The Sani live in and around Stone Forest, and are a subgroup of the Yi. Their lives are as colorful as their embroidered clothing, and they treasure song and dance above wealth and success. Their legend of Ashima is sung from generation to generation and is an inspiration for Sani women today who refer to it as "the song of our ethics.”
Ashima was a young Sani girl engaged to be married to (her cousin) Ahei.
Azhi, the son of the village leader, in a jealous rage Kidnapped Ashima and tried to force her to marry him. Azhi unleashed a trio of tigers to kill Ahei who killed the tigers with arrows and escaped unscathed.
When Ashima and Ahei were playing by a river, Azhi used his power to generate a flood. Ashima drowned but Ahei continued to call her name only to hear his own echo. Ashima turned into river stones and her words echoed through the forest: I will never disappear even as the sun and cloud disappear, my soul and my sound will exist till the end of time. Sani people say that Ashima’s suffering is their suffering.
Wa Hair Swinging Dance
The Wa people regard the wooden drum as a divine tool that has exceptional power and is the symbol of existence and prosperity. Wa women uninhibitedly swing their long black, shiny long hair to the beat of the drums. Their beat is slow and fast, representing anger and sadness, anxiety and happiness.
Hani Long Table Banquet
Scattered throughout Yunnan, Vietnam and Laos, over 90% of the Hani live in Yunnan. Every year after the autumn harvest comes the most important festival for Hani people; the Long Table Banquet is part of their October New Year where 3,000 tables are laid end to end along the street like a long dragon.
In Tibetan lore each Lama has a Temple dog. When a Lama dies it is believed that he is reincarnated as another Temple dog. Thus he would serve two lifetimes of strict adherence to ritual worship, chanting, meditating, and sacrifice.
In Tibetan they are called Do-Khyi, meaning tied dogs because they are primarily used as guardian dogs who are able to dutifully protect against intruders and can fight off wolves and leopards. Last year, A Tibetan Mastiff is believed to have broken the record as the world’s most expensive dog — sold to a young Chinese millionaire for $582,000.
Dulong River Valley
Only about 4600 Dulong people reside near the Dulong River in NW Yunnan, along the borders of Tibet and Burma. In former times, the main decoration for women was the facial tattoo, etched using bamboo needles and ink made out of ashes from the bottoms of pans. Girls got their tattoos at puberty and each clan had its own set of designs. The origin is not clear, but some claim it was a reaction to the assault of powerful neighboring tribes (Tibetans to the North, and Lisu to the east) who enslaved the Dulong and went after their women. Hence, they were tattooed to make them unattractive to the oppressors. Dulong woman believe that their tattoos resemble butterflies because the souls of the dead were said to turn into butterflies. As of 2009, there were only 40 tattooed Dulong women left.
The Axi, one of the 27 branches of Yi celebrate the Axi Fire Festival
to honor Mu Deng, the man who brought them fire. Legend has it that once when the naked Axi were hunting, heavy rains came down, sending them to shelter under an old tree. An old wizard, Mu Deng, appeared, rubbed some dry wood together and started a fire. The Axi were no longer cold and learned how to cook food.
Naxi Sanduo (Wargod) Ceremony
"Sanduo" is a spiritual war God created by the Naxi who have lived for generations at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Legend says that a brave Naxi hunter chased a white deer who ran and hid behind a white rock and disappeared. The hunter struggled to carry the white rock back to his home, but it quickly grew too heavy for him to carry. Believing that the rock was the Holy Spirit of the mountain god, the Naxi built a temple upon the rock to enshrine it. At the temple, the incarnation of a divine general was frequently seen riding on a white horse with white armor and a white spear, protecting the Naxi. During war, his troops assisted the NaxI; during fire, he created snow out of fog; and in outbreaks of pestilence, he created wind. Thus people addressed his as " Sanduo"ˇmeaning the patron god of the Lijiang Flatland.
Yao Bride
In Tai Yang (Sun) Village, on the border of Laos, the 17 yr old bride said "I have to do it now cause I'm getting too old." Her bridesmaids were 14, 16 and 26. The 16 yr old was getting married 2 days later. The ceremony lasted 2 days - the 1st day is spent at the Bride's home, the 2nd day she entered the Groom's home - finalizing the marriage.
Yi Costume Festival
Nearly two thousand Yi gather on a hillside in Yongren County for their annual costume festival. Their embroidery contains important symbols of Yi myths and legends.
Long ago, there was a young Yi couple in love. They met in the forest, and in pursuit of the girl, the Devil King killed the boy. As the girl fled to the edge of the village, she suddenly heard the loud crow of a cock. An old man taught her to make a cock crow to call out the sun and drive the Devil away. The girl saved her boyfriend, and the villagers decided to show their gratitude for the cock that saved their life. Yi people began to make cockscomb hats and now believe that it can bring luckiness, brightness, safety and happiness to the world. It is said that the silver bubbles on the hat stand for stars and moon, and symbolize eternal light and happiness.
Dai Food
In Xishuangbanna, where the largest number of Dai live, they refer to their area as bazi meaning tranquil and beautiful. This land is near river basins in a lush subtropical land where the soil is very fertile. Their food is similar to Thai food in that it combines sour, spicy, salty and sweet flavors.
Hani Rice Terraces
The Hani people have cultivated the terraces of Yuanyang since the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD). With a subtropical climate and an advanced irrigation system, the rice fields are relatively self-sustaining as evaporated water is trapped within the surrounding forest forming a sea of clouds ready to replenish the fields. They are a broadening of the natural landscape and represent a harmony of nature and human will.
Shangrila
Zhongdian was renamed in 2001 after the fictional land of Shangri-La in James Hilton’s novel Lost Horizon. Songzanlin Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan. Tibetan Buddhists place prayer flags along mountain ridges and high places where the wind can spread their prayers across the countryside. The colors represent the elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. In Tibetan, prayer flags literally translate as “to increase life, fortune, health and wealth to all sentient beings”.
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