Bai Ethnic Marriage Customs

bai Marriage Customs

In the past, arranged marriages were commonplace among the Bai people but fortunately nowadays Bai youths have the freedom to choose who they want to marry. That being said, the customs and procedures of their wedding ceremony are still largely adhered to, so they haven’t entirely escaped tradition. Once a young man and woman have announced their engagement, the groom will hire workers to begin building a stage in his home, because apparently weddings aren’t expensive enough without turning your house into a theatre!

In a display worthy of a British stag-do, the groom arranges for local singers and actors to perform on this stage on the eve of the wedding and invites his relatives and friends to celebrate his last night as a single man. Providing the wedding stage doesn’t get completely trashed, on the wedding day itself the groom will get up early and prepare a banquet for the guests. This sumptuous feast is punctuated by live music, which is a shame because the bride isn’t there to see it! At this point, in some areas the groom will travel to the bride’s home accompanied by his best man and a bridesmaid, while in other areas he is forbidden to see the bride before the wedding so sends his entourage in his place.

On arrival at the bride’s house, the welcoming party is received with the playing of lively music. This is where one of the strangest customs comes in, as the party are greeted by the bride’s elder relatives with series of odd questions, such as “where are you from?” and “what did you see on the way here?” Their responses must be quick and humorous, or else they will be playfully mocked by the bride’s family. As if getting married wasn’t stressful enough! The bride’s family then hosts the famous Bai tea ceremony known as San Dao Cha or Three Courses of Tea. Four to six men from the bride’s family will make toasts to the groom and his entourage, followed by the groom making toasts to the bride’s family.

According to custom rather than feeling, the bride then has to cry intentionally and sorrowfully in front of her family. As she cries, she should express her gratitude to her parents for having raised her. The bride will then leave her family home and go to the groom’s house, accompanied by more joyous music. That is, if all the mocking and fake crying hasn’t given them cold feet! Once the bride has arrived, she is taken to have her make-up done. While this takes place, children at the wedding are given fire torches and are free to play until the wedding ceremony begins. After all, what could be more fun than giving a bunch of children flaming torches?

When the bride is ready, the children accompany her into the bridal room, which will have been decorated with auspicious symbols. Horse saddles imply diligence, a mirror symbolises bravery, and three arrows indicate happiness. The bride then pays respect to the gods and the groom’s parents. The couple must then rush to compete for a space on a large pillow in the bridal room. It is said that whoever sits on this pillow first will be master of the house, although this is commonly regarded as a joke.

bai Marriage Customs 02The couple then eats a bowl of incredibly spicy noodles together, which leaves them tearful and is designed primarily to make the guests laugh! From mockery to forced crying to burnt tongues, Bai weddings seem to be pretty sadistic affairs! Finally the couple will cross their arms together and drink wine, which symbolises that they will respect and love each other forever.

In the evening, an intimate dinner will take place between the bride, the bridesmaid, and the elderly women from the groom’s family. After the meal, the bride pays respect to the groom’s elder relatives and gives each of them a pair of embroidered shoes that she has made. In turn, they reward her with monetary gifts. The bride’s younger relatives and neighbouring children will then gather and pay respect to her, and are rewarded with candies and fruit.

Benzhuism of Bai Ethnic Minority

bai ethnic benzu02

The Bai people believe in a mixture of Buddhism, Confucianism, and an indigenous religion known as Benzhuism. In fact, their religious beliefs are so diverse that it is not unusual to find a Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Benzhu temple within a single Bai village. After all, when it comes to the afterlife, you’ve got to have your bases covered! They adopted Buddhism sometime during the 7th century and Guanyin, the Buddhist deity of mercy, features prominently in some of their oldest myths.

However, by far the most fascinating are the beliefs surrounding their native religion of Benzhuism. This religion revolves around the worship of what they call ngel zex and what the Chinese call benzhu (本主), which roughly translates to mean “local lord” or “local ancestor”. Though its popularity has waned throughout the years, it has recently made a comeback and, according to a census done in 1990, there were approximately 986 Benzhu shrines in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture alone!

The Bai are polytheistic and their beliefs incorporate aspects of animism[1] and traditional Chinese religion. In fact, they worship pretty much anything, including natural objects, such as stones and trees; ancient deities, such as the God of the Mountain and the God of the Sun; historical heroes from various ethnic groups; legendary characters from folklore; and kings, princes, generals or ministers of the Nanzhao (738-902) and Dali (937-1253) Kingdoms. However, all of these deities act as subsidiaries to the local lord or benzhu.

