with sunlight, air and water in accordance with human needs, providing a favorable environment for Man to live in. Should Man inflict damage on Nature, the latter will retaliate. Researchers of Dongbaism learned the name of the spirits of Nature, as described in the sagas of the Dongba Scripture, to be “Shu”,the incarnation of the natural elements of the Naxi forefathers’ imagination. Dongbaism has formulated a set of important rituals called “Shu Gu” for worshipping the gods of Nature. In the past, every Naxi village had a designated worship place where rituals are held on the Dragon and Snake Days of the second month of a lunar year. The routines are complex and grandiose, normally lasting three days. The Dongba priests chant 40 to 50 sutra books, mostly legends and sagas depicting the interaction between Man and Nature and relevant taboos, such as not to slaughter animals or wash dirty things in the water source and not to quarry excessively. Worship can be conducted privately on a smaller scale as well as to assist the gods to exorcise evils and sickness when humans or animals fall ill or are stricken by misfortune. From an analysis of the rituals and sutra books, the following is discernible: Man and Nature are interdependent like brothers. Nature should not be exploited or Man will face merciless punishment. Such ○ By Zhao Shihong perspective Human and Nature - Half Brothers Folkways Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 44 2005.3.4, 4:24 PM Our Religion and Rituals Bimo Practices ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 45 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Our Folkways Hong Zhengyong (Male 28 years old Yi Xuehua Village) : “I was invited to perform a ritual for two people who had died for two and three years respectively. They were husband and wife. This was the last time I performed a ritual for them.When a married couple of the Yi people die, three rituals have to be performed, one for the first person to go, second for the other when he or she leaves this world and the final one two or three years after their deaths.” Hong Zhengyong ( Male 28 years old Yi Xuehua Village ) : “The livestock of my fifth brother’s are suffering from some disease and many goats have died. So, he invites me to carry out a Bimo ritual to drive away the evil spirits that made the animals sick. The ritual requires the slaughtering of a pig and the praying continues for a whole day.” 46 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 46 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM Hong Zhengyong (Male 28 years old Yi Xuehua Village) : “My third brother is sick and my father is performing a ritual for him.” Hong Zhengyong (Male 28 years old Yi Xuehua Village) : “This is a traditional ‘Bimo’ ritual . Whenever there is something bad in our lives, we perform one.” 47 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 47 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM Traditional Bearers of Respecting Nature - Bimo local dialect “Bi”means religious ○ ○ perform stunts such as dipping their hands into boiling oil or licking a red-hot iron with their tongues at evil-spirit eradicating ○ ceremonies. Bimos and their related culture came under severe scrutiny and attack during the ○ Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), when practitioners were persecuted, their activities banned and classic literature, ○ ○ burned. In more than 2 decades, from late 1950s to late 1970s, there were ○ almost no new Bimo priests ordained. Today, those who have survived are advanced in age and ○ County, for instance, there were 68 registered Bimo priests in 1984 but only 7 remain in 2004. ○ Nonetheless, the influence of the Bimo culture is still quite strong in Yi communities. Today, even ○ those who work or have received an education outside the community would not refuse to take part in Bimo rituals and activities. Feng Shui services, some Bimo ○ ○ ○ prophecy making and offering Bimo medicine and evil-elimination ceremonies are still in great demand. The younger generation, ○ In addition to sutra chanting, ○ activities. ○ ○ sacrificial rituals and cultural ○ been limited to administering ○ From that time on, their role has ○ ○ and became ordinary citizens. ○ ○ had to leave government service ○ (1368-1911), some Bimo priests ○ the Ming and Qing Dynasties ○ ○ slave system, especially during limited in number. In Shilin ○ With the disintegration of the ○ recordkeeping and counseling. ○ ○ religious ceremonies, as well as ○ ○ namely being responsible for ○ leading role to an auxiliary one, ○ gradually declined, from a ○ ○ however, the Bimo’s status has ○ nal activities. With social changes, together with holy works, ○ harbingers and leaders of commu- ○ Bimo priests were both the gods’ ○ ○ tribalism era of ancient times, the ○ and medicine practitioners. In the ○ tellers, sorcerers, archive keepers ○ ○ roles of tribe chiefs, fortune- ○ ○ the Yi people who used to assume ○ earliest educated elites amongst ○ elder). The Bimo class is the ○ ○ rituals and“Mo” means master or ○ in southwestern China (in the ○ ○ priests also practice medicine and ○ Yi, an ethnic minority group ○ A Bimo is a high priest of the ○ By Ang Ziming however, is somewhat more 48 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 48 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM ○ ○ ○ for keeping the house owner safe they make offerings of pine needles to the well and pond by lighting up incense and saying prayers to the god of water for blessings. Respect for Life When the Yi people go hunting or fishing, it is taboo to kill pregnant animals or catch the largest fish or shrimp. If a fisherman catches a large fish, the custom requires him to put it back in water in order to keep the stock for the future. According to the Scripture on Kindness, “it is a crime to kill even a snake or a and “Dragon” trees are considered ○ ○ sacred and inviolable and should ○ ○ “Mizhi,” or densely grown jungle, ○ ○ ○ from harm. To villagers, the tortoise in the spring hunt. The offense will not only bring bad luck to the perpetrator but also his ○ ○ never come under attack from future generations.”Another holy ○ ○ knives and axes. ○ ○ Water Preservation ○ ○ The Yi people have a strong book says, “To have pity on lives such as cattle, grains, animals and insects is a virtue.” One should ○ tradition of water preservation, ○ “dragon ponds”, wells and rivers ○ ○ ○ especially in relation to the ○ ○ supplying water to the always act within moral limits. (The author is a member of the Yi ethnic group and Associate Professor at Yunnan Nationalities ○ communities. They have taboos against washing one’s face, hands, University.) ○ feet or clothes in the ponds or ○ ○ ○ ○ the gods of trees and mountains ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ the first day of a new year when ○ ○ construction, one should pray to ○ contaminate the water. Dumping ○ ○ ○ one should take care not to ○ water is absolutely forbidden. ○ dirt or human waste into the ○ ○ ○ dragon pond with one’s hands, ○ wells. When taking a drink from a ○ ○ sponds to that of a human being. ○ structure of the universe corre- ○ The Yi culture believes the ○ ○ ○ Holistic Belief ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ needed. Before felling a tree for ○ ○ ing characteristics: ○ and Nature and bears the follow- ○ pendent relationship between Man ○ ○ Bimo culture features a interde- ○ ○ not to cut more than what is ○ Bimo culture from disappearing. ○ must be given to prevent the true ○ ○ axe or knife, one should take care ○ ○ interests. Immediate attention fetching water before daybreak on 49 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 49 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM Our Folkways with economic and commercial maintained the tradition of ○ going into the mountains with an ○ must leave the trunk alone. When ○ ○ may only take the branches and ○ outside influence, especially those ○ local activities has come under dirty. The Yi people have also ○ ○ ○ ○ trees. When cutting firewood, one ○ ○ culture. A considerable part of the and crops if they make the water ○ ○ ○ for fear of offending the god of ○ ○ serious threat to the original Bimo ○ life of the Yi people, which poses a intended to destroy their houses ○ ○ ○ beneath a tree in the mountains ○ rapidly encroaching on the village ○ ○ Nevertheless, modern culture is heavy rains and hailstorms ○ supposed to relieve himself ○ Bimo priests. ○ established programs to train new ○ Yi populated counties have ○ ○ archival purposes. Some densely ○ tions and filmed sutra chanting for ○ ○ ○ trees and forests. A person is not ○ guage classics, creating publica- ○ ○ transcribe and research Yi lan- ○ ○ have been founded nationwide to ○ government, a dozen institutions ○ ○ ○ well as taboos helps protect the ○ program initiated by the ○ ○ Thanks to a preservation heaven will punish humans with ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ mountain deities and holy trees as ○ priesthood. ○ enough have chosen to pursue ○ scripture and rituals, but not ○ ○ to follow the elders to learn the The Yi people’s worship of the ○ people in recent years have chosen ○ Fortunately, a number of young Tree Worship ○ priesthood to be reached. ○ ○ 5 years, depending on the level of rivers. ○ length of learning ranges from 3 to ○ outside the family. The required to vegetation and intestines to ○ on a one-to-one basis, within or According to ethnic beliefs, the ○ example, human hair is compared ○ the Sun and Moon in the sky. For ○ In the past, Bimo art was taught ○ ○ ○ than the elders. As a man has two eyes, there are perspective skeptical toward the Bimo practice Daily Life Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 50 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM Our Children Need More Education Yang Xiaoli ( Female Pumi 19 years old Ludian ) : “The classroom of the school at Ludian Village, Lijiang city, is simple and crude, but the village children are as aspiring as the city children to learn knowledge.