Dai Minority - Theravada BuddhismTibet Minority - Tibetan Buddhism

Mongols - ShamanismTujia Minority - Ancestral belief

Distribution of Religion throughout China

8%

11%

3%

74%

5%

Tibetan Buddhism Other Theravada Buddhism Shamanism Ancestral belief

EASY STEPS TO CHINESE FOR NEWBIES!

��������

�����

ORDER NOW TO GET 3 BOOKS SET FOR 1’S PRICE!

�����������

�����������

Order now at http://www.studychineseculture.com/book.asp?id=4344

With the modern cities behind me, I

set off in search for some proper

relaxation. Where it’s far from

sophisticated technology, and far from

those monochromatic urban lifestyles.

As a full time journalist based in Hong

Kong, I think that modern urbanized

people lack quality time with nature.

I've always yearned for a brief getaway

in rural lands, and experience the

essence of its untouched beauty of

country lifestyles. For once, I am given

such a marvelous opportunity, and

although I could choose to take a

plane, but that way, I would miss out

on all the stunning scenes along the

way.

So, as a result I’ve decided to approach

it the other way, which is to go by

train. The day came; the sun leisurely

peered its forehead over the

mountains, it stirred and began to

prepare for another busy day. Then, as

if I had been injected with a syringe of

excitement, I hopped onto the car that

headed towards the Hong Hum train

station. Seeing so many people at the

station, a sense of adrenaline surged

through my body. There I sat, on the

gradually accelerating train, moving

away from the brassy crowds, shifting

towards the relaxation zone. It was

time for a proper holiday. Spending 24

hours there, I will be hosted by a local

family living the traditional Dai

lifestyle. The Dai is one of the world’s

most populated minorities.

By the time I had reached Shenzhen

after a brief rain ride, the midday sun

was already exposing its arrays of

warmth on this land. It was time for

the transfer to Shanghai. After staring

at what seemed like an infinite number

of trees that flew by my sight, I finally

got off the train. The time had swiftly

flown from midday to 8am the

following day. Upon arrival, the soft

chirps of little birds permeated

through my ears. Winding through the

town, I had noticed that the way their

buildings were styled closely

resembled the ones I had previously

encountered on another trip to

Bangkok. Due to the fact that the Dai

minority is closely situated near the

border of Thailand, many aspects

found in architectures can also be seen

there. The edges of the roof had

miniature sculptures of various

animals on them, which perhaps

symbolized religious meanings. Also, I

noticed that their houses were based

on an open structure, where its sole

purpose was to cool down the

residents from the scorching sun

outside. Furthermore, I also noticed

that the roof’s had huge slanted

angles, which would redirect all the

water off during rainy days. With no

map of any sort, I miraculously found

my way to the Yuan Yang market.

Despite feeling alienated within the

crowds; I continued to stroll through

the market looking for tasty local

snacks. As I turned into a tight corner,

something caught the corner of my

eye. I looked over to see that it was

baked fish. But this was no ordinary

fish. It was baked fish packed into

bamboo containers. I purchased one.

The moment I dug my teeth into the

flesh, the distinct perception I am

provided with, is probably exclusive to

this place. It was an absolute pleasure

having the chance to taste such

amazing food. Wondering about the

process of this magnificent dish, I

turned to the stall owner, asking what

difference bamboos would make. He

said that if we were to just to cook the

fish in a normal pot or pan, you

wouldn’t get the indescribable effect it

brings to the fish itself. Since bamboo

itself contains beautiful textures, and

emits fragrant gases, it’s wholesome

to us. Another reason would be the

fact that the Dai live near tropical

forests, which therefore makes

bamboo their primary resource in daily

life. These were a few of the hundreds

of reasons they opted bamboo over

ordinary pots. On top of that, it can

also provide the serving with a flare of

personal taste.

Spending the day in such hot weather

also triggered distress signals

corresponding to my throat. So I

bought a drink to cool me down from

the unbearable climate. Shortly after

purchasing a cool refresher, I headed

off to the guide’s office with the

guidance of several friendly locals.

Shortly meeting up with the local

guide, we boarded the local bus

towards the village. A very faint smell

of manure blasted through my nostrils,

yet it does somehow reflect back on

the fact that they rely on agriculture.

As the car started to inch forward, the

pungent odors of diesel and exhaust

extract my concentration upon more

worthwhile sceneries.

I would remember that bus ride for the

rest of my life. It was as if my hip had

been detached from my spine and my

skull had tumbled its way down to my

pelvis. And on top of that, everyone on

the bus is a proud member of the

Chinese Olympic spitting team. This

was absolutely a horrible experience.

The sensation of how awful it was at

that time cannot be described by

words. Travelling through the towering

Heng Duan Mountains, the magnificent

LiCang River, and whizzing by such

amazing scenery, all pain was relieved

as I became exposed to the pure

beauty of the villages’ sight.

