Architecture of Dai Ethnic Minority

While wood, brick, concrete and even tile have been used to build houses for decades, the Dai ethnic minority are one of the few communities in China that have taken advantage of another novel and abundant resource. From the bases to the rafters, traditional Dai households are made almost entirely of bamboo! These two storey houses are normally square or rectangular in shape and their unique style dates back over 1,400 years. Large, load-bearing bamboo shafts are used to make the main framework of the house, whilst narrower ones are used to make the walls. In fact, the Dai have become so industrious with this versatile material that they even use bamboo twigs to bind together the bundles of dry grass used to thatch their roofs!

The upper floors of these houses are perched on thick stilts while the area under the stilts, or the ground floor, is either open or partially walled. This ground floor area is used to shelter livestock and store food, while the upper levels are used as a living space. Each household will have separate rooms for eating, working, and receiving guests, along with several bedrooms and a balcony used for drying laundry and storing the water tank. They are designed to be well-ventilated, as the Dai live in a very humid climate, and the living area is far off the ground to avoid flooding, poisonous snakes and insects such as mosquitoes. With a design this comprehensive, the only thing the Dai people have to worry about are hungry pandas!

According to local legend, the idea behind these houses came long ago, when a man named Zhu Geilang was travelling through Xishuangbanna. There he met a Dai youth named Yanken, who asked for his advice on how to build a better house. Zhu thought for a moment, then crouched down and pushed a few chopsticks into the earth. He took the hat from his head and placed it over the chopsticks, then turned to Yanken and said, “Just build it like this”. I dread to imagine what our houses would look like if we based them on our fashion choices!

dai architecture 01The Dai people have an enduring reverence for water, so it should come as no surprise that every village has a water-well that is loved and respected by the community. However, these are no ordinary wells! They look like tiny towers, resplendent with metre-high archways, painted decorations, golden roofs, and even elaborate sculptures of animals. A fence surrounds the well itself, outside of which people must use a long-handled bamboo ladle to scoop water into their buckets. It is forbidden for children to play near the well, for women to wash clothes in the well, and for men to water their cattle at the well. Basically, play it safe and don’t do anything near the well!

The Dai are devout Buddhists and so each of their villages will have its own temple. These temples tend to conform to the traditional Buddhist style of architecture but have an ethnic flair and follow the Chinese tradition of being placed in isolated and auspicious locations on mountainsides or deep within forests. The average temple complex consists of a temple gate, a main hall, rooms for the resident monks to live in, and a special room for housing the drum.

Large temple complexes will have a number of pagodas that are used as repositories for Buddhist relics. The interior and exterior of the temple buildings are often painted with panoramic murals depicting scenes from both Dai folklore and Buddhist history. They typically feature images of Buddha, various princes and princesses, and animals such as white elephants, horses, and deer, all stunning in their multi-coloured glory.

The main hall is situated on the east-west axis and is the primary place of worship. Monks gather here to light incense, chant sutras, and conduct a number of other religious activities in reverence to Buddha. The hall is punctuated by a dividing wall, which is at the central point where the roof slopes down on either side. The side of the hall facing eastward is home to a large statue of Buddha, which is arguably the most vital feature of any Buddhist temple.

The Dai people traditionally depict Buddha in a sitting position with “snail-shaped”, “flame-shaped” or “lotus-flower-shaped” hair and an exposed right shoulder. In order to draw attention to both his intelligence and his fabulous hairdo, his head makes up one-third of the height of the statue, although smaller figures are usually more naturally proportioned. While the Han Chinese traditionally depict Buddha as plump and smiling, the Dai’s representation is usually much slimmer and has an elongated face transfixed in a subdued expression.