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 51 2005.3.4, 4:25 PM Ouyang Qi (Male 75 years old Laojunshan Township) : Our Daily Life “Every week, the elementary school of Xinhe Village asks the pupils to go and collect firewood in the mountains, which is used for cooking and boiling water for both the teachers and children. They have to walk two to three kilometers into the mountains to do it. Children are always excited on such days. They are singing and dancing on their way back to school with the baskets on their backs.” Nong Bu (Male Tibetan Shuizhuang Village) : “My youngest daughter has finished her third year at the primary school, and is going on to the fourth grade. The summer vacation is over now and we have to take her to the County Ethnic Minority Elementary School for the new year. This is us on the way to school. From Shuizhuang Village to the county site, we have to climb over many big mountains and pass through several valleys. During the rainy season in summer, the rain water in the mountains flows through the valleys, the water level being low at some places and high at others. Sometimes the current is so strong it can sweep livestock away. We are often worried in this season. When we send the children to school or herd livestock through the valleys, we are nervous. But what can we do?” Yang Yingju (Female 43 years old Nanyao Lower Village) : “On Sundays, He Hailiang and He Haishun go to help their parents in the fields, collecting pig-fodder and delivering food. On this day, while their parents are plowing the fields, the brother and sister are helping boil water and doing their homework in the field when not working.” 52 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 52 52 2005.3.4, 4:26 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Hong Zhengyong (Male 28 years old Xuehua Village) : “These are my third elder brother’s two kids. The older one is his daughter, Hong Junying. She is 14 and in sixth year at primary school. The younger one, his son, Hong Zhongnan, is 11 and in fifth year. They are doing their homework. Sometimes they can finish before dusk and sometimes they have to continue after dinner under the light. Hong Junying’s performance at school is not very good and is not going to continue after primary school. Hong Zhongnan is pretty good at school and has a possibility of going on to high school.Tuition for high school is expensive and the students have to live there. Food and other expenses cost a great deal and it will be a problem for the family. But it’s a custom of our Yi people for the relatives and friends to help out — each household offering a bit to see the family through a hard time. We all hope he continues to do well at school and be admitted to high school.” Yang Huiying ( Female 30 years old Xinrong Village ) : “Teachers and pupils are peeling off cornhusks together. Our school has about one Mu (1/15 hectare) of farmland . The school often organizes the pupils to work in the field so as to let them know that life is not easy and understand the happiness of harvesting through hard work.” 53 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 53 2005.3.4, 4:26 PM Cao Liyuan ( Male Ganjue Village ) : “This is a picture of my mother making yak butter tea for me. I’m a teacher in the village school, so I’m too busy to take care of her as I have to teach all the children in the village. Instead, she still has to take care of me. Whenever I come back from school, she always makes tea for me. I often feel a bit guilty and want to show her my gratitude. But somehow I don’t know how . It is a big comfort to me as I keep the image of her working hard in my heart. She is meticulous when she makes tea, from heating to adding butter and milk. After a long and hard day at school, all my weariness disappears when I watch her making tea for me, with gratitude and a tender, warm feeling in my heart towards her.” He Xuejun (Male Lisu 28 years old Anle Village) Zeng Yiwen (Male Lisu 48 years old Anle Village) : “This is the Labaluo Primary School. There are five grades composed of more than 70 pupils and 2 teachers. You can see the students of grades one and two sharing the same classroom, facing opposite. When one grade has class, the other directions does exercises given by the teacher. You may think we are short of classrooms. If that is the case, then you are wrong. As we have too few students in each grade and the classroom is so big, so two grades are sharing one room.” 54 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 54 2005.3.4, 4:27 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ minority groups in mountainous areas is a persistent problem. Of the dropouts’ parents interviewed by the author, none expressed much faith in school education since the job market is unpredictable and unpromising even for high school and college graduates. After completing their education, many graduates must return home to toil in the fields with their elders. Those village children who have managed to finish their secondary education can find little use for the knowledge and skills they acquired at school due to the limited natural conditions at home. Back home, they have to learn basic farming skills from scratch and some are less capable of coping with farm work than the less educated or uneducated. The rising cost of a school education is another great concern. One parent complained, “In the past, selling a grown up pig could support a youngster in college for almost a year, but today 20 big pigs are not even enough to cover the trip to university for registration! How many mountain families can afford to sell 20 pigs at one time? Having neither money nor power nor guarantee that the child is going to find a job upon graduation - what is the use of education to us?” Furthermore, farm work in the mountains, such as firewood collection, quarrying, house building, land reclaiming and transporting, is extremely strenuous. For basic survival, the most practical is to let the children work as early as possible. A Yi farmer recalled his daughter home from school in 8th grade. When asked why, he answered,”My girl is going to get married sooner or later and I can hardly expect to have a sonin-law coming to live with us in the mountains. To support a daughter through school is an investment made for others. As my family is so poor and her education will make no ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Education in such areas should be made more practical’ to meet the needs of the pupils’ rather than the other way around. difference, the best for her mother and I is that she begins working as early as possible.” The growing dropout and falling enrollment rates have made education in mountainous areas difficult to sustain never mind improve. The local authorities have introduced a quota system at schools and schools failing to stem the dropout rates will face penalties. School authorities, in turn, require teachers to go to villages and households to persuade children and their parents to attend school. As the evaluation of the teachers’ performance and promotion is partially based upon the dropout rate and also out of sympathy for the children, some teachers are compelled to pay for the books of some children out of their own pockets in order to keep them in school. Having never been paid generously, the extra burden on the teachers has made their life even tougher. Education is necessary for the continuation of culture, which cannot be labeled “advanced”or “backward”, as it is part of our collective material and intellectual treasure endowed from history. In ethnic minority areas, the traditional culture is rich in understanding the relationship between Nature and Man. However, our current education system leaves no room for the traditional knowledge and experience that have passed down over hundreds of generations, as only mainstream culture of the Han people and Western sciences are taught at school, including in the mountainous areas. Despite some superstitious and unscientific aspects, rationality and wisdom can easily be found in traditional thinking, which is at the point of extinction due to a number of reasons. The limited material conditions in the mountainous regions make”modern” education vulnerable and the lack of ethnic traditional values makes it harder to work in these areas. The author is convinced that reforms in education in the mountainous areas are necessary. (The author is an assistant research fellow at the Dongba Culture Research Institution, Lijiang.) 