During the next hour, I explored the

village. Strolling along the ancient

paths, there were different shops

various trinkets and snacks, each of

them awaiting my purchase. A rush of

wind blew by and I picked up the scent

of breakfast. Instincts told me it

consisted of corn. A voice whispered in

my ears:" Mind eating breakfast with

us?" It was a young girl smiling,

leaning gracefully out of the window,

with several pieces of fruit dangling

from her hands. I hesitated, let out a

slight smile, and accepted her kind

invite.

Along with my guide, we visited a local

family during the afternoon. Upon

arrival, a young girl around her mid-

twenties, wearing traditional clothing

had introduced herself and her family

to us. The family that hosted us was

the Lan family, which was a family with

three kids. In local standards, this was

mainly considered a normal family,

while contrarily in the west this was

considered pretty large. In accordance

with established practice, I bowed

down to express my thankfulness for

them for being my host. Without

having even finished dropping off our

luggage, she had started to talk about

the houses of the Dai. She stated that

the Dai housing had been divided into

three generations. The first

generation, used mainly before the 18th

century, was built on bamboo stilts,

which are the photographs that we

frequently encounter with on the

Internet. The second generation

resembled many aspects of its last

version, yet the only exception, are

that the stilts were reinforced by wood,

and more people settle for this

generation. The house we were in had

fitted the criteria’s of the second

version. In all three generations, all

houses had two stories. The first

floor’s space is used to store animals,

which automatically makes the top

floor for human living space. I was

intrigued about why they placed the

animals on the bottom floor. After

several inquisitions, I discovered that,

since heat travels into the house, it

would then rise upward. So during the

winter, their concerns with in-house

temperature would be all solved. We

took a flight of stairs leading to the

second floor, leading us away from the

odors of the animals. The living room

on that floor was not as bad as I

expected it to be. The living room was

fairly spacious, just enough to fit ten

to twenty people. Besides that,

everything else closely resembled

certain features of urban housing.

As we continuously looked into the

placing of everything, the young girl

started explaining some traditional

customs of the Dai.

Due to the fact that the Dai are a

matrilineal society, boys are often sent

off to temples at young ages to

become monks. When they reach ages

between seventeen and eighteen, they

are traditionally engaged in a forced

marriage. Then, the male must spend

three years time in the female’s home

and do household jobs, such as

agriculture, cutting rubber to produce

household objects, etc. After spending

three years on the bride’s side, they

finally have a chance to become a

proper house “man”, in which the man

does what the woman would normally

do; take care of the kids, cook, clean

up the house, etc. In this situation, the

woman goes out to complete heavy

physical work. It was really interesting

to discover the roles of different

genders in the Dai. After hours of

explaining, the hour hand on my watch

had crawled its way to twelve, and

aromas of rice filled my nose. The

lunches that the locals had were quite

simple. The main dish we were being

served was pineapple-fried rice. The

fried rice was flavorful and felt smooth

to the mouth, and as I gently bit down,

I felt reluctant swallowing it down my

throat. Eating the fried rice felt like it

had added multiple splashes of

gorgeous, bright colors onto a black

and white canvas. Previous research

shows that most of the rice is grown in

the south of China, and due to its

perfect growing conditions, rice has

become their main crop, and has

crawled its way up into becoming their

main diet as well.

Having charged up my “batteries”,

along with my guide, we walked

towards the towns’ main square. I

asked the guide what had brought us

here. He replied and said, “My friend,

you’ve come to visit the Dai during the

perfect month. Right now, the month

is April, and it is when we celebrate

the annual Water-splashing festival.” I

gasped with amazement as we

approached the sides of the square.

The locals had washed off the dust at

the break of dawn, and this place was

prepared for anything! When Dai

woman wore the traditional costumes,

it had literally felt like they had

transformed into peacocks. Within

several minutes, the music started

playing and people of all gender and

ages rushed to witness the event.

Equipped with all types of water

containers, a peaceful war ignited. The

sound of laughter and happiness fills

the atmosphere and I slowly dissolve

into the environment, cherishing the

last few hours of staying here. Despite

having all their clothes wet, in the

process they were pouring out wishes

for the New Year!

Evening descends; the guide and I took

a walk into the botanical garden. As

we vaguely wandered further into the

garden, the smell of the traditional Dai

barbecue filled my nose, blending in

with the floral fragrance of the plants.

Steam and sparks slowly drifted in air,

while meat was sizzled on bamboo

strips. A round of splendid

performances start rolling into our

sight. Seeing such amazing

performances, my face ablaze with

excitement. It was then, where a young

lady gave me fancy looking

accessories. “They look amazing,

thank you!” I shouted under the

unbearable noise of the instruments.