Bai Ethnic Minority

Bai Ethnic Minority

The Bai people hold the colour white in high esteem and the term “Baizu” (白族) actually translates to mean “white people”. That being said, the Bai aren’t racist! They just have a preference for white clothes. The majority of their nearly 2-million-strong population can be found in Yunnan province, with smaller constituencies in Guizhou, Sichuan, and Hunan. They can be further separated into three ethnic subgroups; the Minjia, who represent 95% of the total population; the Nama, who account for just 3.5%; and the Lemo, who make up the last 1.5%. While the Minjia people predominantly live in the region near Erhai Lake, the Nama people can be found near the Lancang River, and the Lemo people inhabit areas near the Nujiang River.

The complexity of their culture is matched only by that of their history! Archaeologists have found evidence in the Erhai region that suggests it was inhabited as early as the Neolithic Era (c. 10,200-2,000 BC). Their findings indicate that these ancient people had already invented stone tools and engaged in farming, livestock rearing, fishing, and hunting. Other evidence, such as bronze knives and swords, imply that they began using metal tools approximately 2,000 years ago. Yet no one, not even the Bai people themselves, is absolutely sure whether these early settlers are their ancestors!

During the Qin (221-206 BC) and Han (206 BC–220 AD) dynasties, it is believed that locals in the Erhai area developed close ties with the Han ethnic group. In 109 BC, the imperial government sent large numbers of Han people there, who brought with them advanced techniques and tools. The Bai language, which borrows many words from Chinese, also supports the theory that they interacted with the Han people from an early stage. However, it wasn’t until the Tang Dynasty (618-907) that the Bai’s history began to be formally documented. Supported by the Tang Court, a group of Bai and Yi aristocrats unified the ethnic groups in the Erhai area and established the Nanzhao Kingdom (738-902), which was ruled by a man known as Piluoge.

Bai Ethnic Minority02Throughout its reign this kingdom was the most powerful political entity in southern China and successfully established alliances with both the Chinese and Tibetans. It was not only an important trade centre, linking China to commercial routes in Southeast Asia, but was also a religious centre where Buddhism flourished. At one point, this burgeoning empire was so large that it controlled parts of Vietnam, Burma, and Laos! However it oppressed many of the local ethnic groups, plundered their resources, and forced numerous people into slavery. The kingdom was overthrown with such violence that it took 35 years of chaos and revolt before the region finally recovered and Duan Siping was able to establish the Dali Kingdom (937-1253).

This kingdom was predominantly made up of Bai people and retained many of the political, cultural, and religious characteristics of its predecessor, but abolished exorbitant taxes and treated its citizens far more fairly. Since it was a valued commercial partner of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), its people enjoyed a period of peace and productivity. Unfortunately this tranquillity was not to last, as the Mongols annexed the Dali Kingdom during their eventual establishment of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and demoted the Duan royal family from leaders to Tusi[1]. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the Duan were removed and replaced with imperial officials.

This is where their history begins to get rather hazy, as it seems many Bai people decided to take matters into their own hands! In Bai culture, they have a complex clan system that has depended upon the use and systemisation of surnames since the Nanzhao Kingdom. This means that most clans will have a family temple where they keep extensive lineage records detailing their ancestors’ histories and accomplishments. Before the 13th century, most of these family records would place emphasis on the fact that their ancestors were officials for the Nanzhao or Dali Kingdoms.

However, during the Ming Dynasty many of these records were changed to “prove” that their ancestors had originated from Nanjing and were related to the Han ethnic group. Many scholars believe that this was designed to curry favour with the ruling Han imperials and help Bai aristocrats gain official positions. The Bai people thus foster a belief in dual ancestral origins; on the one hand, they believe that their forefathers were high-ranking officials in the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms; on the other hand, they allege that their ancestors were Han people who came from Nanjing as part of the Ming army. In short, don’t ask a Bai person about their family history unless you have a lot of time on your hands!

Historically the Bai are an industrious and well-educated people, having made great advances in meteorology, astronomy, architecture, medical science, literature, and art. Perhaps their most famous achievements are the magnificent Three Pagodas, which stand just outside Dali Ancient Town.