Generally speaking each village will have its own benzhu, which is the main subject of worship for the villagers, although several villages will sometimes share the same benzhu. Other gods, such as the Dragon King who controls rainfall, the Mother God who distributes children to parents, and the God of Fortune who allocates wealth, all continue to function but are subordinate to the benzhu.

bai ethnic benzu01The villagers believe that the benzhu protects their village and passes on their wishes to the heavens, effectively acting as an intermediary between heaven and earth. These gods are always historical heroes, warriors, sages, leaders, or ancestors that have some sort of link to the village they protect and have been deified. For example, according to legend, the royal Duan family came from Qingdong village near Xizhou and thus their local benzhu is Duan Siping, the founder of the Dali Kingdom.

The mythology surrounding each benzhu is wonderfully rich, as every one of them will have a magnificent story to justify their position as a god. They have considerable power and are able to protect crops and livestock, dispel illness, and bring prosperity to the villagers. Whenever a member of the community is born, is sick, dies, or gets married, the villagers will perform certain ceremonies at the Benzhu Temple.

Some scholars believe that Benzhuism was the Bai people’s way of reinforcing their entitlement to certain territories. By worshipping a historical figure who first settled the area or who saved it during some kind of catastrophe, they emphasised their right as the historical figure’s descendants to inhabit that area.

The Nama branch of Bai people, who live near the Lancang River, have preserved the cult of the white stones, which they are believed to have inherited from the ancient Qiang people. However, the origins of these beliefs aren’t entirely clear. Some believe these stones are the sacred bones of their ancestors, while others think they are demons’ bones that are too dangerous to be moved, and still others feel they are symbolic of the Fire God, a deity worshipped throughout China.

bai NamaThey also believe in the cult of the celestial ox, which is a godlike animal that has the power to protect the village, prevent disasters, and benefit the growth of crops and livestock. They believe that this ox, like the benzhu, can act as an intermediary between gods and men. The Nama perform a ritual sacrifice during the 6th lunar month of each year whereby they transform a regular ox into a celestial one, “help” the ox reach the heavens by sacrificing it and beseech it to present their entreaties to the gods. That being said, I can’t imagine the ox is too keen to help them after they’ve just killed it!

Sometime during the 18th century, Benzhuism was introduced to the Nama and intermingled with their religious beliefs, which is evidenced by the images of the celestial ox that can still be found in their Benzhu Temples. The term “nama” means “tiger” in their language, as the Nama people believe that they are descended from tigers and so worship the Mother Tigress as their ancestral benzhu.

 

[1] Animism: The belief that all non-human entities, including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects, possess a spiritual essence or soul.

Dragon Boat Festival

The figures of powerful men furiously driving their dragon-headed boats through choppy waters, the crowds raucously cheering on the banks, the people ceremoniously throwing rice into the river; these iconic images of the Dragon Boat Festival have become as famous throughout the world as the loosing of the lanterns and the dragon dance during the Chinese New Year. Dragon boat races now take place across the globe, from America through to Holland, but few spectators know the tragic history behind them.

The Dragon Boat Festival, known in China as the Duanwu Festival, is over 2,000 years old and was made an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO in 2009. It takes place on the 5th day of the 5th month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, so it is sometimes referred to as the Double Fifth Festival. This means that, according to our calendar, the dates for the festival change every year. If you’re planning a trip to China, be sure to check the festival dates for that year or you might miss it. It’s now a statutory public holiday in China, so be prepared for crowds!

The festival usually takes place on or around the summer solstice; the longest day of the year. The force of yang and the sun are considered to be at their strongest around this time. Since the sun and the Chinese dragon were both traditionally associated with masculine energy, the dragon naturally became connected to this festival. Chinese people celebrate mainly by hosting dragon boat races, eating zongzi and drinking realgar wine. However, the lively atmosphere of the festival can be misleading, as its origins are actually rather dark.

Origins

Qu YuanMost Chinese people regard the festival as a commemoration to the poet Qu Yuan (340–278 B.C.). During the Warring States Period (c. 476-221 B.C.), Qu Yuan was a loyal advisor to the king of the State of Chu. He was one of the few advisors who opposed the alliance with the State of Qin, as he was worried that his homeland would be subsumed by the Qin Empire. Soon other advisors, who supported the alliance and disliked Qu Yuan, conspired against him and he was exiled. He wrote much of his poetry in this state of exile.

In 278 B.C., the Chu capital of Yingdu fell to the Qin army. Overcome by his intense grief, Qu Yuan penned his final poem, “Embracing the Sand”, and drowned himself in the Miluo River. Local fishermen jumped in their boats and rushed down the river in an attempt to find him, but to no avail. Out of respect, locals threw packets of rice into the water to distract the fish so they would not eat his body. In one variation of the story, a local shaman threw realgar into the river in order to intoxicate a water dragon, which the fishermen promptly killed. During the festival, the dragon boat races imitate the fishermen rushing to find Qu Yuan’s body, the zongzi represent the rice packets thrown into the river, and the realgar wine symbolises the shaman’s use of realgar. Thus the celebrations are intended to pay tribute to Qu Yuan’s sacrifice.