With my guide, I walked along with our

new accessories to the crowd of

people surrounding the peacock

dance, bells jingling and people

mingling. The level of skill the dancers

possessed had dazzled me. Their

costumes seemed to sparkle with new

hopes for the year. I was wondering

why everything was related to

peacocks. According to my guide,

peacocks symbolized happiness in

their culture. I danced on like there

was no tomorrow. A sudden thought

approached me. Modern people these

days like myself, are always busy with

their jobs, and continuously earning

money and concerning about a dozen

other aspects. People often assume

that money is happiness. This trip to

the Daizu minority had proved this

theory wrong. Take a look at them,

despite not having a large amount of

income, but they are extremely happy.

Maybe even happier than some of us.

The problem we all share commonly

now is that we are too obsessed with

the fact of earning money. Money is

not everything, and it does not

necessarily mean happiness. So the

conclusion is that not only can a

certain group of rich people seize

happiness. But happiness should be

shared between everybody in this

world.

Time's up. The break of dawn had

signaled an end to this delightful

journey. As a matter of fact, over the

past 24 hours I was enamored with

this place. This trip was definitely one

of the more enjoyable moments of my

life. Although I hadn’t purchased any

souvenirs, but the knowledge and the

memorable experiences I gained from

this amazing journey were considered

more valuable to me. Packing up my

camera, I waved last farewells to the

host family and my friendly guide. I

reluctantly said “Chok Dee”, (Thai for

goodbye,) as I hurriedly rushed to the

entrance. I boarded a shared minivan

packed with locals, that took me all

the way back to XiShuangBanNa’s train

station. Their faces strewed with

anguish, and shrink into the rear view

mirror as the car slowly gained speed.

From there I will take the original route

back to Hong Kong. When I return, I

will resume my standard life, catching

the subway, and staring lifelessly at a

radiated screen. But for now, I'll be

here, taking in this truly glorious

place. This moment is absolutely

irreplaceable, and belongs to me

alone.

Seeing is believing.The all-new Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. World’s first dual edge display.

It’s always thrilling to travel to a

place you’ve never been to.

Especially a place with an amazing

culture, like Mongols. The best time

to visit the Mongols is the Chinese

New Year, more accurately called

the Lunar New Year, and Tsaagan

Sar in Mongolian (literally means

White Moon). Many countries in

Asia celebrate the Lunar New Year,

and Mongols is one of them. Even

though Beijing where I live is the

one of the biggest cities that

celebrates this day, Mongols also is

a minority that celebrates this day

in a very unique way, it’s always

interesting to experience difference

cultures.

Mongols have their own very unique

culture, very different that the

others. I have just come back to

Beijing. I have visited the

Dariganga, the eastern Mongolian

subgroup that live around Dari

Ovoo the grand volcano, and Ganga

Lake. Mongols was full of beautiful

scenery. As the plane was

approaching the airport, my heart

was inflating filled by the thrill of

new experiences with the Mongols.

Looking outside the window, I could

observe the environment where the

Mongols have lived and live. I

arrived at Chinggis Khan Airport in

Ulaanbaatar named after Genghis

Khan who created one of the largest

empire in history conquering huge

amount of land in Eurasia, from

right here in where the Mongols

lived. It was at 8am 18th of February

when I arrived. The blazing sun was

rising as if the empire of Genghis

Khan’s Mongol was rising. After

waiting for about an hour, I met the

guide I contacted before I went on

the plane. We were supposed to go

to Dariganga directly by a van.

According to the guide, the van trip

must have taken around 12 hours.

It actually felt like a time travel for

me because I was so tired that I fell

asleep in the van.

When the guide woke me up we

were going through the never

ending grassland where the

Mongols lived. Then we saw the

glorious reflections from the water

of Ganga River, the main water

source of the Mongols of

Dariganga, the place that has been

hydrating Dariganga for centuries.

After about 30 more minutes of

driving, the white Gers (typical

Mongolian housings) came into our

sight. They were mobile, and could

be disassembled. For the Mongols

to travel in the these types of Gers

would be the perfect solution.

There are only about one or two

months in summer that the amount

of grass’s growth increases. The

temperature of grasslands of

Dariganga also drops down to -40

to -50 celsius during winters, and

they need to find a place every

season change, that has an

adequate weather, they can feed

their animals in warmth. Also, the

Ganga Lake near Dariganga is their

only water source, so they need to

travel to get water. They looked like

marshmallows grown on grass. And

we could see the Mongols waiting

for us. They were all wearing their

traditional clothing, Del. They all

had different designs, and they

were all so gorgeous. They were

also wearing the hats I’ve only seen

the Mongols wear. The hats were

very narrow and looked very exotic,

and it was just amazing that

everybody had hats with all

different designs. When I got off the

van, I realized why they were all

wearing hats. The stinging rays of

sunlight was burning my head as I

approached the Mongols. At the

front of the crowd waiting for me,

there was the host family that I was

going to live with for 2 days. The

host family’s name was the

Ganbaatar family. Mr. Ganbaatar,

the father of the family told me that

it literally means a steel hero, and

there were more Mongolian

surnames like this. I thought it was

very cool that Mongolian people

have such interesting surnames

that have these unique surnames.

