China is a vast, multi-national country that consists of 56 nationalities. Is there an opportunity to know all of these nationalities just in one day? The answer is yes, you can go visit Chinese Ethnic Culture Park. This article aims to bring you with me to visit not only the cultural park, but also Yuan Capital Earthen Wall Relics Park, built upon the earthen city wall of the Yuan Dynasty (AD 1271 - 1368). This trip will take a total daytime.
To get to the destination, take a taxi to Minzuyuan Lu, and at the entrance of Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.
You could take subway line 2, and get off at Gulou Dajie station, then walk and take the bus, then walk again to the entrance of the park, but it seems like a waste of time, and it¡¯s so much more convenient to use a cab!
The entrance of the park is signaled by its two totem poles.
The Chinese Ethnic Culture Park
The Chinese Ethnic Culture Park, or China Nationalities Museum, is a grand-scale anthropological museum in which the cultures, historical heritage, arts and crafts of the 56 Chinese nationalities are displayed. The museum plays an important role in exhibiting ethnic architectures, preserving and researching minority cultural heritages, disseminating anthropological knowledge, enhancing ethnic cultures, and promoting the unity of nationalities.
The park consists of two parts, north and south. The entrance ticket is 90 yuan per person.
On my visit there, I shot some 300 photos. As there are numerous scenic spots, I can only show you some of the most characteristic highlights.
The North Park
Panlong Waterfall
Panlong Waterfall is 80 meters wide and 7.5 meters high. It is the largest replica waterfall in China. Its original model is at Jiuzhaigou, in the northwest part of Sichuan Province.
Dai Village and the Dai nationality
Dai people mainly live in Yunnan Province, in Southern China. They engage in agriculture, especially rice cultivation. The Dai language is well preserved and their literature is rich. Dai people prefer hot and sour tastes. Their houses are bamboo buildings on poles. The architecture of their temples, their carvings and paintings, their music and dance, and the handmade Dai brocades stand out for their uniqueness. The Water-splashing Festival, the Open-door Festival and the Close-door Festival are the largest celebration days of the Dai nation. The Dai people believe in Hinayana Buddhism.
At the Dai village, in front of the Manfeilong Pagoda, I enjoyed Dai ethnic songs and dances, and even dances of other minority groups like Tibetans. The strikingly colorful costume of performers looked very appealing. The dancers moved briskly and gracefully.
I stepped onto the second floor of a Dai folk house made of wood and bamboo. Dai swords and bamboo hats were hung on the wall. This house is a replica of a common Dai home, kept in its original state to show the way of life of Dai families. On the first floor Dai girls were selling handicrafts like bamboo folding fans, and bright-colored bamboo umbrellas. Umbrellas cost 15 yuan.
I also visited some attractive places such as a Hinayana Temple (nearly every Dai village has one), the Elephant Tower, the Peacock Pavilion, and the Water-splashing Pavilion.
In the center of the Dai Village lay 11 vats filled with water. A great number of young boys and girls on a spring field trip were gathering around the vats, waiting for the performance of the celebrated Water-splashing Festival. When four Dai girls in ethnic costume showed up, scooping water and dashing towards each other, the pupils immediately joined in. All of a sudden, the venue burst into an ocean of mirth. Children laughed and screamed with abandon, getting wet one another. I had to stand back so as to keep my camera from water, but at the bottom of my heart I was as happy as the children. According to Dai custom, splashing water on you at the festival will bring you good luck, happiness and health.
On Dai Handicrafts Street, a few stands were selling various handicrafts. A row of exquisite figurines in colorful ethnic costumes caught my eye. They were selling for only 30 yuan each. A number of tapestries made of pure cotton and printed with beautiful patterns like Dai girls or dragons were on display. One piece cost 38 yuan or so. Amongst other goods, I noticed some jewelry, handbags, and horn combs.
The Gaoshan Nationality
Gaoshan people live in Taiwan Province. They call themselves aboriginals, and are divided into several branches: Ami, Atayal, Saisiat, Bunun, Zou, Paiwan, Lukai, Puyuma, and Yami. They engage in highland agriculture with hunting and fishing as sideline activities. They are good at carving and drawing, and believe in a form of primitive religion.