In some parts of China people still attribute the festival to the scholar Wu Zixu. Wu Zixu was an advisor to King Fuchai of the State of Wu but tragically, like Qu Yuan, his advice went ignored. The king forced him to commit suicide and had his body thrown into the river on the fifth day of the fifth month, which some believe is why the festival is celebrated on this date. In places such as Suzhou near Shanghai, which is believed to have been part of the State of Wu, he is commemorated alongside Qu Yuan.

Some researchers believe that the stories of Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu were superimposed on to a pre-existing holiday. It is believed that Confucian scholars encouraged the promotion of these stories in order to strengthen their authority as a school of thought during a time when other belief systems were gaining influence in China. This belief is substantiated by historian Sima Qian[1], who praises both Qu Yuan and Wu Zixu but makes no mention of their connection to the festival. Since many of the festival customs focus on the avoidance and prevention of disease, researchers believe the original festival may have originated from a desire to protect the community against infectious diseases that were common during the mid-summer months.

Customs

粽子01The three main activities are the racing of dragon boats, the eating of zongzi, and the drinking of realgar wine. Zongzi are packets of glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves that are filled with either savoury or sweet ingredients. The making of zongzi is a family activity and each family will normally have their own recipe and cooking method for this tasty treat. Realgar wine is made from Chinese cereal wine that has been laced with powdered realgar (a mineral made from arsenic and sulphur). Since alcohol is associated with yin, this wine will supposedly help dispel the force of yang during the summer months and thus protect the drinker from infectious diseases. That being said, it won’t protect you from getting drunk! Only adults will drink the wine; children will have the word “king” (王) drawn on their forehead or chest with the realgar slurry or will wear amulets containing realgar.

Dragon boats are so named because the fore of the boat is designed to look like a dragon’s head and the rear is carved to look like its tail. These elaborately decorated boats are truly spectacular, both resting on land and gliding through the water. During the race, a team of people will work the oars whilst one person at the front will beat a drum to keep time. The winning team will supposedly bring good luck and a good harvest to their village in the following year. The best places to see the magnificent dragon boat race are Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Yueyang or Fenghuang Ancient Town in Hunan province, Kaili in Guizhou province, and Hong Kong.

Other, less common activities during the festival include hanging up icons of Zhong Kui (an immortal guardian figure), hanging Chinese mugwort and calamus root from windows and doors to deter mosquitoes and other insects, taking long walks, wearing perfumed incense pouches designed to ward off evil spirits, and the “making the egg stand” game. In this game, if you manage to make a raw egg stand directly upright at exactly 12:00 noon on the day of the festival, you will have good luck for the next year. If you don’t, you’ll just have raw egg all over your hands!

Several regions practise their own unique customs during the festival. For example, in Beijing all food stores will sell an item known as the “Five-Poison Cake”. This is a rose-flavoured pie with images of the five most poisonous creatures (scorpions, frogs, spiders, centipedes, and snakes) imprinted on it. Don’t worry; it’s designed to protect you from these creatures, not to poison you! Similarly, in Linqing county of Shandong province parents will make yellow cloth shoes for their children which have the five most poisonous insects painted on them. This is designed to protect the child from these insects, perhaps by giving the shoes enhanced squishing power!

[1] Sima Qian (145–90 B.C.): A famous Chinese historian whose most noted work was called Shiji or Records of the Grand Historian

Drum Towers

drum tower yintan

The Drum Towers that loom over every Dong village look like giant cedar trees winding their way to the sky. Drum Towers are a triumph of Dong architecture and are deeply culturally significant to the Dong ethnic minority. They are the place where the elders meet, socialise and, at one point in history, even passed judgement. They are an important social hub in any Dong community and are thus the perfect place to experience authentic Dong culture. There is a Drum Tower in every Dong village and, though they all bear basic similarities, no two towers are ever exactly the same.

There are two different types of Drum Tower: single-pillar towers and multi-pillar towers. As the name suggests, single-pillar towers are braced by only one pillar. They are the less popular of the two types. Multi-pillar towers are braced by four main pillars and 12 smaller pillars, which are believed to represent the four seasons and the 12 months of the year. The four central pillars are sometimes referred to as the “Golden Pillars”. Like the Wind-Rain bridges, the Drum Towers are built without using any nails and instead rely on groove joints, which hold the beams and columns of the tower together perfectly. Most Drum Towers will have a square base but the tower itself will usually be hexagonal or octagonal in shape. The storeys of the tower get wider as they go from top to bottom, giving the tower a tapered appearance. Every Drum Tower will have an odd number of storeys, as the Dong people believe this is a symbol of good fortune.

gulou01In accordance with the Dong people’s worship of trees, the outline of the Drum Tower is supposed to look like a large tree, specifically a cedar tree. The shape of the tower is supposed to represent the legendary Cedar King from Dong folklore. The tower’s interior and exterior will be lavishly decorated with carvings and paintings of animals, famous historical figures, flowers and tableaus of legendary stories, festivals and daily life. The first storey is usually the most elaborately decorated. In every village, the local clan will have built their own Drum Tower. The size of the tower and the artistic beauty of its decoration indicate the status of the clan who built it, so a large and extravagantly decorated Drum Tower is a sign of a wealthy and powerful Dong community.