The Ganbaatar family had 2

children, a girl and a boy. The boy’s

name was Ganbold, and was 17

years old, and the girl’s name was

Bolormaa and was 2 years old.

Bolormaa was going to have her

hair cutting ceremony two days

later, which is cutting a kid’s hair

the first time in the early age

between 2 to 5. Ganbold was a big

buffy boy. He liked horse riding

very much, just like the other male

Mongolian adults. He was usually

outside riding his 8 year old horse,

Chitu. But Bolormaa was always

with her mother. She was one of the

cutest babies I’ve ever seen.

The day I arrived in Dariganga was

called Bituun, the day before

Tsaagan Sar (Lunar New Year). The

Mongols were cleaning their homes,

livestocks and barns to meet the

New Year fresh. I helped the

Ganbaatar family clean their

livestocks too. I tried to help them

whenever I could because I was a

guest here in their family. When I

arrived at the barn, I realized they

had lots of species of livestocks in

their wooden fences. There were

horses, yaks, sheep, goats and

camels. There was a reason why

they grow these 5 types of

livestocks. They are easy to grow in

the environment of where the

Mongols lived. They all eat grass

which the Mongols are surrounded

with. Horses , yaks and cows can be

used for traveling around too. And

In addition, sheep and goats, and

maybe the horses, has and camels

can be also used to make food.

That makes them the perfect

animals for them. Historically the

horses helped Mongols conquer

lots of land too. The soldiers of the

other countries couldn’t defend

themselves from the fast horses of

the Mongols.

When I came back to the

Ganbaatars’ ger, I could smell the

mouth-watering scent of meat

being cooked. When I entered the

ger, I could see that they were

preparing a colossal amount of

meat,. They had horse meat and

mutton being roasted for New

Year’s food. And at the other side

of the ger, I could see Ganbold

dripping his tear on the ground. I

asked him what was wrong, and he

answered that the horse meat that

was being cooked was actually

Chitu. Their parents decided to eat

Chitu because he was now too old,

and wasn’t useful anymore for

traveling. I knew how Gambold

would feel, so I decided to leave

the scene and let Ganbold be alone.

I moved over to Mr and Mrs.

Gaanbatar and helped them prepare

the food too. I chose to roast the

mutton, because I knew Gambold

was going to be sensitive of his

horse being cooked. By the way,

Mrs. Ganbaatar taught me that the

Mongols mainly have 2 types of

food. one is called the white food,

and the other is called the red food.

The white one is made of dairy, and

the red is made of meat. So Chitu

and mutton must be defined as red

food to the mongols. By the time

we were done preparing meat, we

were so worn out that we fell asleep

directly. This was the end of my

first day in Mongol.

The next day was Tsaagan Sar. The

9th of February 2015, the year of

female wooden sheep. The sound

of people saying “Амар байна уу?” (Amar baina uu?) woke me up

this morning. I asked Mr. Ganbaatar

what it means and he answered me

that it means "Are you living

peacefully?” I went outside with

Ganbold to say the new year’s

greeting to the other Mongols in

other gers. When I came back, I

could smell some pastries again.

When I entered the ger, I could see

the mutton being put into pastries.

Mrs. Ganbaatar told me that this

food is called Buuz, and is a

traditional Mongolian food for

Tsaagan Sar. They looked like

dumplings and tasted like

dumplings with meat. Soon the

ceremony started. Ceremony was

mainly about greeting the parents

of their family. What they did was

grasping them by their elbows to

show support for them. I did it to

Mr and Mrs. Ganbaatar too because

I was a member of this family now

too. After the New Year’s greeting

ended, we had some of the Buzz we

made and some cheese.

Next day was Bolormaa’s hair

cutting ceremony. I guess I picked

the right time to visit the Mongols,

because everyday was repetition of

ceremonies and festivals. So

Bolormaa was born 2 years ago,

and today was the first day she’s

getting a haircut. The ceremony

symbolizes the end of "babyhood"

and the transition to “childhood".

The transition from babyhood to

childhood was and is so important

in Mongolian traditional culture

because babyhood, especially for

children in the countryside who live

far from modern medical facilities

like Dariganga, is a risky time. The

Ganbaatar family invited lots of

guests from other gers to

participate in Bolormaa’s hair

cutting ceremony. About 10 guests

including me came to visit. We sat

in a circle, and Bolormaa was

carried around with a pair of

scissors that has a blue pouch tied

on them. She passed around the

guests and her family’s laps. Each

of us cut a chunk of hair and put it

in the blue pouch. I thought

Bolormaa would be scared of me

because I was a total stranger to

her, but she was very calm all the

way through her journey through a

dozen of people. After the hair

cutting, we each had to give

Bolormaa a present. Unfortunately, I

wasn’t told about this, so I wasn’t

so prepared. But fortunately, I had a

pack of chips in my bag to give her.