55 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 55 2005.3.4, 4:27 PM Our Daily Life n front of a farmer’s dilapidated house, the author came across a young man wearing heavy spectacles. His parents had to sell almost everything and went into debt to support his schooling. Having failed to find a job in the city, the teen had to return home upon completing his secondary vocational education. The dozen years away at school have left him incapable of toiling on the land or carrying water from the well and now he has to stay home, only taking care of minor tasks such as cooking and house cleaning, while his aging parents continue to labor in the fields from morning till night every day. The contents, curriculum, methodology and evaluation system of education in mountainous areas are the same as in the cities. According to educators, rural education today has little to do agriculture. Owing to limited natural resources, only a tiny fraction of the youths from mountainous areas are able to complete junior secondary education and even fewer attend university. The majority return home after completing primary or secondary education with little interest or skills for rural life. Even though they often dream of a different life, they merely continue the traditional way of production. How can their lives be changed and improved? In areas with a harsh natural environment and especially, where the population is dense with little arable land, the ban on logging has meant a significant loss of income for families that depended on tree felling. Many families have suffered as a result. Government aid is insufficient and unreliable to satisfactorily solve the problem, and the mountainous areas remain desperately in need of science and technology as well as self-reliance. The author believes education should be adapted to meet the more practical needs of the pupils who inhabit these settings. Few young people in the mountainous areas aged from 10 to 40, notably women, have the opportunity to complete even a primary school education and, as a result, the majority barely manages to acquire basic reading skills. The high dropout rate among ethnic ○ I ○ By Li Ying perspective Education Dilemma in the Mountains Daily Life Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 56 2005.3.4, 4:27 PM Our Women Mountain Guardians Yang Xueying ( Female 45 years old Xuehua Village ) Liu Xueying ( Female 30 years old Xuehua Village ): “The women are hoeing the buckwheat. People in the whole village come to help when the landowner is ill. Mutual help is common in my village.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 57 2005.3.4, 4:28 PM Our Daily Life Amu ( Female 34 years old Niuba Village ) : “My daughter is working with me in the field on Sunday.” 58 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 58 2005.3.4, 4:28 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Qiao Shilan ( Female Lisu 35 years old ) : “My daughter went into the mountain to look for tree leaves to use in the pigsty. She is walking downhill now. Our roads are either uphill or downhill with virtually no flat stretches.” QilinYangchu ( Nagela Shangri-la ) : “The woman carrying firewood is my aunt. Today she came from the Zuoli Village to help my family carry firewood. In the countryside, we have the good tradition of helping each other. The farm work is normally done jointly by several families together, today here and tomorrow there. We need to collect firewood in November and December. It’s the most laborious job. Each family needs to cut dozens of cubic meters of woods and carry it home is the hardest part. Our survival depends upon it as there is no alternative fuel.” Zhao Jihua ( Female 45 years old Laojunshan Township ) : “The two elderly women are chatting at the gate of the Village House. They are too old to work. The woman on the right doesn’t like to live with her sons, so she is living alone. Her sons give her money and grains each month to support her. Most young people of the Bais are filial to their elders.” 59 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 59 2005.3.4, 4:29 PM Our Daily Life Jin Zhanxun ( Male 48 years old Upper Nanyao Village ) : “Communities of the Yi people are widely dispersed but those live in Lijiang are almost all related to each other. If one family has some event such as wedding, funeral or is in trouble, the others will come to celebrate, pay condolences or help. Liu Wenkun’s wife of the Yangyuchang Village has fallen seriously ill. Every Yi family in the West Village sends a person to pay sympathy to her. People used to take two bottles of liquor but now donate 10 to 20 yuan each to help the family of the sick. In the picture, the women are on their way to the Yangyuchang Village.” Yang Simei ( Female 50 years old Laojunshan Township ) : “This is my daughter-in-law and her younger sister loading a horse to transport manure to the potato field. They mix natural manure with chemical fertilizer to grow potatoes. The manure comes from sheep and pigs.” 60 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 60 2005.3.4, 4:30 PM Yang Yuxiu ( Female 30 years old Manxiang Village ) : “This woman is over 70 years old. We call her ‘Third Granny.’ She is very healthy despite her advanced age. She works from early morning in the field and never returns home without carrying something useful on her back. We are all envious of her daughter-in-law who has such a capable mother-in-law that is such a big help at home.” He Yunying ( Female 30 years old Gele Village ) : “This is a picture of my neighbors, husband and wife. They are hauling the wheat home with a pushcart. It is a very hot day and the work strenuous. But the couple look happy, talking cheerfully to eachother, showing no sign of weariness. In harvesting wheat, it’s usually the women who do the cutting and men transporting the wheat home with pushcarts. It is their last load to home of the day, so the sickle is planted on the stack. Generally speaking, men do more physical work than women. But compared to the past, the division of labor is no longer so rigorous. Men have begun doing women’s work such as cooking, washing, clerning and children caring. Depending on the actual need, men and women share the farm and housework now. But fishing on the lake is still a man’s job. When there’s not much work in the fields, the unmarried and middle-aged men go out of the village to work odd jobs. In the past, it was mostly men who go out but today women also do so. The women normally work as cooks and men as construction workers.” 61 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 61 2005.3.4, 4:31 PM Li Fengju (Female 18 years old Laojunshan Township) : “We are busy harvesting corn in the field.” He Guocai ( Male 46 years old Haini Village Weixi ) : “My family has planted 3 to 4 Mu of corn. In the past, corn output was only 250 to 300 kilos per Mu but it is more than 400 kilos today because of increased use of fertilizer, both natural and chemical. Some of the corn is sold for cash, some bartered for rice and most is used as livestock feed. People do not eat corn as diet now, only taking it on occasions when they feel like it. This is a Pumi woman at Jimeigu Village peeling cornhusks. Corn is only used as fodder.” 