Travel to Yunnan

The Ethnic Peoples of Yunnan


Yunnan is a border province in Southwest China with many ethnic
groups. Of all the 56 ethnic groups of China, 26 can be found in
Yunnan. Among them, the Yi, Bai, Dai, Tibetan and Naxi ethnic groups
are the most in number. Such ethnic groups are the living legacy of
the ancient civilizations of this region. The Old Town of Lijiang,
built by the Naxi people, was listed as a world cultural heritage site
in 1997; the Sideng Market Area of Shaxi village, built by the Bai
people, with its intact way station on the Tea and Horse trade route,
was listed as a world architectural heritage site in 2001; and the
unique marital customs of the Mosuo people of Lake Lugu, are remnants
of an alternative, matriarchal society of mankind, in which they
"co-habit" but rarely marry.

The belief in Buddhism has a long history among the majority of ethnic
peoples in Yunnan. Most of the traditions have continued till today.
Some Dai boys go to the monasteries for Buddhist practice and study as
a necessary requirement for future marriage. Tibetan families take
pride in sending boys to become monks. On the first and fifteenth day
of each lunar month, the Bai and Naxi villagers go to monasteries to
worship Buddha by burning incense. In this way, Buddhism remains
influential upon Yunnan. The world-famous ancient Buddhist relics of
the Three Pagodas in Dali, the grottoes in Jianchuan and the
Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), are testament to this.

The ethnic people of Yunnan are very good at expressing their culture
through folk songs and dances. The exciting Bawangbian (power whip)
dance of the Bai people; the melodious classical music of the Naxi
people; the Guozhuang dance of the Tibetan people; and the delicate
Peacock dance of the Dai people, to name just a few. These rich
cultural traditions are also reflected in their ethnic costumes and
traditional architecture.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Peoples are fostered by the very land they
inhabit". The fertile land of Yunnan helps foster the unique life
style and artistic spirit of its ethnic people. This beautiful and
charming place has spectacular and picturesque scenery of high
mountains, great rivers, vast grasslands, and plateau lakes. Beautiful
examples include the surging Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze river,
the rippling waters of Lake Erhai in Dali, the Meili snow mountains
and the tropical rain forests in the south. For more details, please
visit http://www.edward-adventures.com/EA/ethnic.htm

I have been to Yunnan a few times and I really love the scenary, people
and ethnical cultures there.

I still enjoy the climing to the top of
the snow-caped Mt. Haba. It locates in Zhongdian, not very difficult to
get onto the top. We camped in a yak herdman's hut, and started
climing early in the next morning and we back to the hut at about 4:00
in the afternoon. It is so beautiful on the top. Yangzi river is at
its foot, right on the other side of the river is Mt. Jade Dragon, which
is even higher than Haba. And at the far north , we saw three snow
capes stand up the clouds. We checked our map, guess they could be the
Three Holly Mountains in Yading, Daocheng,Sichuan,170 kilos away.
When
we came down the mountain, through a big village on the slope, we saw
Naxi, Yi, Muslim people lived in the same village. But their clothes
were absolute different, so amazing.


--
Posted via http://britishexpats.com

(Edward He) wrote in message om...
The Ethnic Peoples of Yunnan


Yunnan is a border province in Southwest China with many ethnic
groups. Of all the 56 ethnic groups of China, 26 can be found in
Yunnan. Among them, the Yi, Bai, Dai, Tibetan and Naxi ethnic groups
are the most in number. Such ethnic groups are the living legacy of
the ancient civilizations of this region. The Old Town of Lijiang,
built by the Naxi people, was listed as a world cultural heritage site
in 1997; the Sideng Market Area of Shaxi village, built by the Bai
people, with its intact way station on the Tea and Horse trade route,
was listed as a world architectural heritage site in 2001; and the
unique marital customs of the Mosuo people of Lake Lugu, are remnants
of an alternative, matriarchal society of mankind, in which they
"co-habit" but rarely marry.

The belief in Buddhism has a long history among the majority of ethnic
peoples in Yunnan. Most of the traditions have continued till today.
Some Dai boys go to the monasteries for Buddhist practice and study as
a necessary requirement for future marriage. Tibetan families take
pride in sending boys to become monks. On the first and fifteenth day
of each lunar month, the Bai and Naxi villagers go to monasteries to
worship Buddha by burning incense. In this way, Buddhism remains
influential upon Yunnan. The world-famous ancient Buddhist relics of
the Three Pagodas in Dali, the grottoes in Jianchuan and the
Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), are testament to this.