Other guests gave her presents like

a new hat and a new ring. Bolormaa

looked the happiest to receive my

pack chips though. She never let go

of it as soon as I gave it to her.

I had to leave the Mongols an hour

later the end of the hair cutting

ceremony. It was ironically

heartbreaking to leave the

Ganbaatar family that I only have

spent 3 days with. All I could do

was say goodbye in her language.

The guide came to the Ganbaatars’

Ger to take me back to the Chingis

Khan airport.

While I was on the 12 hour drive

again going back to the airport, I

thought back about what I have

experienced with the Mongols in

Dariganga. I did so many things in

only 2 days. There was Bituun,

Tsaagan Sar, and the hair cutting

ceremony. There also was the

environment that was so much

different than where I live. It has

taught me how the Mongols adapt

to the grasslands of where they

lived, and how the Mongols were

influenced. Mongols are known for

their culture with grasslands and

horses. The thing that they live with

horses as a part of their life,

influenced them to migrate a lot

around where they live, finding a

place where they can feed their

animals. The Steppe in the north

side of Eurasia where many

Mongols live, doesn’t rain so much

that plants cannot grow so well. It’s

very crucial to migrate to different

places to feed their animals,

because they take up a big space in

their lives. It’s amazing how the

Mongols migrate during every

season change, and that the

environment they live in has

influenced the Mongols to live this

way.

Elegance Precision

From far away, I can already feel the

superiority of this exotic and isolated

region.

After, perhaps a year on the train, I’ve

arrived at the Lhasa train station. It

was about 10 o'clock AM, after a

short delay. I first took the plane to

Qinghai from Beijing, which took

approximately 3 hours, then took the

Qinghai-tibet railway into Lhasa.

The train from Qinghai to Lhasa was

my first highlight of the trip. The

train lasted for approximately a day,

but I chose this route for a reason.

The history of this railroad connects

perfectly with understanding the

geography of Tibet. The railroad was

constructed in 1979, with an

estimated length of 1200 kilometers.

This railroad was also known as one

of the four most significant

constructions in the 20th century of

China. This was definitely a major

achievement during that time, since

many workers had to suffer due to

lack of oxygen. This was also one of

the aspects that made Tibet special. It

was one of the highest regions on

Earth. Tibet also contains the tallest

mountain in the world, known as

Mount Everest, with a land elevation

of 8848 meters above sea level.

Going up, I felt the environment

pushing against my chest,

suppressing it, blocking air from

coming through.

Lhasa’s climate is relatively harsh

compared to that of Beijing’s. Lhasa’s

location is approximately 3700

meters above sea level, which makes

lack of oxygen a serious problem for

newcomers. Luckily, with my oxygen

spray in my bag, I knew that there

was nothing to worry about. Without

any types of aids, people may

experience a variety of problems,

such as fatigue, blurry vision,

tinnitus, vertigo, lack of physical

strength, and in some cases, death.

My heart was filled with awe when I

first arrived. Knowing that I was

approximately 4000 meters above

sea level, I was in a shock. Mountains,

plateaus, everywhere.

Asides the land elevation, unlike

Beijing, the skies in Lhasa are always

blue, and its clouds are always pure,

as if they were the decoration of a

clean, unscathed painting. At night,

comparing to Beijing, it’s temperature

can be a lot lower. In Lhasa, the

lowest average temperature in a year

is 0.8 celsius, while the highest

average temperature would be 15.3

celsius. Recently, there’s also been

some stronger winds and even a few

sandstorms.

Looking around the train station, I

noticed a male in his 50s, waving his

hand at me. He was in a white

traditional Tibetan uniform, and had

a face full of dents and wrinkles. But

on his face, was also a warm and rich

smile. I felt welcomed. It was my

host, Norbu. He greeted me into the

rented car, and off we went.

Before we knew it, we were in the

heart of Lhasa, the Potala Palace, on

top of the HongShan Mountain. Fine

fresh air breezed into the window

seals of the colossal structure, as it

brushed against my distorted face,

after a long journey on the plane,

instantly refreshing my day. It was a

gigantic building containing over a

thousand rooms, stretching 360

meters across, with a total area of

717 square meters; I was at the heart

of Lhasa, enjoying the view, and

studying its history. There were

dozens of Buddhist monks in yellow

dressings, wandering around,

everywhere. This was a sacred land

built during 1645, by the 5th Dalai

Lama. The Dalai Lamas were the

crucial characters in the development

of Tibetan Buddhism. The history of

Tibetan Buddhism stretches back to

1391 AD, when the first Dalai Lama,

Gendun Drup, was born. Between the

17th century and 1959, the Dalai

Lama remained as the head of the

government of Tibet.