62 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 62 2005.3.4, 4:32 PM ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ their cultural identities. As the domestic caretaker, women are in daily contact with the mountains, forests and land. It is a woman’s responsibility to collect pine branches as firewood for cooking, heating, even lighting in those communities without electricity. A woman, it is said, spends about a quarter of her time in the mountains throughout the year gathering wood for fuel. As expert gatherers, these women have learned about which wild fruits and herbs are safe and appropriate for medicinal use in both humans and animals. Even the elderly women are able to distinguish between a considerable number of herbs used for the treatment and prevention of human and animal diseases. When someone falls ill, it is usually the woman in the house who goes to find the appropriate herb for treatment. Under parental guidance, women learn these skills in childhood. Moreover, women learn just as much from their indirect contact with nature. For them, an abundant water supply yields good harvests of grains and animals -- sources of food and income for the family. Moreover, the forests’ capacity for air-purification helps safeguard the young, old and sick, as well as for farm animals. In addition, wellpreserved forests and ecosystems will attract tourists and bring income to the village as well as the possibility of a cash-earning job. Therefore, the women are fully aware of the benefits of protecting the mountains, forests, rivers and grasslands. Similarly, the consequences of ecological damage are equally well understood. Shortages of firewood and drinking water, grassland degeneration, floods and drought can have devastating consequences. The villagers’ survival depends on the preservation of their land and water. It is no exaggeration to suggest that ecological protection is a question of life and death. As a result, the local women have profound feelings and a strong sense of responsibility toward their environment, as well as abundant experience and knowledge in the utilization and management of their natural resources. For instance, in collecting firewood, they only take small branches and dead trunks without harming the large and living trees, conscientiously following local customs. They know what kind of leaves can be cut and how deep to dig for mushrooms to ensure a sustainable harvest. They also have the knowledge of what kinds of herbs and plants are edible and good for medical or textile purposes. Such knowledge is handed down from generation to generation between mothers and daughters in their daily work and has become a part of the community’s heritage. The fact that women spend so much time in the mountains and understand the need for environmental protection and responsibility designates them a special role in eco-preservation. In many senses, their views and suggestions are uniquely valuable. In a report by a researcher of the Yunnan Academy of Social Sciences, it is stated, “In many villages of Lijiang County, the elder women tell the younger ones not to cut tree leaves and pine branches at the beginning of summer. However, the impacts of the Cultural Revolution and modern industrial civilization have weakened these traditional ways of thinking among the younger generation. When the author was visiting some villages in the winter of 1993 and 1994, some elderly women complained about the decline of traditional values amongst the younger women who would cut new trees and branches in the early summer to use in the pigsties. They condemned such behavior as neglecting the future and labeled them as unfit to be mothers. The elderly women took action through the village’s Women’s Committee and its Elders Committee to try and stop detrimental exploitation of the environment and to promote sustainability of the natural resources”. (The author is an advisor to the Photovoice project.) ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ As the domestic caretaker, women come into close and direct contact with the mountains, forests and land 63 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ０１ｔ６３ 63 2005.3.4, 4:32 PM Our Daily Life ntil recently, the conventional gender roles in many ethnic minority communities could easily be summed up in the following ways: “man takes care of the outside” - men manage external and community affairs and oversee crops and commercial activities and “woman takes care of the inside” women look after the home, children, elders, weaves, tend farm animals and help in the fields. As we have seen in the Photovoice project, participants’ photos reflect such a difference. The women participants photographed mostly domestic scenes, such as firewood gathering, drinking water collection, road construction, power supply, schooling for children, caring for the elders, preparing for festivities and religious rituals. Other photographs, however, revealed shifting roles. These photos captured women overseeing village affairs and taking on traditionally male responsibilities such as plowing the fields and attending the community assembly. Young women, especially the unmarried ones, are seen working outside the village more frequently. When asked why, these women explained that men were forced to look outside the village to earn more income. One of the most unexpected results of the Photovoice project was that women’s photographs have helped raise awareness of the threats to natural resources, especially firewood, new energy, drinking water and ecological protection. As a direct result, women are now actively participating in public policy decision-making in southwestern China’s effort to protect nature and culture, an opportunity they could have never imagined even five years ago. And why not? The village women have always been in close contact with nature. According to Yi, Naxi and Dulong legends, it was the “heavenly woman”, or goddess, who brought grain seeds, animals and birds to human beings and taught them to grow crops and herd cattle, and therefore shaping our current world. In Tibetan fables, it was the “grain bird” who found seeds of grains from the goddess in the heaven. Such tales suggest the long-standing ties between women and nature and how that close relationship has helped forge ○ U ○ By He Zhonghua perspective Women - Links to Nature Daily Life Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 64 2005.3.4, 4:34 PM Our Handicrafts Unique Treasures Lurong Zhuoma (Female 33 years old Gangjue Village) : “There are many procedures involved in making a Tsampa container. After it comes into shape, it is lacquered. When the lacquer dries up, we decorate it with drawings. The tool for drawing is not a brush pen, but a thin piece of wood. We Tibetans like to decorate and paint all kinds of designs and colors on our clothing, furniture and appliances. The Tsampa container is also richly decorated. It will be finished after one more lacquering.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 65 2005.3.4, 4:34 PM Our Daily Life Lurong Zhuoma (Female 33 years old Gangjue Village) : “This is a photo of the shaping. In our Gangjue Village, handicraft is practiced from generation to generation. But there is no one family doing everything, some families specialize in lathing, others in decorating. No one can do everything from lathing to drawing to lacquering. An object partially completed at one home is passed on to the next to continue until finish. The makers get paid after it is sold. The old man is a shaper all his life with superb skills. But he doesn’t know how to draw. You see, he can make a bowl or Tsampa container out of a piece of wood with a small adz.” 66 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 66 2005.3.4, 4:35 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Xiao Nongbu (Male 56 years old Niuba Village) : An old weaving woman. Lurong Zhuoma ( Female 33 years old Gangjue Village ) : “It takes us lots of time to make a small wooden bowl. The procedure is complex and all done by hand. The first step is choosing the appropriate material, which is then boiled in water to prevent cracking. The third step is drying by baking, the fourth lathering to make the bowl into shape. The fifth step is rubbing down and fine shaping, the sixth applying white paint and wait for it to dry, the seventh painting the undercoat and sanding, the nineth drawing and the final airing and drying. For such a small wooden bowl, it requires more than 20 days to finish. It takes even longer to be coated with gold or silver. The photo depicts the sixth step, white paint applying.” 67 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 67 2005.3.4, 4:35 PM Our Daily Life Wang Tingguang ( Male 54 years old Lisu Liming Village ) : “My son is a skilled gourd-bamboo pipe (a traditional musical instrument) player as well as other musical instruments. The instruments by his side are made by himself. He learned the skills from his maternal grandfather, who is an old musician.” 68 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 68 2005.3.4, 4:36 PM Zhashi Pinchu (male 27 years old Shuizhuang Village) : The Gangjue Village is famous for handicraft in Shangri-la County. Most of the wood bowls and Tsampa containers come from our village. There are different steps in making the handicraft products. Some families specialize in crude shape making and some decorating. In decorating, only Kong Hongying has learned the true skill from the elder generation. She started learning from a master when she was 13 and has been to famous monasteries to practice drawing, such as the Songzanlin Monastery of Shangri-la and Dongzhulin Monastery of Deqin. The Tibetan dragon that she draws on the Tsampa container is different from the others’ and looks quite real. Her products are sold as far away as Tibet and Sichuan Province. In 1991, when the Zuogong County Government and Planning Committee of Changdu Prefecture , Tibet, were planning to set up a carpentry mill, the leaders of the Planning Committee and County Government came to invite her to be the master artist. However, her family did not let her go because she was only a young girl and the elders were concerned. Because of her excellent work on the Tsampa containers, she was awarded the title of ‘talented woman’ in 1992 by the Prefecture authorities and a similar title by the Women’s Federation in 1994. Her works were displayed at the first Kunming Trade Fair and won great acclaims. Her achievement was reported by the Yunnan Daily. The wooden bowl and Tsampa container are decorated by Kong Hongying.” 