On top of the world
(click on the pictures to see more detail)
Deb and I are always on the lookout for places
that haven't been overrun with backpackers, or even worse, busloads of
German tourists. On a web page called China
Now, Deb came across a description of a place called Yuanyang, which
appeared in none of our guidebooks. It is high in the mountains of southern
Yunnan province, but just a day or two by bus from where we are living.
The website made the landscape sound attractive, and
that alone was worth a visit. But what was more astonishing was the number
and variety of woman wearing traditional ethnic clothing. The outfits are
as specific as gang colors; most Chinese people can tell at a glance if
a woman is from the Yi tribe, or the Hani, or the Miao. We were clueless
for the most part, but just looking at the garments was interesting enough.
Some days, and all mornings in Yuanyang, were shrouded
in a thick fog (we were truly in the clouds); and that, along with the
desire to be secretive, made picture taking even more of a challenge than
usual. I hope that my cheap digital camera gives you some idea of the color
and mystery of Yuanyang. (Just promise not to tell any German tourists.) |
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We didn't know very much about Yuanyang before we headed
there, but we did know that it was famous for having terraced rice paddies.
There is no flat ground for farming in this region and rice crops need
to be flooded. So starting several thousand years ago, this has been the
solution. We used the tops of the terrace walls, about 12" wide, as ad
hoc footpaths when we walked to the nearby villages. If you don't watch
your step, you can ruin someone's harvests, along with getting soaking
wet. |
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We were interested in getting out to the countryside,
but for the people living there, the city is where the action is. Lack
of roads and lack of income means that you travel everywhere by foot, carrying
what you need. These women will fill up their baskets with wares, and then
strap them to their back before heading home. To protect their clothing,
and for padding, they wear a shaggy hemp blanket, draped like a cape. Seen
from behind, they look like buffalo. |
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People with something to sell can set up anywhere along
the main road in town and wait for a buyer to come along. Being a merchant
appears to demand a lot of patience. There are generally more sellers than
there are potential customers, and not a lot of them are buying. But then
again, there aren't a lot of places to shop. We did learn that there is
a floating market making the rounds of this region; it was in Yuanyang
the day we arrived, but on the day of this picture, most of the shoppers
were elsewhere. |
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The two diamonds of fabric, hanging like handkerchiefs
below this woman's waist, signal that this she is from the Yi tribe. To
keep the flaps clean, the women flip them up before sitting down, letting
one of the many other lower layers of clothing get dirty. The mountains
of Yunnan are still predominantly filled with people living in a manner
that has changed little over the years. Most local men have taken to wearing
common Western clothing, but the woman still wear the patterns and designs
of their grandmothers. In the grey, foggy mountains, the colors are as
striking as the plumage of tropical birds. |
Click here to read the WDTW
account of Yuanyang
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