Like many ethnic minorities, the Bai people have great reverence for their elders. Traditionally youths should greet elders warmly and offer them their seat, a cup of tea, and a cigarette. It’s considered incredibly disrespectful to cross your legs or use foul language in front of an elderly person. In a Bai household, the first cup of morning tea is always offered to the oldest relative and during meals they will always sit at the head of the table and start eating first.

Many of these elders will be heads of their family temple. The Bai predominantly follow a surname-based clan system and so family temples are very common, particularly in the Erhai region. In Xizhou alone, there are temples belonging to the Yang, Yin, Dong, Zhang, and Yue families. When an elderly member of the family is appointed as head of the temple, they have the power to resolve disputes and make important decisions within the family. It is their responsibility to discipline and educate younger relatives, as well as oversee affairs such as the buying and selling of land.

The Bai people are also extremely superstitious and adhere to a number of taboos. Fireplaces are considered sacred and so it is forbidden to spit on or step over them; people who are mourning a death are not allowed to enter the homes of others; on New Year’s Eve, people should return anything they have borrowed and retrieve any items they have lent out, otherwise they will have bad luck and a poor harvest in the coming year; and on New Year’s Day, people must not use a knife, carry water into their home, or sweep the floor.

[1] Tusi: Chieftains or tribal leaders who were permitted to rule over a certain region and were acknowledged as imperial officials but who ultimately answered to the Emperor.

Read more about Bai Ethnic Minority:

Bai Spirituality       Architecture       Traditional Dress       Festivals       Marriage Customs       Agriculture and Craftwork       Three Courses of Tea

Dong Funerary Customs

Dong funerary

Dong funerals are notoriously complex and consist of many phases. People who suffer accidental or unnatural deaths will be cremated whilst those who died from natural causes will be buried. The first phase is the “receiving of the breath” phase, where the family will listen out for the person’s last words and their last breath. Once the person has perished, three spoonfuls of clear tea and a small piece of silver are placed into their mouth. The corpse is then “washed” with wet paper money and the old clothes are removed and replaced with burial clothes. A “dream bed” is arranged for the corpse, similar to a wake, and the suona[1] is played during the vigil. A red cockerel must be sacrificed before the corpse is moved from the “dream bed” into their coffin. White cloths will be worn on the heads of the mourners, which is also common practice among the Han Chinese.

The grave, which is referred to as the “well”, is then dug high up on a mountainside. A memorial ceremony will be held and gifts will be offered to the deceased as they are lowered into the grave. As prayers are being said, another chicken is sacrificed, lowered into the grave and then pulled back out for later consumption. A funeral reception is held at the deceased’s home. The sons will then build a burial mound near the family home and, once the burial mound is complete, the deceased is “called back home” to live at the altar of the family’s ancestors.

[1] Suona: A Chinese wind instrument. It is made up of a horn with a double reed that makes a distinctively loud and high-pitched sound. It comes in several sizes and the size of the horn affects the sound it makes. It is used throughout China in ritual music and folk music.

 

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Dong Birth Customs

Dong

The birth of a child is a momentous occasion in a Dong village and requires strict adherence to many conventions. The first is the “stepping-over-the-threshold” convention, which is the belief that the first person to enter the house where the child was born will be the greatest influence on its personality and future success. After this person is established, neighbours are invited to the house to bring gifts. The birth is then announced to the mother’s family and, on the third day, female relatives will visit with more gifts.

Dong CradleAfter the visitations from friends and relatives, a ceremony called “building the bridge” is practised, where three wooden planks are lined up side by side to symbolise a bridge and express goodwill to people passing by the house. The child’s hands are then wrapped in cloth, which the Dong believe will influence the child not to steal things later in life. The child’s first haircut and first taste of fermented rice happens when they are about one month old, and it is considered unlucky if these events happen prior to the one month mark. At six months old, the child will have their first taste of meat dipped in wine, which is considered a major milestone in the child’s life.

 

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Dong Oral Literature

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Dong people are renowned for their singing, particularly for the formation of what are known as Kam Grand Choirs, which are called Kgal Laox in their own language. Operas are also particularly popular among the Dong people.