69 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 69 2005.3.4, 4:36 PM Li Wuquan (Male 38 years old Zeyang Village) : “Every ethnic group has its own weaving techniques and we Tibetans are no exception. In May, June or September each year, we shear our sheep, because in these months the grass is abundant, sheep fat and wool long. After the sheared wool is pulled, it is spun into yarns. Cotton is added to the yarn and it is put on the loom to weave. Every household has a handmade loom here. In the old days we used wooden looms. Nowadays some households have looms made of steel. It takes four or five days to weave a blanket. The blankets are for our own use, not for sale. It is said it was Princess Wencheng who brought weaving techniques to us Tibetans when she married a Tibetan King in the Tang Dynasty over a thousand years ago. As a rule, Tibetan women pass down the weaving techniques to their daughters and the daughters to the granddaughters, generation after generation.” Li He ( Male 30 years old Niru Village ) : “There is not much leisure time on the pasture but whenever there is, the women will sit down and start weaving blankets. On this day, it was getting dark and my wife started weaving in front of the shed. She is weaving a rug with pure wool. The process of weaving a rug is complicated. Firstly, we shear the sheep. The wool from goats doesn’t need to be washed but from the sheep does. Afterwards the wool is combed and spun. The spun yarn is dyed in various colors and dried. The yarn is then wound into rolls and spun again. The yarn is then set on the floor loom. It is now possible to commence weaving. When weaving a rug, a belt is fastened around the weaver’s waist. The belt is connected to the rug’s yarn and one foot of the weaver is placed on a peddle. Now it is ready. When taking a rest, the belt is taken off and fastened to the yarn on the loom. It doesn’t take so long to weave a rug when there is free time. However, it is only possible to weave one rug a year on the pasture. We weave rugs only for our own use, not to sell. The rug is warm, easy to clean and durable. It can be found in almost every household.” 70 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 70 2005.3.4, 4:37 PM By Yang Fuquan I soaring. In Lijiang, for example, several local and outside artists and calligraphers are using the paper to create works for sale on the tourist market. Local entrepreneurs are now using it to make personal cards and maps to sell to tourists. Some Dongba masters have even been hired by the tourism industry to make the paper. Recently, the Lijiang municipal post office and a calligraphy company from Kunming, Yunnan Province, collaborated to develop and market a collection of postage stamps under the name “Dongba Paper Heritage”. This increase in demand for this special paper has driven up the price, and is threatening the sustainability of the raw material, the “Wan Dai” tree. The tree, which only grows in mountains below the 2,500 meter-line, is being depleted by its overuse by the tourism industry. Scientists are experimenting on domestic cultivation of the tree with no conclusive results to date, but even if the tree could be successfully grown in an artificial environment to augment the supply, the religious and cultural significance is at risk of being diminished or compromised. Its increasing economic importance and declining sacredness is quite worrisome to the author. The handicrafts of the ethnic minorities cannot solely rely on market forces for their survival. It is of critical importance to sustain the purity of the art form by raising public awareness of the significance of the minority’s heritage preservation. Consumers need to be educated to treasure genuine traditional ethnic minority folk arts. A major limitation is that, despite market tastes, ethnic handicrafts often display ancient cultural significance which were developed over many generations and cannot be quantified monetarily. For instance, some folk ornaments are decorated with designs that depict the migratory history of ethnic groups. The patterns of celestial bodies, the sun, moon and stars, are tokens of gratitude to Nature. Many handicrafts are imbued with religious and spiritual meaning, and created with a specific usage or purpose in mind. In other words, the Dongba paper, ritual devices and musical instruments were never intended to be part of a consumer-based culture. It is the opinion of this author that if items of religious and cultural importance are mass-produced to flood the market for financial gain, they are deprived of spiritual value, and it would be a betrayal to the artist who created them as well as to human civilization. Some people take traditional handicrafts as an adversary to progress, but this author believes it is quite unnecessarily the case. China’s approach to development should be one that is capable of drawing on the best aspects from other cultures whilst preserving the historical, cultural, spiritual, aesthetical and original characteristics of all 56 ethnic groups. Similarly, in the development of handicrafts, no matter how advanced the time and industrial civilization will be, the products should always reflect the brilliance and unique culture and spirit. The most beautiful things of the past and present should be organically integrated. Only then can Chinese folk handicrafts continue to survive and maintain their status among some of the loveliest in the folk arts of the world. (The author is the Vice President of Academy of Social Sciences of Yunnan Province.) 71 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 71 2005.3.4, 4:37 PM Our Daily Life n many tourist marketplaces in northwest Yunnan Province, it is a common sight to find a woman in ethnic minority costume sitting at the door of a shop, busily embroidering a necktie, with other products displayed, as if all the goods were her handicrafts. The locals all know, however, that the “handicraft” products are in reality machine-made. The popularity of local ethnic minority embroidery has ironically created a booming industry of machine-made “handiwork” to meet market demand. The introduction of machines in the production of these crafts has improved efficiency and speed to market, on the one hand, but also dealt a blow to traditional handicrafts on the other. The unique and poetic artistry created stitch by stitch is vanishing amid consumer demand for uniform patterns and designs. Unlike their mass-produced counterparts, traditional handicrafts are made from natural materials. Religion, to a degree, prevents material misuse in handicraft production and utilization. For instance, the Dongba paper used in Sutra copying by the Dongba priests is deemed sacred; only the paper made by a few families in the entire Lijiang Region is acceptable. The paper-making technique has been passed down for generations within the same households. The Dongba priests are obliged by customary law to go to the recognized papermaking masters for procurement of the paper which is almost exclusively used for Scripture copying and Dongba painting. Such a custom has kept the local paper-making tradition alive. Moreover, the exclusive usage has contributed greatly to the preservation of the raw material, a tree called”Wan Dai” (canescent wikstroemia). Nevertheless, the rising fame of the Dongba culture has made the paper a hot commodity and sent the price The introduction of machines has improved efficiency and effectiveness on the one hand, but also dealt a blow to traditional handicrafts on the other. The ancient, poetic, ingenious and individual beauty created stitch by stitch is vanishing amid uniform patterns and designs. perspective A Vanishing Handicraft Daily Life Our ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 72 2005.3.4, 4:37 PM Our Days Village Life in the Mountains He Yunying ( Female 30 years old Gele Village ) : “This family specializes in raising ducks and has built duck sheds by the Lashi Lake. The man sleeps in the shed in the night. They have two species of ducks, one for laying eggs and the other for meat. The produce is sold on the market. In the egg-laying season, the income from the eggs is pretty good. The ducks are driven into the lake in daytime, and back into the sheds for feeding in the evening. They feed the ducks with grains, not manufactured fodder.” ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 73 2005.3.4, 4:37 PM Our Daily Life He Yunying ( Female 30 years old Gele Village ) : “I followed my neighbors to the lakeside of Lashi hai and took several pictures of them hauling in the fishing baskets, weighing the fish and holding their big catch in great joy. On the day, they caught one big fish that weighed more than 4 kilos and two more than 6 kilos each. They earned 180 Yuan by selling them to a restaurant in town. Earning like that is quite common and they sometimes can make 400 to 500 Yuan a day.” Sha Guixiang ( Female 38 years old Upper Nanyao Village ) : “The elder sister of my husband herds the goats 7 hours a day in the mountain. Among the 63 goats under her care, 38 belong to my family.” 