At the Gaoshan Village, you will observe an Ami house, a Lukai granary, a Yami boat-house, a Lukai commanding platform, a Paiwan slate house, a Zou public house, a Zou skull shelf, a Puyuma chicken coop, and an Atayal watch tower.
Several mysterious totem poles welcome you at the entrance of the Gaoshan Village. They indicate the reverence from Gaoshan people to gender and sex.
The Zou skull shelf is made of stones and slates. The status level of a Zou man is decided by the number of the skulls of their enemies. Wow! Remember not to offend them!
The Zou public house is made of wooden pillars and thatch. It is the most sacred venue in this society. Women are not allowed to get in when sacrificing activities, conferences, pontifications, and order issuance take place. It serves as a workplace for men in daytime, as well as a dormitory for unmarried men in the evening.
The Lukai granary is set up on pillars by far above ground so as to keep their cereals from mice.
The Lukai commanding platform is made of slates and wood. The figure and snake patterns carved on wood also look very mysterious.
The Lukai commanding platform contains a stone table, four stone stools, and a standing slab carved with a figure of their chieftain, which represents his prestige. This venue is used for meeting and gathering.
The North Park harbors villages of other nationalities such as the Jingpo, Wa, Miao, Dong and Tibetans.
The South Park
The Bai Nationality
Bai people mainly live in the Bai Autonomous Prefecture, in Dali, Yunnan Province. They engage in agriculture and fishery. They worship Benzhu (the Primary Master) and believe in Buddhism.
At the Bai village, you will visit a residential courtyard with five yards, the Benzhu Temple, opera house, opera square, and the Three Pagodas of Dali.
On the day I was there, Bai Nationality girls and lads performed ethnic dances. Two beautiful girls even asked me to join them and gave me a quiz about their ornate headdress. I answered all their questions correctly, and won a landscape postcard as present.
I also visited their temple and folk houses. A wooden bed with an exquisite carving ornamentation looked age-old and elegant. The layout of the home respected its original state.
The Mosuo Dwelling
Mosuo is a branch of the Naxi Nationality. The Mosuo people live around Lugu Lake, which overlaps Yunnan-Sichuan border. Their society retains some aspects of a matriarchal clan. Men and women are not bound by marriage, but each lives at his or her mother¡¯s home. A man above the age of 13 years may work at home during the day and spend the night with the woman in love with him in her home. This unique wedlock values affection and gives more freedom to men and women in their relationships. They may choose to unite or separate at will.
At the Mosuo Dwelling, you can visit Mosuo wooden houses built with square-edged timber, and give a close look at some of the Dongba writing, the only surviving form of ancient pictographic script. A pictograph is a picture representing a word or idea. For example, Jiu (liquor) is written in the shape of a cup with some dots in it, while Cha (tea) only ¡®add a tea bud in the cup¡¯. These unique characters look interesting, but rather difficult to learn. A Naxi chap told me that he could only learn 9 characters a month.
In the South Park, you can also visit other nationalities such as the De¡¯ang, the Mongol, the Hui, and the Tujia.
And there are two spots you can¡¯t miss. One is the Main Exhibition Hall, in which is displayed a vast collection of everyday articles such as windmills, ploughs, looms, carriages, study, and boudoir.
The other one is the Long Corridor of Grotto Art, which centers on classic grotto works from Longmen, Dunhuang, Yungang, Dazu, and Jianchuan.
Yuan Capital Earthen Wall Relics Park
On your way back, you can stop by and visit the Yuan Capital Earthen Wall Relics Park. You will find it at the southwest corner of Jian¡¯an Bridge.
Before your eyes is the eastern section of the Relics Park. You may stroll for a while along the moat, but I warn you: the earthen wall is over 4 kilometers long! The original wall was built under the supervision of the first Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, Khubilai, from AD 1267 to 1276.
The scenery there is beautiful. Just relax, and enjoy the grass, the weeping willows, and the moat. Within 10 minute walking, you will come across a gigantic bird cage. It is named Bai Niao Yuan, or the Hundred Birds¡¯ Cage. Various kinds of birds live there. |