Many folktales are preserved in Dong oral literature, usually in the form of songs. The focus of many popular tales re-count the leaders of past uprisings, such as Wu Mian, who led the 1378 rebellion against the Ming Dynasty during drought and famine, and Wu Jinyin, who revolted in 1740 because of a rise in grain taxes. Non-historical folktales include the two orphan brothers, Ding Lang and the dragon princess, the frog and the swallow, the dog, and the singing tree.

 

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Miao Agriculture and Craftworks

The cultivation of rice and maize are the chief means of subsistence for the Miao people. Rice, maize, millet and sweet potatoes are their staple foods, although in more northern areas they eat maize, buckwheat, potatoes and oats. Miao food typically employs sour and peppery flavours to enhance their dishes. Although the Miao diet is relatively simple, Miao dishes such as Fish in Sour Soup and snacks such as La Rou (a kind of cured, smoked bacon) are popular throughout Guizhou for their rich, flavoursome taste.

The craftwork of the Miao people is particularly magnificent. Miao men are accomplished at silverwork and all of the silver adornments worn by the Miao women will have been made by Miao silversmiths. The artistry of the Miao traditional dress is in part thanks to these silversmiths and in part thanks to the Miao women’s aptitude for embroidery. Their skill at embroidery is renowned throughout China and the Miao women embroider all of their own clothes. The main colours used in Miao embroidery are red and green, although colours will vary between different subgroups of Miao people. The patterns and figures embroidered on clothing are based partly on the natural world but also partly on the artists’ imagination. This is why dragons and phoenixes also feature in many designs and why certain animals, such as fish and birds, and plants will look different compared to how they appear in real life. Miao embroidery is famed for its delicacy, imaginative designs and use of vibrant colour.

The Miao women are also famed for their skill at the art of batik and their technique dates back over 1,000 years. First, the women use a knife that has been dipped in hot wax to draw a pattern onto the cloth. The cloth is then boiled in dye, which melts the wax. Once the wax has melted off, the cloth is removed from the boiling dye. The rest of the cloth will be coloured by the dye but the pattern under the wax will have remained the original colour of the cloth. These batik cloths are incredibly colourful and, although the method seems crude, the patterns on the cloth can be wonderfully elaborate.

The craftworks of the Miao people are beyond compare and look even more beautiful when worn during festivals or daily life. If you’re travelling through Guizhou during festival time, we strongly recommend you visit any of the Miao villages and marvel at the stunning traditional dress of the Miao people.

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Miao Traditional Dress

The daily clothing worn by Miao people will differ from place to place and many of the Miao subgroups are designated by the colour of their clothes, such as the Hmub Miao of southeast Guizhou who are often referred to as the Black Miao because of their characteristically indigo coloured clothing. In northwest Guizhou and northeast Yunnan, the Miao men will typically wear linen jackets that are colourfully embroidered and woollen blankets draped over their shoulders that are decorated in geometric patterns. In other areas, the men will wear short jackets that are buttoned down the front or to the left, long trousers with wide belts and long black scarves. In west Hunan and northeast Guizhou, the women wear jackets buttoned on the right and trousers that have delicately embroidered collars, sleeves and trouser legs. In other areas, the women wear high-collared short jackets and pleated skirts of varying length. These pleated skirts can have hundreds or even thousands of vertical pleats.

The pleated skirts worn by many young Miao women are culturally significant and wonderful legends abound as to how they came to be. The legend called “the Origin of the Pleated Skirts” states that, in order to differentiate themselves from other ethnic minorities, a mother and daughter set about sewing a unique skirt for the Miao people. They thought long and hard about what the skirt should look like but to no avail. Later, as they were walking through the countryside, they came across a kind of local fungus. The shape of this fungus inspired them and they set about sewing a skirt that would imitate the pleats of the fungus. Once it was complete, they wore the skirt to the flower site to thread flowers onto it. Other Miao women saw the skirt and all immediately praised it. Eventually, these pleated skirts spread throughout the Miao villages and even women from different branches of the Miao people began to wear pleated skirts of different lengths.