74 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 74 2005.3.4, 4:38 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. He Yunying (Female 30 years old Gele Village ) : “The men of Dayucun Village come to fish on the Lashi Lake together in daytime. Here in my village, fishing is a men’s job.” 75 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 75 2005.3.4, 4:38 PM Our Daily Life Jin Xiuhai (Female 30 years old UpperNanyao Village) : “Sha Yuzhi and her daughter-in-law are harvesting buckwheat in the field. Buckwheat should be harvested in early morning, before the dew dries up, like in this picture. The next morning, also before the dew is gone, the buckwheat is threshed on a plastic or canvas sheet on the ground. Buckwheat seeds come off easily, especially when they are dry. Buckwheat flour is often needed for Yi people, especially for traditional festivals. We therefore always grow buckwheat in the fields. Buckwheat is sowed in March and harvested in August or September. In addition to our own consumption, some buckwheat is sold on the market or to dealers. Now, some of our land has been designated for reforestation and buckwheat fields are less than before.” 76 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 76 2005.3.4, 4:38 PM Li Chunyao ( Male 31 years old LowerNanyao Village ) : “The two children are laughing happily. The country kids grow up on the land. Though they don’t have delicacies like children in the cities, the coarse foodstuff makes them strong. Their daily toys are natural things such as stones, earth and tree branches. The boy in red is holding a slingshot made of a fork-shaped twig by his parent. He and his buddies often shoot birds for fun with it. Kids of their age are almost old enough to help their families with farm work, like herding the goats, sheep and cattle and collecting firewood. At seven or eight, their parents will send them to the Nanyao Primary School. Whether going to junior or senior high school or college will depend on the family's economic situation. Of course, it also depends on the performance of the child at school. In the countryside, the percentage of children going to school maybe not too low, but the dropout rate is also high.” Mu Fenghua ( Female 40 years old Jixiang Village ) : “The house is nearly completed except for the stairs. In the cornharvesting season, strong men are needed to carry the corn to the second floor, basket by basket. It is a tough and backbreaking job.” 77 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 77 2005.3.4, 4:40 PM All photos in this issue are taken by mountain villagers in northwestern Yunnan Province of China. Our Daily Life Liqing Kangzhu (Female 14 years old Mingyong Village) : “October is corn-harvesting season. It is an exhausting but happy time. I like the season and the feeling of working hard. I brought the camera with me when I went to work in the field and the shot was taken when I saw people in my family carrying corn on their backs.” Anan (Male 52 years old Yubeng Village) : “This boy's name is Cilinongbu and is 13 years old. He has started learning from the elders how to herd the livestock this year. He has to milk the cows twice a day in the morning and evening.” 78 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 78 2005.3.4, 4:40 PM Mu Yuexian (Female 21 years old Meiquan Village) : “After the chilly pepper is collected in the field, it is sold to the dealer at Junliang Village for 0.50 Yuan a kilo. In recent years, the price for chilly pepper has been low, lower than the previous years.” Zeng Yiwen ( Male 48 years old Ludian , Lijiang ) : “I’m a ranger of the Anle Village. On the way home after my patrol in the forest, I saw a herd of homecoming goats. The shepherd drives them every morning onto the road and goes home to take his lunch, having no need to look after them during the day. The lead goat will take the herd back home around 5 o’clock in the afternoon. So, when I shot this picture, there is no shepherd but only the goats.” 79 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 79 2005.3.4, 4:40 PM Wang Xinyuan ( Male 24 years old Yule Village ) : “These women are sweeping up and bagging the wheat husks after threshing. The husk is used for feeding chickens and pigs. Yule Village is a village having the most farmland in Lashi Township-about two Mu (1 Mu = 1/15 hectare) per person. So, we grow and harvest more grain and cash crops. Naturally, more land means more work. At harvest time, dealers come to buy grains, mainly wheat flour, corn and beans in the village. Because the people in the Tai’an Mountain only grow yams, we sometimes go there to sell our grains or barter for yams.” Yang Dingmei ( Female Tibetan 46 years old Zeyang Village ) : “After barley is harvested, we put it on a rack to dry. When the barley dries up, we take it down to thresh with a tractor. It saves a lot of labor this way. After threshing, the women will separate the barley from the weed by sieving twice with a cribble and a finer sieve.” 80 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 80 2005.3.4, 4:41 PM Amu ( Male 49 years old Yubeng Village ) : “I am the only Tibetan medicine practitioner in the Yubeng Village. In the picture, I am bandaging a patient. I have also participated in the ‘Photovoice’ project. This picture was taken by my brother, Amu. I learned Tibetan medicine from an old practitioner at Yongzong. I mainly treat people with herbs. Sometimes I go to Deqin or Tibet to buy Tibetan and western medicine to treat my fellow villagers. I can treat all kinds of diseases, both surgical and internal. I do not charge anything for treating bruises or swelling with herbs and only get paid for the ready-made Chinese or Western medicine. The Yubeng Village has only me as the medical doctor and I have no successor at present. I grow and collect my own medicinal herbs, which is basked in the herb room. I have about 20 species, many with flowers and roots. In the photo, I am treating my son. He hurt himself seriously with an axe when he went in the mountain to cut firewood. He is recovering fast after my treatment.” Yixi (Female, 50 years old Meilishi Village) : “This picture shows some nomadic people herding their livestock along a steep and treacherous mountain path. These nomads move to different pastures in different seasons following good grass. They move to lower altitude in the winter and higher in the summer.” 81 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 81 2005.3.4, 4:41 PM Our Daily Life Yang Wenying ( Female, Naxi, 42 years old Ludian, Lijiang ) : “ I took this picture in Wudishi Village on the Torch Festival Day. I went into the mountain to sell things that day. What I sold included ham, fruits and soft drinks. This is a scene of the whole village celebrating the festival together. This Yi village has around 60 to 70 families. They are very hospitable. When guests arrive, they are treated warmly and generously. Whatever the villagers have, be it a pig, chicken or sheep, they kill and cook it for the guests. They mainly grow oat, buckwheat, potatoes and have a well established animal husbandry. Due to the high altitude and size of the pasture, they leave their livestock in the mountains in the summer and there is no need to take care of them from April to October when nothing gets lost. My Yi friends bring back my cattle in winter. In return, we offer them a couple of bags of grains in the harvesting season to thank them for looking after my livestock during the summer.” 82 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 82 2005.3.4, 4:42 PM He Yunying (Female, 30 years old Gele Village) : “He Yaokun, the grandpa, and his grandson are with their cormorants in the boat. In the past, almost every household had cormorants for fishing. However, since the government issued a seasonal fishing ban a couple of years ago, the catch has become smaller. Some people continue to catch fish during the prohibition period, some even in the spawning season, which has greatly reduced the fish stock. With less fish, few families can afford to keep cormorants any more. A thin string is tied around the cormorant's neck. Thus, when it catches fish, it can only swallow the small ones and leave big ones to the fishermen. There are two species of cormorants: domesticated and wild, but they look almost the same. The old man in the picture is showing his sorrow at the diminishing fish stock.” 