The ethnic people of Yunnan are very good at expressing their culture
through folk songs and dances. The exciting Bawangbian (power whip)
dance of the Bai people; the melodious classical music of the Naxi
people; the Guozhuang dance of the Tibetan people; and the delicate
Peacock dance of the Dai people, to name just a few. These rich
cultural traditions are also reflected in their ethnic costumes and
traditional architecture.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Peoples are fostered by the very land they
inhabit". The fertile land of Yunnan helps foster the unique life
style and artistic spirit of its ethnic people. This beautiful and
charming place has spectacular and picturesque scenery of high
mountains, great rivers, vast grasslands, and plateau lakes. Beautiful
examples include the surging Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze river,
the rippling waters of Lake Erhai in Dali, the Meili snow mountains
and the tropical rain forests in the south. For more details, please
visit http://www.edward-adventures.com/EA/ethnic.htm



Bordered by Myanmar on the west and Lao PDR and Vietnam in the south,
Stretching up to the Tibetan tableland in the north. Yunnan is a home
to many of China's colourful ethnic minorities. The province also
natures an enormous range of flora and fauna in the most varied
terrain in China with it's tropic rain forests and icy Tibetan
highland...

Emily

Trekking along the Yangtze in Yunnan was a great expedition, we
enjoyed our time with the guide Teddy, he took good care of us and
cooked delicious meals for us along the trek. You can contact him for
a private tour at

Tom







(Emily) wrote in message . com...
(Edward He) wrote in message om...
The Ethnic Peoples of Yunnan


Yunnan is a border province in Southwest China with many ethnic
groups. Of all the 56 ethnic groups of China, 26 can be found in
Yunnan. Among them, the Yi, Bai, Dai, Tibetan and Naxi ethnic groups
are the most in number. Such ethnic groups are the living legacy of
the ancient civilizations of this region. The Old Town of Lijiang,
built by the Naxi people, was listed as a world cultural heritage site
in 1997; the Sideng Market Area of Shaxi village, built by the Bai
people, with its intact way station on the Tea and Horse trade route,
was listed as a world architectural heritage site in 2001; and the
unique marital customs of the Mosuo people of Lake Lugu, are remnants
of an alternative, matriarchal society of mankind, in which they
"co-habit" but rarely marry.

The belief in Buddhism has a long history among the majority of ethnic
peoples in Yunnan. Most of the traditions have continued till today.
Some Dai boys go to the monasteries for Buddhist practice and study as
a necessary requirement for future marriage. Tibetan families take
pride in sending boys to become monks. On the first and fifteenth day
of each lunar month, the Bai and Naxi villagers go to monasteries to
worship Buddha by burning incense. In this way, Buddhism remains
influential upon Yunnan. The world-famous ancient Buddhist relics of
the Three Pagodas in Dali, the grottoes in Jianchuan and the
Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), are testament to this.

The ethnic people of Yunnan are very good at expressing their culture
through folk songs and dances. The exciting Bawangbian (power whip)
dance of the Bai people; the melodious classical music of the Naxi
people; the Guozhuang dance of the Tibetan people; and the delicate
Peacock dance of the Dai people, to name just a few. These rich
cultural traditions are also reflected in their ethnic costumes and
traditional architecture.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Peoples are fostered by the very land they
inhabit". The fertile land of Yunnan helps foster the unique life
style and artistic spirit of its ethnic people. This beautiful and
charming place has spectacular and picturesque scenery of high
mountains, great rivers, vast grasslands, and plateau lakes. Beautiful
examples include the surging Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze river,
the rippling waters of Lake Erhai in Dali, the Meili snow mountains
and the tropical rain forests in the south. For more details, please
visit http://www.edward-adventures.com/EA/ethnic.htm



Bordered by Myanmar on the west and Lao PDR and Vietnam in the south,
Stretching up to the Tibetan tableland in the north. Yunnan is a home
to many of China's colourful ethnic minorities. The province also
natures an enormous range of flora and fauna in the most varied
terrain in China with it's tropic rain forests and icy Tibetan
highland...

Emily

Awa Mountains -- the Land of Inspiration

On the China/Myanmar border with the Mekong river to the west and the
Salween to the east, there lies the beautiful and mysterious land of
the Awa mountains.