These pleated skirts can be divided into three lengths: long, mid-length and short. Long skirts reach near the ankle, mid-length skirts are below the knee and short skirts are above the knee. The length of the skirt can be used to distinguish different subgroups of Miao. For example, in Leishan there are a group of Miao women referred to as “short skirt Miao” because their skirts are only about 20 centimetres long. The legend behind this short skirt goes that a long time ago, in ancient times, there was a very brave and handsome Miao hunter. One day he caught a beautiful golden pheasant and sent it to his beloved, a girl called Abang. To express her gratitude, Abang wove cloth by hand and then stitched and embroidered it to imitate the feathers of the golden pheasant. When the hunter returned, she wore the beautifully decorated short skirt and looked as magnificent as the golden pheasant. Thereafter, this style of richly coloured and delicately embroidered short skirt became popular in Leishan.

On top of their beautifully embroidered clothes, Miao women are also famed for the glittering silver adornments that they wear during festival time. The Miao people regard silver as a symbol of wealth and so have a particular fondness for it. They also believe silver symbolises light and good health, so wearing silver will ward off evil spirits, stave off natural disasters and bring good fortune. When it comes to the ornamental silver worn by the Miao women, the heavier the better, so some festival outfits can weigh upwards of 20 to 30 jin (about 10 to 15 kg).

A typical festival outfit worn by a Miao woman will include a hat or crown, horns, a comb, earrings or ear pendants, a neckband, a necklace, a collar, bracelets, and rings, all made of silver. Most of these will have been handmade by Miao silversmiths. The decorations are typically in four styles: symmetrical style, balanced style, connected style and radiating style. They usually feature patterns involving dragons, phoenixes, flowers and birds.

The most striking of these adornments is the silver hat or crown. Common motifs for the silver hats are a magpie stepping on plum, a golden pheasant calling out, a peacock spreading its tail, and a male and female phoenix perched together. These motifs can vary in appearance from region to region. For example, the phoenix hat of the Huangping region features hundreds of silver flowers, four birds and one phoenix. The silver pieces at the back of this hat are meant to imitate the phoenix’s tail feathers.

In some Miao villages, such as the ones near Kaili, Leishan, Danzhai and Taijiang, the silver horns are the most important adornment. They vary in thickness and are meant to look like the horns of a bull. The horns are each typically 50 to 70 centimetres long. They normally have patterns hammered into them, such as phoenixes or dragons holding pearls, and are sometimes decorated with feathers or tassels. The collar is another indispensable silver adornment for Miao women and is sometimes called a “moon plate” because it is shaped like a crescent moon. Miao women will also wear either 3 to 5 bracelets or 7 to 8 bracelets on each wrist. These bracelets come in several different styles and can even be made to look like dragons.

The Chinese often refer to Miao women as “fairies” because of the ethereal appearance that their festival clothes give them. They are considered so beautiful and majestic in their traditional dress that they appear almost otherworldly. If you plan on visiting any of the Miao villages, we strongly recommend that you aim to arrive during festival time and catch these fairies flitting about the villages, singing and dancing in their glittering splendour.

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Dong Agriculture and Craftwork

dong rice

Dong people are well-known for cultivating dozens of varieties of glutinous rice, which are called “Kam rice” or “good rice”. They also typically grow maize, millet and mushrooms, and a variety of fruit, such as plums, peaches, pears, and watermelons, to supplement their diet. Dong people raise pigs, chickens, ducks, geese and fish for food, water buffalo for ploughing and for food, and dogs for protection and companionship. The “four pillars” of Dong cuisine are glutinous rice, pickled vegetables, red chillies and rice wine. Other popular local food includes barbecued fish, oil tea, and glutinous rice snacks. The Dong people also occasionally eat giant salamander, which is considered a rare local specialty. They will normally have two hot meals (breakfast and dinner) and one cold meal (lunch) every day.

dong life02Cotton is locally grown and weaved into cloth that is used to make clothes. Silks and finer cloths are exclusively used to make festival clothing. Dong men will normally wear short jackets with buttons down the middle, although in the south they wear collarless shirts and turbans. Dong women wear skirts or trousers that have beautifully embroidered hems. They wear their hair in a coil and wrap their legs and heads in decorative scarves.