83 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 83 2005.3.4, 4:43 PM Photovoice organized photo shows in the villages involved in the project so as to let the villagers have a look at the pictures they have taken. The viewers are very interested. AUTHENTIC VOICES By Ma Ruoyu W hen I first met our Photovoice Project photographers, it was hard for me to link them to those crisp, vivid pictures I had seen previously. In front of me was a group of traditional villagers who have never had a chance to go out and see the world outside their villages; nonetheless, shots they produced with simple point and shoot cameras have been published by several major print media. As the project proceeded, I got to know them more closely and realized that it is actually quite natural for these villagers to produce such vivid, authentic images-after all, no one else is more familiar with their land and environment. Thanks to the numerous interactions I had with them in later times, I found my horizons greatly broadened. The Photovoice Project is a participatory community project in which participants are given cameras by TNC to take photos that record and provide information on natural and cultural resources for conservation area planning in China's northwest Yunnan. It involved 223 local photographers from 64 natural villages in the region, who were given some basic training in photography before getting started. With the assistance of the project implementer, these villagers took pictures of the rich and diverse natural and cultural resources surrounding them as well as their traditional ways of life. Over a year, each village photographer is encouraged to use one roll of film each month for pictures on "Nature, Culture and Village Life". Also, project coordinators who speak local dialects travel to the villages involved every month with the printed pictures taken by the village photographers the previous month and interview the photographers about reasons or stories behind the pictures they took, in order to document what the pictures tell of their environment and daily activities. Villagers involved in the project included members from ethnic groups such as the Naxi, Tibetan, Yi, Pumi, Lisu and Bai. The first task I had when I started with this project was to coordinate a village exhibition of Photovoice pictures. According to the project outline we were to hold an exhibition for the involved communities after a 6-month period of fieldwork. Before the event took place, each photographer joined local project facilitators to select two of their best pictures for display. Then we had the pictures enlarged and framed. This first exhibition gave me the chance to get acquainted with each and every one of our first group of village photographers. 84 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 84 2005.3.4, 4:43 PM On the day when the exhibition was held, Diqing TV station sent a reporter to join us on our trip to the exhibition venue to cover the event. We set off early in the morning from Shangri-la County town. As soon as we arrived at Wenshui Village at the gateway to the Shangri-la Gorge in the afternoon, we started to make preparations. Constrained by the local physical condition, we chose a passageway in front of a village store for the exhibition, where villagers like to gather for chats, and pictures were hung on the wall to each side. Before the exhibition was opened the following day, Mr. Qin, a village head, called a preliminary meeting to tell the villagers about the Photovoice Poject. Apart from encouraging the villagers to take even better pictures, Qin expressed his wish for more cameras to be provided by The Nature Conservancy. At the meeting, Wang Xiaosong, Director of Shangrila Tibetan Research Institute, which has been one of our local partners, briefed the villagers on the event's purpose and called their attention to common misuses of cameras for future improvement. Regarding the exhibition as a rare cultural community gathering, many villagers came to the exhibition in their traditional Tibetan costumes, some with kids and wool to knit. In Zeyang village, some women just got back from their trip to the mountains to collect pig fodder. Engrossed and admiring the pictures of the familiar scenes, these women even forgot the heavy loads on their backs. A teacher from Nagela Primary School finished his class earlier than usual time to allow students to be present at the exhibition. Together with his students who had gathered in front of a picture in a squabble about who's who in the picture, the teacher explained what impact the event had on his students. "It's such a rare occasion, especially for these countryside children," he declared, "They've never had a chance to attend a picture exhibition before." Like many others, I was very excited on my first field trip to Yubeng Village, since I had looked forward to it for a long time. The purpose of my field trip to Yubeng was a follow-up activity, and to find out what had become of our photographers after Phase I project implementation (August 2001 to August 2002) was completed in Meili area, Deqin county and Lashi Lake, Lijiang City. Our follow-up project was about the pilgrimage route. According to Tibetan Buddhism tradition, one must circumambulate a sacred mountain at least once in a lifetime as a 'reconnaissance' trip before heading for an afterlife. This trip also helps relieve one of a dread of death and makes it possible for him or her to be blessed by the Mountain God. For these reasons, these sacred places are normally well preserved. We wanted to have some of our good photographers take some shots during a threemonth period themed on "The sacred geography along the pilgrimage route". The related data would be fed into our conservation project. Yubeng village is located at the foot of Mt. Kawagebo, the highest peak of Meili Snow Mountains in Deqin Villagers taking part in the Photovoice are looking at their own works. 85 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 85 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM County, Diqing Prefecture. All villagers here believe in Tibetan Buddhism. To outsiders this small village of 30 households has always been shrouded in mystery. I stayed at Getailamu's home. Getailamu had been one of our Photovoice photographers. Much to my surprise, I found she was still using the camera we had given her a year before. Getailamu told me she took pictures of her family on their 'mountain circumambulation' pilgrimage. As she could not find a place in Yubeng village to have her pictures developed, Getailamu asked if I could do this for her. I was deeply impressed and agreed immediately. I asked her to tell us the story behind each of her pictures, just as we had done before. Yubeng is a far-flung village where there is neither film for sale, nor the facility to have pictures developed, not to mention that the villagers have very limited income sources. Yet some of our former photographers such as Getailamu continued taking pictures after the project had ended. "Why are you still taking photos?" I couldn't help asking Getailamu. "I love it very much" was her answer. Then I asked her father Arong, a retired primary school teacher if the family supported Getailamu to participate in our picture-taking project. In nodding his yes, the old man took out a picture to show to us. This was a Yubeng Village 86 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 86 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM panorama taken by Getailamu herself, and one of the exhibits put on display at the last village exhibition. It features the serene village nestled at the foot of Mt. Kawagebo under the bright sun. A complacent father that he was, the old man told us he liked this photo best. He thought his daughter did a good job. I explained to Getailamu the purpose of this follow-up project, and that we would like to have a handful of our former photographers to help take pictures of people and scenes along the mountain circumambulation pilgrimage over a three month period. When asked if she was interested, she agreed enthusiastically. A new facilitator would be sent to write down stories behind her new photographs. Very likely, I said, some of the pictures would be picked for future exhibitions or publications. Getailamu liked the idea but seemed a bit disappointed."only for three months? ” she asked. In the evening, we met with the village head to inquire into the villagers' current lives. We were told that with the help of TNC, some solar power units and micro-hydraulic generators had been installed in the village, and the villagers were now able to enjoy such amenities as watching TV and taking hot showers. "This year, TNC also distributed some beddings, in addition to small outlays, to households capable of starting up a homestay operation to receive visitors," said the village head, "and thus many families have found their incomes increased." He further told us that people still lacked access to running water, and most of his fellow villagers requested that a road should be built; and they wished us to bring their requests to the attention of the local government. When asked about any feedback concerning the Photovoice Project implementation in their village, he thought it was a good thing-while taking pictures people could still work in the fields as usual. He hoped there would be more projects to be