However, in 1959, the 13th Dalai

Lama declared independence from

China, and deported all of its Chinese

citizens from the region. The Dalai

Lama’s plan was to make Tibet it’s

own country and modernize it for

future generations. Unfortunately, the

People’s Republic of China soon took

complete control over the region, and

as a result, the 14th Dalai Lama,

Tenzin Gyatso, was forced to escape

to India.

The Potala Palace itself, used to be

the government headquarter for the

Tibetans. Why this building was built

remains unknown. Some say it was

built on the mountain to consolidate

political power, while others say it

was all built by the ancient Tibetan

king, Songtsan Ganbu, for the

celebration of his marriage.

The history of Tibetan Buddhism

starts in 173 CE, during the reign of

king Thothori Nyatsen. Despite this, it

did not become popular until the 8th

century, when Padmasambhava

brought Indian Buddhism into Tibet.

Since India was very close to Tibet in

geographical terms, this made the

task a lot easier. Buddhism was then

mixed with the local Bön religion,

which soon formed Tibetan

Buddhism. This was the main religion

the Tibetans believed in. Since the

geography of Tibet makes this region

so isolated from the rest of the world,

it was harder for people to interact

with them. This caused their

traditions and religions to become

more special and pure, since after

Padmasambhava, there were barely

any other foreign influences.

It is just remarkable to see how

devoted and how dedicated these

people are when it comes to religion.

In public Tibetan Buddhist teachings,

the lama would do this gesture called

a prostration. Basically what he does

is he slowly bows down, kneels down

to the floor, lyes down with his back

facing up, and stand up again. This

will be done in every step he takes,

until he reaches the temple. After the

lama is in his throne, the students

would do the same, until they get

there.

Norbu says that there used to be over

thousands of monasteries and

temples like this. However, after the

Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution,

most of these sacred structures were

taken down and destroyed.

Using one word to contrast Tibet and

Beijing, I’d say isolation. Tibet’s

geographical features make it

extremely difficult to interact with

other places. Since Tibet is located on

top of very high plateaus, it is almost

impossible for them to be influenced

by foreign ideas. Therefore, the way

they think is completely dictated by

their religion, Tibetan Buddhism.

Around 8:30 PM, we finished our visit

to the Potala. This is the 8th month in

the solar calendar, which meant we

will be having a festival after an hour.

Before the festival, a feast was

served. This was the average Tibetan

dinner, except with extra servings,

used to greet our arrival. First came

the tea, the Tibetan milk tea. The

warm fluid entered my throat,

carrying the sweetness all the way

through. In a second, I felt the

warmth drive the shivers from the

inside, out of my body. With the

warm milk giving me warmth, and the

sound of Tibetans filling the room

with laughter, I felt loved and

accompanied. Through the window, I

saw a man walking into the room,

holding a plate of meat. We ate, and

we talked about each others lives in

these different places. Most of all, we

enjoyed the food together. Norbu and

his family spoke excellent Chinese, so

it was easy for us to communicate.

Out of all the food, yak meat was the

most special. There was no blood on

the plate, yet the meat was soaked

inside redness. Norbu says that raw

yak meat was also a popular dish in

Tibet, since it contained a lot of

proteins. This helped the Tibetans

fight the cold, especially in the

winter. I nervously picked up a piece

and gently chewed on it. Not to

mention the taste, it was like normal

meat, but a lot more soft, and

obviously, a lot more juicy.

Norbu tells me that almost all of

Tibetan lifestyle depend on yaks.

From food to transportation, yaks

were used in everything. It is said that

yaks have three times red blood cells

than normal cows do. This allowed

them to live comfortably even in

highly elevated regions, which made

them the perfect source to depend

on. Their long hair allows them to

survive in temperatures lower than

-30 degrees.

In terms of food, yaks can be used to

produce milk and provide meat. The

milk they produce can also be used

for making butter. Although most

people eat raw yak meat, their flesh is

still considered relatively hygienic.

Since Tibet is so isolated, it is a lot

harder for them to develop

technology for food production. This

gives the yaks more freedom, and

also provides a clean source of food

for them.

Since yaks are very populated in this

region, their hair is commonly used

to make clothes and cloth for other

purposes.

What if yaks didn't exist on these

plateaus? First of all, people would

probably freeze or starve to death.

Even if they manage to survive, their

only type of transportation would be

to walk from place to place. Again,

since Tibet is isolated, there are very

few cars that can be used. Therefore,

the only way people can move

resources from a place to another is

to use yaks.

Since Tibet is very isolated and a lot

less developed, Norbu says that his

entire family work as farmers. These

farmers would often be farming

barley and herding yaks and goats.

Barley is perhaps the most common

crop that is grown in Tibet. Barley can

be made into tsampa, a type of

dough, which is a food eaten

routinely in Tibet. Brewed barley can

also be made into medicine, in order

to treat diseases.