Inside the Drum Tower there are benches between the four main pillars. These benches encircle what is called the “fire pond”, which is a fire pit that is kept lit throughout most of the year. It is believed that one of the functions of this “fire pond” is to dry out the inside of the Drum Tower so the wood does not rot, as Guizhou’s climate is notoriously damp and rainy. A large leather drum hangs down from the top of the tower, which is why they are called “Drum Towers”. The drum is beaten whenever something of import happens within the village, although nowadays most towers do not have working drums.

Historically the Drum Tower has always had an important social function within any Dong community. In the past, the council of elders in a Dong village would gather in the tower whenever someone from the village had violated one of the village rules. There they would confer and decide upon a suitable punishment for that individual. Once they had reached a decision, the elders would beat the drum and the villagers would gather to hear the verdict. This custom is no longer practised, although some small disputes may still be handled by the council of elders within the Drum Tower. Nowadays it is a place where villagers can gather to entertain each other by singing, playing instruments, dancing or simply meeting and socialising. The tower is also still the main venue for important festivals.

The number of Drum Towers in each village depends on how many clans or large families live within the village. Each large family or clan will erect their own Drum Tower as a monument to their family. Small Dong villages will only have one Drum Tower because they usually only house one clan and all of the villagers will have the same family name. Larger Dong villages, such as Zhaoxing, will have more than one Drum Tower because the village is home to a number of different clans, all with different family names.

Zengchong Drum Tower

增冲鼓楼

The Zengchong Drum Tower is regarded as one of the archetypal Dong-style Drum Towers and it is the largest Drum Tower in Guizhou province. It is located in Zengchong Village, about 50 kilometres northwest of Jingxian County. It was built in 1675, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and it covers an area of over 100 square metres. It is a five-storey octagonal shaped tower, stretching 20 metres from top to bottom, with 13 eaves and a pyramidal roof. The “fire pond” within the tower is nearly 2 metres in diameter. There are three doors into the tower, on the south, north, and west sides respectively, and there is a horizontal tablet on the ground floor. This tablet was carved in 1830 and has four Chinese characters inscribed upon it, which read: “Ten-Thousand-Li[1] Soft Breeze”. The leather drum within the tower is still intact and in use today.

Drum Towers are often considered holy shrines by the local people and so, if you visit Zengchong village, be sure to note what is hanging from the village gate. If there is a thatch design hanging from the gate, this means religious celebrations are taking place and only residents are permitted entrance to the Drum Tower.

Unfortunately, at the moment there is no direct transport to Zengchong village. In order to get to the village, you first need to take the bus from Kaili to Rongjiang, which takes about 4 hours. After that, you must take another bus from Rongjiang to Congjiang and get off at Tingdong. From Tingdong, the only way to get to Zengchong village is to flag down a tractor that is heading that way, as there will be no taxis or public buses in Tingdong. There are private hostels in Zengchong village that are very cheap and near to the Drum Tower, although they may not be equipped with all modern amenities. Alternatively, you can visit the Drum Towers in the Dong villages of Sanbao, Yintan or Xiaohuang, which are all much easier to get to.

 

[1] Li: A unit of distance used in China that roughly equates to 500 metres (1,640 ft.)

 

Join a tour with us to explore more about Drum Towers: Explore the Culture of Ethnic Minorities in Guizhou

Fujian Tulou (Earthen Structure)

The Fujian Tulou or Fujian Earthen Structure is a type of dwelling built by the Hakka and Hoklo people in the mountainous regions of southern Fujian. A Tulou is a large, enclosed structure that is usually circular or rectangular in shape and is used to house multiple families. They are usually between 2 to 5 storeys high and the largest Tulou can hold up to a hundred families. Every family in the Tulou community enjoys perfect equality because every room in a Tulou is the same size and has exactly the same design.

There is a famous story about a group of Fujian Tulou: In 1986, during the Cold War period, the US satellites found many strange circular and square shaped structures, resembling a group of nuclear bases, hidden in the valleys of southern China, near Taiwan. Fearing an impending nuclear attack from Communist China, the US sent a unit of CIA spies to China to investigate, and eventually they were embarrassed to find that the “nuclear bases” were just simple Tulou:

The Fortified Walls of the Tulou:

These large clay buildings are usually two to five storeys high and have a specific, defensive function. There are no windows on the external walls of the ground and first floors, while there are small windows on the walls of the second floor and above. The base of the wall is about 3 meters thick. The wall of the first floor is 1.5 meters thick, so the wall reduces in thickness slightly as it ascends.