implemented in Yubeng Village in the future. On another occasion, we were in Zeyang Village near the Shangri-la gorge on a field trip, an old photographer told us he preferred to take pictures of natural settings such as forests and mountains. "I want to take some pictures of our village," He said, "then, in the future I can show them to my grandson, and let him know what our village was like in our time. " In reply to my question about the impact on their lives of the government ban on logging, for example in meeting their needs for homebuilding, the old man said he believed the logging ban was good for everyone. With this ban, people could rotate to build homes in about a 15-year period for a turn. In early July 2004, the Photovoice Project team organized a series of exhibitions in the four counties surrounding Laojunshan Project Site to conclude the work in this area. During this time, we were very impressed by the great support offered by local county government officials. Some arranged to make facilities available for our exhibitions, others facilitated with the local news media, including Lijiang TV and Lijiang Daily to cover these events. Generally, all people involved showed great enthusiasm and interest in our exhibitions. Zhang Shoucheng, Vice Governor of Jianchuan County, not only came to address the opening ceremony of the exhibition in his county, but also met with Ann McBride-Norton, TNC Photovoice Project Director, during which the two shared their views on the conservation and development efforts in Jianchuan. In addition to an invitation for Mrs. McBride-Norton to visit Jianchuan for a second time, Vice Governor Zhang expressed his hope that the TNC team may organize another exhibition in the county at the end of that month when a large local produce fair would be held. Apart from the positive reaction from local officials, these exhibitions were well visited by local schools. In Laojunshan Town, more than three hundred students from five schools attended the exhibition held in this town. Teachers took advantage of the event as an excellent occasion for environmental education, and the village photographers were busy recounting to the students stories behind their favorite pictures. The whole process and event has proven to be a great success. After three years of hard work, TNC has managed to collect some fifty thousand pictures and thirteen thousand stories behind them. These stories cover a diversity of themes, including environmental protection, local traditions/customs, daily village life and farmers at work, community development, and indigenous knowledge. At present, work is underway on the classification and translation of the stories to develop a database, which will be placed on the Web, accessible to the public and researchers alike. We hope that, Web surfers will be able to easily access these pictures and stories of the local village lives, rare rituals and customs that have been lost elsewhere as well as traditional art forms and the delicate relationship between Humans and Nature. From August 29 to September 6, 2003, a Photovoice exhibition was held at Shanghai Grand Theatre as part of the Shanghai International Art Festival celebrations to tie in with the famous composer Tan Dun's concerto "Map" premiere in China. At this exhibition, about 50 pictures and their stories were put on display. To date the TNC Photovoice Project has become an effective vehicle to reveal what rural life in mountainous Yunnan is like. Another Photovoice exhibition is scheduled to be held in May 2005 at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. It is our wish that through such events, the voices of the villagers in northwest Yunnan will be heard by more people, not only in the region but worldwide. (The author is TNC Photovoice Coordinator) 87 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 87 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM About TNC China Program T he wind whips across the ra zor-sharp summit of Mount Kawagebo, stirring hundreds of brightly colored prayer flags near the border of China's Yunnan Province and Tibet. The highest peak in the Meili Snow Mountain range, Kawagebo is one of eight sacred mountains in Tibetan Buddhism. Meili and the surrounding ranges reach up to 21,770 feet (6,636 meters)-only 7,000 feet shy of Mount Everest's record-breaking height. Here the upper reaches of four of Asia's great rivers-the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween and Irrowaddy-come within just 55 miles (89 kilometers) of one another. Monsoons blow across the foothills and up the valleys of the mountain ranges, bringing moisture from the Indian Ocean and allowing a rich variety of trees and plants to grow at elevations up to 14,100 feet (4,300 meters). Within a single day's journey one can see the plants and herbs used in traditional Chinese and Tibetan medicine. In a place where some of Asia's last untouched forests lie, northwest Yunnan's lush valleys, precipitous river gorges and rugged, ice-capped mountains support a vast diversity of life, including more than 400 species of birds. The area also provides habitat for rare and endangered mammals like snow leopards, Yunnan golden monkeys and red pandas. Home to an extraordinary abundance of plants and animals, northwest Yunnan is also one of China's richest regions in terms of human and cultural diversity, with more than three million people repre- senting 15 ethnic minorities living in the project area. According to paleontologists, humans have lived here for more than a million years. Fifteen of China's 55 ethnic minorities are found in the region, including Naxi and Tibetans, whose belief systems are deeply rooted in a respect for nature. At Meili Snow Mountain and other places, a sacred geography overlaps with biological diversity. The alpine ecosystems and high ridges are the home of female deities and are considered "pure land," essentially off-limits to humans. Unfortunately, this remarkable natural wealth is threatened by modern pressures such as deforestation action, the world could witness the loss of China's remaining biological diversity, along with the cultural diversity so closely linked to it. Fuelwood collection has been identified as one of the most significant threats to northwest Yunnan's natural resources, with more than 300,000 acres (130,000 hectares) of forest cleared each year for cooking and heating. In addition to devastating the area's biological diversity, this deforestation causes erosion, silting in rivers and reservoirs, and destructive flooding. The Nature Conservancy and the Chinese government are responding to this challenge with a bold vision for preserving China's natural and cultural heritage and promoting the economic well-being of its citizens. In northwest Yunnan Province, The Nature Conservancy has formed an unprecedented partnership with the Chinese Government to protect the most biologically diverse temperate ecosystem on Earth. China's State Development and Planning Commission and the Yunnan Provincial Government invited the Conservancy to become a partner in building a model for a national system of protected areas. As a result, the Yunnan Great Rivers Project, one of the most ambitious conservation projects ever undertaken, was launched in June 1998. The project area now spans 25,000 square miles (64,750 square kilometers), covering an area about the size of West Virginia. Through the Yunnan Great Rivers Project (now an important part of the TNC China Program), the Conservancy is working with its partners in China to help abate serious threats to the area's unique natural resources, including unplanned and unmanaged tourism and the unsustainable collection of fuelwood and plants. Management plans for new protected areas have been prepared for Yunnan's biologically rich areas, including Laojunshan, a mountainous area with important Yunnan golden monkey habitat, and Meilixueshan, where the Conservancy is working with local governments and partners to created a protected area that will be a model "national park" for China, not unlike Yellowstone in the United States. The U.S. National Park Service is assisting provincial and local governments in planning for natural and cultural resource protection and well-managed tourism in northwest Yunnan. 88 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 88 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 89 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM Hong Zhengyong ( Male, 28 years old Xuehua Village) “The ‘Torch Festival’ is the most important event for us Yi people. In the daytime, the whole clan holds a big prayer ceremony to worship the gods and spirits. In the picture, my sister-in-law, my second brother’s wife, is offering a sacrifice of chicken blood to the God of Earth. In the evening, the people light up their torches to drive away the evil spirits. The whole festival is a happy time when we slaughter and cook sheep and chickens, drink liquor, sing, dance and invite our best friends to feast.” 90 ＨＦ０２６０ｐ６４ｔ８８ 90 2005.3.4, 4:44 PM