Most regions where Dong villages are found are also famous for their fir trees. Dong people use the wood from these trees to build their houses and other structures in the village. They are skilful carpenters, and are also accomplished at silverwork and wickerwork. Wickerwork is usually done by the men, who use materials such as glutinous rice straw and bamboo to make baskets and other wicker furnishings.

 

 

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The Performance of Miao Ethnic Minority

miao performance01

Performances in Miao villages will always be set to music and, when it comes to the Miao people, the lusheng[1] is the instrument of choice, although other instruments like the suona[2] and the copper drum are also popular. During many festivals, the lusheng dance will be the focal attraction. It is a traditional dance performed by the Miao people in southeast Guizhou. This style of dance can be divided into two types: lined dance and stepping dance. In the lined dance, the performers will hold their lusheng, stand in a line and dance while turning around, with the performer playing the largest lusheng as their axis. In the stepping dance, two performers will play lusheng of the same size and act as the leaders of the dance. The other performers will circle around them and follow their movements.

basha04

The stepping dance in Rongshui County, Guangxi, is considered particularly magnificent as dozens of lusheng are played and hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of people will join in the dance. It is a true spectacle of joy and a wonderful opportunity to hear the folk music played on the lusheng. In western Guizhou, Yunnan and Sichuan the Miao people have become particularly famous for their special, acrobatic lusheng dance. Normally it involves one, two, four or eight performers. For example, in Yuanyang, Yunnan, a performer will climb up a decorated wooden pole that is several metres high whilst still playing the lusheng. While continuing to play, they will pick an object off of the top of the pole and climb down. Finally, when they are one or two metres from the ground, they will somersault off of the pole while still playing their lusheng. Other acrobatic tricks include playing the lusheng upside down, playing it whilst performing rolls, and playing it whilst jumping over objects.

 

[1] Lusheng: A wind instrument made of multiple bamboo pipes, each fitted with a free reed, that are all in turn fitted into a large, hardwood pipe. Normally there are five or six bamboo pipes that are each of a different pitch. Air is blown into the hardwood pipe to create sound. They vary in size from small, handheld ones to ones that are several metres in length.

[2] Suona: A Chinese wind instrument. It is made up of a horn with a double reed that makes a distinctively loud and high-pitched sound. It comes in several sizes and the size of the horn affects the sound it makes. It is used throughout China in ritual music and folk music.

 

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Dong Marriage Customs

dong minority

In Dong culture, courtship traditionally takes place in three stages. The first stage, known as the early meeting phase, is when the man and the woman will sing songs and recite poems to one another as part of a group. The second stage, known as the deepening love phase, is when the man and woman single one another out so their interaction is on a one-to-one basis and the songs are more spontaneous. The final phase, known as the exchange of a token phase, is when the man offers the women a token of his affection and the woman is expected to make excuses to test the persistence of her suitor. This token is usually a small gift that has little monetary value but it is incredibly symbolically important, as it is the Dong equivalent of offering the woman an engagement ring.

dong love01

Dong weddings normally last three days and begin in the bride’s family home. After the ceremony in the bride’s home, the bride is transported to the groom’s home, where the groom’s family will host an afternoon reception and an all-night feast. The following day, the guests take part in the “block the horse” ceremony, where the hosts block the village gate whilst singing songs. In Liping region, traditionally the bride continues to live at her parents’ home until she gives birth to her first child. Thereafter she will live with her husband permanently. In some Dong communities, the bride will living with her family after the wedding for a couple of years, since many Dong women get married when they are still very young. The family’s silver jewellery will usually be passed onto the bride by the mother after she is married.

dong wedding01
Dong people were going for a wedding, with their gifts.

 

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