Fujian Tulou, defensive function

A Brief history of the Tulou: 

From the beginning of the Western Jin Dynasty (307-12 BCE) onwards, there were several significant immigrations from central China to Fujian. Among these immigrations, there was a particularly large scale one that took place during the late Tang Dynasty (7th-8th centuries). It was those immigrants that settled down in the southeast of Fujian Province and subsequently became the Hoklo people. During the Song Dynasty, due to the conquest of northern China by the Jin ethnic group, many people fled from central China yet again, bringing with them their culture and language. These people finally settled down in Fujian, Guangdong and Jiangxi and formed the Hakka ethnic group.

In the beginning, the newcomers built houses following the traditional Han-style of architecture. However, during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, society was unstable because of frequent fighting between ethnic groups, and all the while robbers and thieves were running rampant. The Hakka and Hoklo people improved their homes gradually so that they eventually became a perfect defense against attackers and trespassers. These fortress-like dwellings were called Tulou.

The first Tulou appeared at some point between the 11th century and the13th century. The design for the Tulou was developed from the 14th century right through to the 16th century, and reached its peak between the late Ming Dynasty and the late Qing Dynasty (17th – 18th centuries).

Different types of Tulou:

1. Round or Circular Tulou

According to national records, there are more than 1,100 circular Tulou in Fujian. Among these circular Tulou, nearly 800 of them adopt the “connected rooms” design, where each room on the same floor is connected by a corridor, and more than 300 of them are composed of separated rooms, in which each family has their own “apartment”. Generally speaking, the Tulou inhabited by the Hakka people mostly follow the “connected rooms” design, while the Hoklo people prefer Tulou that have separated apartments.

Each floor in the Tulou has a specific function and follows the same general design rules, regardless of whether the Tulou has “connected” or “separated” rooms. The kitchens and living rooms are always on the ground floor, the first floor is for food storage, and the second and third floor rooms are used as bedrooms. In some Tulou the food is stored on the top floor to keep cereals dry, but this can be somewhat inconvenient when cooking as the kitchens will still be on the ground floor.

Most Tulou have an Ancestral Hall in the middle of the yard for inhabitants to worship their ancestors. Around the Ancestral Hall there are usually rooms that used for studying.

The most famous circular Tulou:

Huaiyuan Lou

Huiyuan Lou was built in 1909 and is a typical example of a Tulou that follows the “connected rooms” design. Because of its short history, the whole building is well preserved and thus serves as a good example of what a circular Tulou should look like.

Huaiyuan Lou is four storeys high and has a diameter of 38 meters. Each of its floors has 34 rooms. Nowadays there are still 60 people living inside this Tulou.

Longjian Lou

Fujian Tulou, Longjian louLongjian Lou is a typical example of a Tulou that follows the “separated rooms” design. It has more than 300 years of history behind it. The diameter of the whole site is 82 meters. It is the biggest of all the existing and well-preserved circular Tulou. Longjian Lou is made up of three rings. The external ring makes up the main structure and has three floors, with 50 rooms on each floor. By comparison, the two internal rings are only one-storey high and their rooms are used as kitchens and living rooms.

 

2. Rectangular Tulou

There are more than 2,100 Tulou that have a rectangular shape. Among these rectangular Tulou, more than 1,900 of them follow the “connected rooms” design and about 200 of them follow the “separated rooms” design.

Some rectangular Tulou have a large yard in which small courtyards can be constructed. Most of these small courtyards were built to house Ancestral Halls. Some rectangular Tulou have more than one yard, and these extra yards have been made by adding annexes onto the periphery of the individual apartments.

The most famous rectangular Tulou:

Hegui Lou

Hegui Lou is a very typical rectangular Tulou. It was built in 1732 and follows the “connected rooms” design. Hegui lou was originally four-storeys high. In 1864 it was destroyed by robbers during an attack, and it was subsequently rebuilt as a five-storey Tulou. The main structure of the new compound follows that of a rectangular Tulou and it has 24 rooms on each of its five floors. A hall in the yard is connected to the Ancestral Hall in the main building. There is also now a front yard to provide more space for residents.

Nowadays there are only 30 people living in this Tulou.

Xishuang Lou

Fujian Tulou, Xishuang louXishuang Lou is a huge Tulou compound. It covers 94m*86m filed. The main Tulou in this group is a three-storey rectangular Tulou that follows the “separated rooms” design and is divided into 65 “apartments”. In the large inner yard there are six small courtyard houses that make up the Ancestral Hall.

 This monumental compound was constructed in 1679. There are still more than 500 residents currently living there.