After dinner, we arrived at the

festival. They call it the Monlam

Festival. This perhaps is the most

important festival that the Tibetans

celebrate. It was first established in

1409 by a Tibetan Buddhist named

Tsong Khapa. The purpose of this

festival was to pray for the long life of

Buddhist teachers, who have been

spreading the dharma (Buddha’s

teachings) to new people, and

maintaining world peace, bringing

them harmony. Thousands of monks

would gather on a platform to pray

for the 14th Da Lai Lama. Since the

Tibetans always wanted to be

independent, some of the younger

boys would throw rocks at the police.

Along with my friend Norbu, we were

invited to pray to the Joking Temple

to pray. The bottom of the temple

was covered in white, while the top

was decorated in all sorts of colors.

The temple was a colossal dragon,

with golden bits blossoming out from

its body.

By the time we got back, it was 10:30

PM. For the first time, I’ve been in a

Tibetan bedroom. Norbu says that

Tibetans either live in mobile yak

tents, or in concrete houses like

these. In the past, many houses were

built from wood. However, as Tibet

slowly developed, most people

started transitioning into concrete

and stone buildings. The concrete

they use to build these houses

happen to be a meter thick. It was

built this way so that it can keep

people inside warm, especially during

winter. Since the wall was very thick,

large openings would cause the

house to become unstable. Therefore,

all the windows were built very small.

Norbu states that these windows

used to be made of paper, but now

everyone uses glass. Farm houses,

like the one we are in, usually have

the first floor dedicated for storing

animals. Since heat always moves

upwards, having animals live on the

first floor would keep them warm on

the second floor.

A day with the minority just passed

by like that, a drop of a penny, as I

dozed off. Before I knew it, I was back

in my seat, back in the norm. Walking

into the ranges of Tibet, was like

walking into another dimension,

where everything was different. In the

end, what makes them so different

from us? Isolation and geography. All

those mountains, all those plateaus,

cause the difficulties of interacting

with the outside world. Tibet’s

geography is what truly separates

them and us.

Exploration Unleashed

As the bus journeyed into the magnificent mountains in the Chinese city of Zhangjiajie in the Hunan province, the massive carpets of trees and bushes slowly unravelled themselves under the bright hot sun. I see a collection of wooden houses sitting on the mountains; those wooden houses are large, and they have wooden poles, pillars, windows, and fences that are crafted in complex symbols or sophisticated combinations of geometric shapes, much like the works of sculpture artists. I’m here to look for its most native settlers, the Tujia people, the wondrous people dwelling in the large wooden houses on those great green mountains. Seeing all these great sights, I felt that my trip here is definitely going to be worth it, and I am excited that I have an entire afternoon to explore before dinner.

I stepped out of the bus in a trance of joy and excitement, and it was hard to believe that 4 hours ago I was in the city Changsha, getting out of the comfortable high-speed train, and waiting for a bus that would get me to my destination. I walked away from the bus, looking at the green scenery of the mountains. Below the mountains there are more wooden houses, clustered in a big village. A river flowed beside the village, and I knew that this Tujia tribe chose this place, for the water source and water transportation. I entered the village, gazed upon the different houses, and

my eyes settled on a slightly larger house, with a banner welcoming me hanging across the windows. I walked to the house on a little trail, scents of fresh grass rushed into my nose. I walked up the stone stairs, and knocked on the wooden door.

“Hello, you’re our guest right? Welcome! Come in and have some tea!” an old man opened the door and greeted me. He wore a tight hat that fitted perfectly with his white hair, his white beard made him look wise and knowledgable. His traditional Tujia clothing is red, with two blue stripes on the sides, and a blue stripe down the middle; on the blue parts, there are complicated, carefully sewed patterns of shapes, flowers, and different animals. I went inside the house and sat down, a young man and a young woman sat across from me, wearing almost the same clothes as the old man. The old man came in and sat beside me.

“This tea is grown and collected from the mountains right behind our house, ” he said, “tea is very important in our culture, and it is why we Tujia people can live such a long time. ” It makes sense, the Tujia people live among the mountains, and tea plants can be easily grown on the mountains. As we slowly sipped bits of this refreshing tea, I learned a lot about Tujia and how their lives are closely related to tea. The Tujia people planted tea on the mountains; the hard labor like

reclaiming mountain into tea fields and carrying bags of organic fertilizers are done by men, and the rest, like sowing seeds, nurturing tea plants, harvesting tea, and the final preparations of the tea leaves are done by women. Tea is not only an important part of daily life to the Tujia, but it is also used as gifts to friends and relatives, and also used to celebrate in important festivals and ceremonies like birthdays and marriage. Furthermore, tea produced by the Tujia are historically sent to the imperial government of China as tribute.

After we enjoyed our tea, the old man and I took a short bus to the Tujia Cultural Park of Zhangjiajie. The old man leaded me into a site called the

Totem Pillar, a stone pillar built to worship a white tiger (the Tujia people also worshipped their ancestors, and some Tujia people, under Chinese influences, believed in religions that are popular in China).