Among the high peaks, deep valleys and plains live a number of ethnic
groups, such as the Lahu, Dai and Han people who migrated here long
ago. An indigenous people, the Wa originally lived in caves or tree
dwellings. This has left an indelible impression on their cultural
practices. Cave paintings painted with bare fingers with liquid
mixtures of animal blood and hematite powder as pigments can still be
found among the cliffs in the Awa mountains. These paintings (15
currently discovered) vividly depict the life of the ancestors of the
Wa people in caves as tree dwellers and hunter-gatherers. Some of
these images date back to the Neolithic period and are a rich source
of material for students of fine art, architecture, and anthropology.

Surprisingly, the Wa also developed a unique and sophisticated
literature. Farming created a new way of life for the ancient Wa
people as they moved out of their cave dwellings and built houses and
villages. The cliffs of Cangyuan county have well-preserved frescoes
of the ancient New Rice Festival of the Wa. In ancient times, human
heads of the enemy tribes were used as sacrifices to the rice god.
Nowadays, they are replaced with buffalo heads.

As time goes by, the Wa people's way of life has become quite
different from the mysterious life of their ancestors. Although they
no longer head-hunt, their ancestral songs, dances, sacrificial
ceremonies, and ethnic costumes have remained much the same.

The Awa mountains have also inspired the Dai people living in this
area. Their bamboo houses are architecturally unique, specially
designed for upstairs living and the benefit of cool air drafting
upwards in the local steamy tropical climate. For more information,
please visit http://www.edward-adventures.com/EA/awa.htm


Edward He







(Edward He) wrote in message . com...
Trekking along the Yangtze in Yunnan was a great expedition, we
enjoyed our time with the guide Teddy, he took good care of us and
cooked delicious meals for us along the trek. You can contact him for
a private tour at

Tom







(Emily) wrote in message . com...
(Edward He) wrote in message om...
The Ethnic Peoples of Yunnan


Yunnan is a border province in Southwest China with many ethnic
groups. Of all the 56 ethnic groups of China, 26 can be found in
Yunnan. Among them, the Yi, Bai, Dai, Tibetan and Naxi ethnic groups
are the most in number. Such ethnic groups are the living legacy of
the ancient civilizations of this region. The Old Town of Lijiang,
built by the Naxi people, was listed as a world cultural heritage site
in 1997; the Sideng Market Area of Shaxi village, built by the Bai
people, with its intact way station on the Tea and Horse trade route,
was listed as a world architectural heritage site in 2001; and the
unique marital customs of the Mosuo people of Lake Lugu, are remnants
of an alternative, matriarchal society of mankind, in which they
"co-habit" but rarely marry.

The belief in Buddhism has a long history among the majority of ethnic
peoples in Yunnan. Most of the traditions have continued till today.
Some Dai boys go to the monasteries for Buddhist practice and study as
a necessary requirement for future marriage. Tibetan families take
pride in sending boys to become monks. On the first and fifteenth day
of each lunar month, the Bai and Naxi villagers go to monasteries to
worship Buddha by burning incense. In this way, Buddhism remains
influential upon Yunnan. The world-famous ancient Buddhist relics of
the Three Pagodas in Dali, the grottoes in Jianchuan and the
Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La (Zhongdian), are testament to this.

The ethnic people of Yunnan are very good at expressing their culture
through folk songs and dances. The exciting Bawangbian (power whip)
dance of the Bai people; the melodious classical music of the Naxi
people; the Guozhuang dance of the Tibetan people; and the delicate
Peacock dance of the Dai people, to name just a few. These rich
cultural traditions are also reflected in their ethnic costumes and
traditional architecture.

As a Chinese saying goes, "Peoples are fostered by the very land they
inhabit". The fertile land of Yunnan helps foster the unique life
style and artistic spirit of its ethnic people. This beautiful and
charming place has spectacular and picturesque scenery of high
mountains, great rivers, vast grasslands, and plateau lakes. Beautiful
examples include the surging Tiger Leaping Gorge of the Yangtze river,
the rippling waters of Lake Erhai in Dali, the Meili snow mountains
and the tropical rain forests in the south. For more details, please
visit http://www.edward-adventures.com/EA/ethnic.htm



Bordered by Myanmar on the west and Lao PDR and Vietnam in the south,
Stretching up to the Tibetan tableland in the north. Yunnan is a home
to many of China's colourful ethnic minorities. The province also
natures an enormous range of flora and fauna in the most varied
terrain in China with it's tropic rain forests and icy Tibetan
highland...

Emily