 

3. Wufeng Tulou (Five Phoenix Tulou)

Please look at the following photograph to get an idea of its size and appearance:

Fujian Tulou, Wufeng lou

In Chinese, Wufeng refers to five mythical birds, each of a different colour, and it also stands for the four points of the compass – north, south, east, and west, and the centre (making five points altogether). The name Wufeng Tulou signifies that the compound has buildings that have been specially placed in all five of these positions. A Wufeng Tulou is multi-layered and thus, from an exterior perspective, it resembles a grand palace and also a phoenix that is about to take off into the sky.

A typical Wufeng Tulou consists of three main buildings that sit along its central axis. The shortest building, the one at the base of the axis, forms the entrance. Further along there is the central building. The central building is taller than the entrance building and usually serves as the Ancestral Hall, which is at the centre of the entire compound and is used for holding clan ceremonies and receiving guests. Finally, at the top of the axis, there is the rear building. The rear building is between three to five storeys high and is the tallest of all the buildings. It forms the main structure of the Tulou and its rooms function as bedrooms for elder members of the family. These three buildings are connected by corridors that form two yards. Rooms on each side of the yards are used as kitchens, studying rooms and toilets.

Wufeng Tulou are the earliest form of earthen houses. This is why their style most closely resembles that of traditional Han-style architecture from the central plains of China. Their appearance and design gradually evolved into that of the rectangular Tulou and the circular Tulou over time. The only feature that still connects the more modern Tulou to Han-style architecture is the position of the Ancestral hall within the inner yard, which follows the traditional Confucian principles in Han culture.

There are about 250 Wufeng lou in Fujian Province.

The most famous Wufeng lou:

Fujian tulou, dafudiDafudi

Since they were the earliest dwellings built by immigrants from Central China, Wufeng Tulou were built according to traditional Han ethnic principles and the layout followed Fengshui theory1, which they believed would bless the family with scholarly honour and high ranking official positions. In Chinese, the meaning of “Dafudi” is “the residence of a government official”.

Dafudi was built in 1828 and is the best example of a Wufeng Tulou.

Fuyu Lou

福裕楼01Fuyu Lou is a large Wufeng Tulou with six inner yards. Built in 1882 by three brothers, it follows the Han-style of architecture intricately and beautifully. The ground and walls have been paved or built with cobblestones, to make the compound look more luxurious than others. The exterior shape of the building makes it look like three mountains, which suggests that the three brothers who built it were like three magnificent mountains. 

 

Explore more about the life in Tulou with us on the unique travel: Explore the Ancient Fortresses of Southeast China

Shanxi Grand Compound

shanxi compound

Shanxi Grand Compounds were magnificent courtyard houses that were originally built during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties by prosperous families hailing from Shanxi province. Many of them are scattered throughout Qi County, including the Qiao Family Compound, the Wang Family Compound, the Cao Family Compound, and the Qu Family Compound. These families largely skyrocketed to untold wealth by becoming merchants or bankers, which enabled later generations to take the imperial examinations and become powerful government officials. In short, the golden apple never falls too far from the money tree!

These compounds are so impressive in their grandeur that they are more like castles than mansions, with an architectural style that imitates the traditional “siheyuan” or “quadrangle” of northern China. The Chinese quadrangle is typically formed in the shape of a rectangle, with all of its rooms facing inwards towards a large courtyard. Shanxi Grand Compounds are like a composite of several small Chinese quadrangles, which are ultimately surrounded by high walls for defensive purposes. After all, such a large display of wealth is bound to attract unwanted attention! The layout of these compounds is usually symbolic and expresses the hopes of the resident family. For example, the Qiao Family Compound was designed in the shape of the Chinese character “囍”, which means “happiness” and conveys the family’s desire for a bright future.

If you are interested in the history of the Shanxi merchants who built these compounds, please read the article entitled Jin Merchants.

List of the most famous Shanxi Courtyard:

  1. Qiao's family compund02The Qiao Family Compound

Thanks to its starring role in Zhang Yimou’s moving drama Raise the Red Lantern, the Qiao Family Compound is the most famous of its kind and has thus been beautifully preserved. Located within the village of Qiaojiabao approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) from the historic city of Pingyao, the compound was originally known as Zai Zhong Tang (在中堂) and was constructed in 1756 by a renowned merchant named Qiao Guifa, who made his fortune selling tea and tofu.

In the ensuing 160 years following its completion, it was restructured and extended three separate times by Guifa’s successors. The finished estate, which covers a colossal 8,724 square metres (93,904 sq. ft.), is comprised of 6 large courtyards, 20 smaller courtyards, one ancestral temple, and a staggering 313 rooms. Its imposing 10-metre (33 ft.) high walls endow the compound with a fortress-like appearance from the outside.