We moved on to a tile-roofed wooden house, the Baishoutang. This two-story building is built for worshipping ancestors and pulling off celebrations that include the traditional Baishou dance of Tujia. We were just in time to see a small showcase of the dance. As the sounds of the drums and gongs alternated like footsteps, the dancers moved around in the Baishoutang, doing their most traditional gestures. The Baishou dance is a collective dance modelled after the Tujia’s agricultural, ritual, and daily activities.

The dance was over, and old man spoke, “now you can walk around here and take a good look at our sewing and silver-crafting techniques, and you can also get some souvenirs here. ” I thanked him and he told me the time to go back for dinner. I lifted my arm up and used my voice to set up a reminder on my watch. Then he left and I headed to the place that showcases sewing.

Unfortunately there was no live demonstration, but I was fascinated by how they were able to create such complex patterns on pieces of cloth. I moved on to the silver artists, and luckily there were people there, heating up silver, stretching it, and twisting it. The silver became a string, tangled in a perfect sphere. The artist then finished up the masterpiece by placing pieces of silver “petals” on the sides, then leaving it on the side to cool down. At last I couldn’t resist the temptation to buy the beautiful artwork made with care and this shiny precious metal.

The sky slowly darkened, even the apparently ancient wooden houses are slowly getting illuminated by modern lights. I felt a gentle tap on my wrist, indicating that it’s time to go back. I ran to the bus station and within 20 minutes I’m back at the Tujia village. The old man was already waiting there, “Hey, I forgot to tell you, today is the 15th day of this month in the lunar

calendar, and this means that we have to sacrifice food to our ancestors before we eat today. ”

So we hurried to a small square space in between the houses in the village. The red banners and tables are already placed there. People came in dressing in traditional Tujia clothing, and put dishes of rice, a whole chicken, a whole duck, Chinese liquor poured into several bowls, pots of suan cai (a sour type of Chinese pickles, made with Chinese cabbages and Chinese mustard leaves marinated with brine and vinegar, it is one of the most important ingredients and appetizers for the Tujia people, since it is easy to grow, make, and store in these mountains), and three big joss sticks. Then several people carried a cooked pig up before the table. The pig had its head cut off before everyone, the head was placed onto a plate on the middle of the table, and the rest of the pig was carried to the side to get its meat cut off. A man, looking approximately sixty of age, stepped before the table and announced, “The sacrifice to the ancestors has begun! ” He lighted up the joss sticks, and stepped down. We watched the joss stick burn out (it was believed that the spirit of the ancestors ate the spirit of the food), then everyone went to the sides, while some people helped carry tables and chairs into the small area. Dishes of rice, chicken, duck, suan cai, and pork were served. Rice is the primary source of carbohydrate for the Tujia, since it

is the common crop grown in southern China; Tujia people also eat a lot of poultry and pork, because they are easy to raise in the mountains and easy to look after in the yards of the Tujia wooden houses. We poured liquor into our bowls, and we started eating. It was such an awesome meal, a bit like traditional southern Chinese food, but I felt that not only the taste, but the spirit of the Tujia people making the meal come true, made it special, unlike anything that I’ve ever tasted.

I felt that time went by too quickly, especially in situations that I enjoy the most. I was there, enjoying the wonderful dinner, and the next thing I see is the bus from Zhangjiajie to Changsha, glistening under the

morning daylight. I waved goodbye to the old man and his family, who hosted my exploration of Tujia. I stepped onto the bus, while the pleasure of learning about the Tujia people lingers like the aftershocks of a powerful earthquake. I thought about the wooden houses, and how they are suitable for Tujia mountain life; I thought about the tea, and how they are significant for those who depended on the mountains; I thought about all the food, and how they were similar to other southern Chinese food. The unique geographical location has nurtured such a familiar yet interesting ethnic group, the Tujia.

Useful Chinese Phrases

ChineseWord

Pinyin Approximate Pronunciation

EnglishMeaning

�� Ní Hâo Knee how Hello

Xiè Xiè Shie Shie Thank you

� Qîng Ching Please

���/��� Zâo Shàng hâo/wân shàng hâo

Zao Shang How/Van Shang How

Good Morning/ Good Night

�� Duì bù qî Dway Boo chee Sorry/Apologies

Zài Jiàn Zay Gene Goodbye

���� Dūo Shâo Qián Duo Shao Chian How much is this?

��� Tài Gùi Le Thai Guay Low Too expensive

�� Pián Yì Diân Pian Yee Dian Cheaper

��� Xí Shoú Jiān Shee Show Jian Restroom

���� Yôu Düo Yûan Yo Duo Yuan How far?

���� Wô Tïng Bù Dông Whoa Ting Boo Dong

I don’t understand

�� Mâi Dān My Dan Check the bill

�� Jîng Chá Jing Cha Police

�� Jiù Mìng Jiu Ming SOS

�� Zì Xíng Chē Zi Shing Che Bicycle

�� Hûo Chē Huo Che Train