While the history of this majestic mansion began with the venerable Qiao Guifa, by far the most renowned and successful businessman of the Qiao family was Qiao Zhiyong. During the period when he was head of the family, the Qiao clan controlled over 200 shops located throughout the country, including a number of prototype banks, pawnshops, teahouses, and granaries. It was Qiao Zhiyong who embarked on the compound’s largest expansion, resulting in the grand mansion that we see today. Yet it wasn’t just Qiao Zhiyong’s business acumen that enabled the compound to succeed.

In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance sent troops to liberate their embassy in Beijing, which had been under siege as part of the violent Boxer Rebellion. Once they had resolved the issue with the embassy, they decided to invade and occupy the city of Beijing. In response, the governor-general of Shanxi province ordered that all foreigners in the region were to be killed on site. Seven Italian sisters, who were working in the country as missionaries, managed to escape the ensuing panic and eventually arrived at the Qiao Family Compound. They begged Qiao Zhiyong for protection and he accepted their plea.

To honour his benevolence, the Italian embassy awarded him with an Italian flag. Many years later, during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), the Japanese army chose not to destroy the Qiao Family Compound thanks to the presence of this flag, as Italy was one of their political allies at the time. The compound was occupied by the Qiao family right up until 1985, when it was converted into a museum.

Wandering through the compound’s many rooms and corridors is a banquet of delights, resplendent with some of the finest wood carvings, brick carvings, stone carvings, murals, and wall sculptures in northern China. Nowadays it houses over 2,000 cultural relics, including porcelain, silk embroidery, paintings, and divine furnishings that are sure to transport you back to the luxurious lifestyle of the Qiao family. Just don’t stay too long, or you may never want to leave!

 

  1. wang family compound01The Wang Family Compound

While it may not be as popular as the Qiao Family Compound, the Wang Family Compound is actually four times its size and rivals the Forbidden City in its magnitude! With six castle-like courtyards, six lanes, and one street incorporated into its vast complex, it stretches over an area of 150,000 square metres (161,4587 sq. ft.). Its five main courtyards were designed to symbolically represent the five lucky animals according to traditional Chinese culture: the Dragon, the Phoenix, the Tortoise, the Qilin (Chinese Unicorn), and the Tiger. In short, you could say the Wang family were living in the belly of the beast!

Like many of the Jin merchant families from this region, the Wang family began as simple farmers and eventually graduated to becoming small time businessmen. During the Ming Dynasty, they expanded their business gradually and hoped that, ultimately, their efforts would grant their successors the opportunity to gain official positions in the government. By the Qing Dynasty, the family had reached the peak of their prosperity and over 100 members of the Wang family were high-ranking officials. Talk about achieving your long term goals! Unfortunately all this good work would be undone towards the end of the dynasty, as future generations of the Wang family lacked their forebears’ ambition. After having lived in this grand mansion for 27 generations, the last members of the Wang family left in 1996 and it was opened to the public in 1997.

Nowadays, only two of the colossal courtyards and one of the ancestral halls are open to tourists, comprising a total of 123 smaller courtyards and over 1,100 rooms. The complex has been separated into three main areas: the Red Gate Castle; the Gao Jia Ya; and the Chongning Bao. Much like the Qiao Family Compound, these majestic halls have been transformed into exhibitions featuring artwork, calligraphy, sculptures, and other items that once belonged to the family. On August 18th of every year, a Tourism Festival is held in the Wang Family Compound, where visitors have the opportunity to watch and take part in traditional folk activities. It’s the ideal time to embrace the ancient culture in which this grand work of architecture was conceived.

 

 

Find more stories about Shanxi Grand Compounds and Jin Merchants on our tour: Explore Chinese Culture through the Ages

 

Yaodong (Loess Cave House)

The yaodongs of northern China represent the ultimate mingling between natural beauty and manmade ingenuity. Stretching across the Loess Plateau within the provinces of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Henan, they have been an integral feature of the landscape for over 4,500 years. Their name literally translates to mean “kiln cave” and is a reference to their arched interior, which supposedly resembles the inside of a kiln. While the name may sound rather fiery, yaodongs are renowned for being pleasantly cool during summer and comfortably warm during winter. Nowadays, it is estimated that more than 40 million people continue to live in yaodongs. To put that into perspective, that’s nearly four times the population of Belgium!

The first yaodongs were said to have been built during the Xia Dynasty (c. 2100-1600 BC) and were even mentioned in the Book of Songs, a collection of Chinese poems that were written from the 10th to the 7th centuries BC. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD), these yaodongs become much more elaborate, with inhabitants installing chimneys, functioning kitchens, and heated brick beds known as kangs. The Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties saw even further progress as these humble cave houses evolved from single room retreats to fully fledged homes with separate living quarters, livestock stalls, and even defensive walls. By the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties, their popularity had reached its peak and they were built widely throughout northern China.

The prevalence of yaodongs in northern China is usually attributed to their efficient design and cheapness to build. The loess soil from which they are constructed is abundant in the Loess Plateau and acts as an exceptionally effective insulator of heat, meaning inhabitants of yaodongs don’t need to spend extra money or effort heating their homes during the cold winters. In terms of style, they can be roughly separated into three different types: loess cliff houses; hole-courtyards; and “updated” brick houses. The ingenious loess cave houses are the simplest of the three and are dug directly into the loess cliffs that line the deep valleys of the Loess Plateau.

Hole-courtyards

The hole-courtyards are more complex, revolving around an excavated courtyard about 5 to 8 metres (16 to 26 ft.) deep that has been dug into the Loess Plateau itself. For this reason, they are sometimes called “yaodong wells” or “sunken courtyards”. The walls of this courtyard are then carved out to form rooms, much like the simpler loess cave houses. Fortunately for the inhabitants of these “yaodong wells”, it does not rain very often on the Loess Plateau, so there’s no risk of their home being turned into a swimming pool!

“Updated” Brick Houses

The newer tradition of “updated” brick houses are built partially or wholly above ground and outdoors, with an arched structure that is inspired by the original yaodongs. Although their roofs are covered with loess soil, they are stand-alone structures made of stone or brick and typically have elaborate designs carved into their façades. No matter the type, each yaodong usually consists of 3 to 5 carved out rooms, which are generally about 7 to 8 metres (23 to 26 ft.) long, 3 metres (10 ft.) wide, and 3 to 4 metres (10 to 13 ft.) high. After all, size doesn’t matter when you have a home this cosy!

Not only are yaodongs a fascinating form of folk architecture, they also played a critical role in the history of China. From 1935 to 1948, Chairman Mao Zedong and the Communist Party used yaodongs in Yan’an as their base of operations. American journalist Edgar Snow even visited Mao and his party in Yan’an before writing his acclaimed novel Red Star Over China. If you want to relive this exciting chapter in Chinese history, you can now stay overnight in a yaodong hotel and visit the original yaodongs where the Communist Party held their secret meetings.

Try the special Yarding hotels on Cultural Tour in Shanxi.

Roast Chicken in Fuli Town

Roast Chicken in Fuli Town

The roast chicken produced in Fuli Town in the north of Suzhou City is a local speciality that is famous not only in Anhui, but also across the whole of China. The recipe has over 70 years of history behind it, and this has produced a very unique flavour.

The cooking process of this roast chicken dish is very elaborate. Firstly, choose a fat, tender chicken. Secondly, clean and pin the chicken and then dry it. After that, pour malt sugar water on it and fry it in sesame seed oil. The chicken is then put into a special soup, which has been preserved and continuously used for over 60 years, and contains 13 luxurious spices, including camellia, angelica, gypsum, cardamom, cloves and magnolia, to name but a few. When it is stewed at a high temperature in this thick gravy, the chicken becomes very crispy. After being stewed like this for four to six hours, it can then be taken out of the soup and it is ready to eat. Thanks to this procedure, the roast chicken is delectable both in colour and taste. It is fatty but not greasy. If you pick up the chicken’s leg and shake it lightly when it is hot, the meat will drop off the bone completely.

Xuan Paper

xuan paper

With more than 1,000 years of history, beginning in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Xuancheng has always been the best place for the production of Xuan Paper. The name “Xuan”, as you can see, comes from the name Xuancheng.

The raw materials used in the production of Xuan Paper are the bark from green sandalwood, which is found in the mountainous regions of Huizhou, and the straw made from rice grown on sandy land. Following 18 different procedures, including rubbing, steaming, starching, soaking in water, pasting, drying and so on, the white, soft and durable paper is finished and ready for sale.

xuan paper produce

Xuan Paper is mothproof and mould-proof, resistant to ageing, very tensile and invariably white in colour. So it is often referred to as “the king of paper” and “the millennial longevity paper”.

Xuan Paper can be divided into two categories – Natural Xuan and Vitriol Xuan. Natural Xuan is used for the kind of freehand brushwork found in Chinese paintings and calligraphy, whilst Vitriol Xuan is more suitable for Chinese paintings with realist technique.

 

 

Get some Xuan Paper on our travel: Explore the Ancient Chinese Villages in the Huizhou Region

She Ink Slab

She Ink Slab

It is called the “Dragon Tail Ink Slab” because the best material for making the slab comes from Dragon Tail Mountain in Hizhou ( Hizhou is in Jiangxi Province now).

The She Ink Slab is green and sparkling in colour, it has a fine grain and it is very hard. It blends the ink with water well. The She Ink Slab is very precious for three reasons: 1. It is made of rare and beautiful stones which are only found on the bottom of streams in remote mountains. 2. It is a laborious job to try and carve this kind of hard stone.

 

Get some She Ink Slab on our travel: Explore the Ancient Chinese Villages in the Huizhou Region