Even today, and more so in the 80s and 90s, the living standards of people in the mountainous regions of Guangxi and Guizhou are far behind those in the cities.
If you drive through the mountainous areas of southeast Guizhou today, you will see "poverty alleviation" slogans along the winding roads.
The Dong people live by the water, passing down their rich and unique culture for generations. They still preserve a rich and unique cultural heritage.
In 1988, the renowned French photographer Yann Layma first ventured into Dong territory and made multiple visits thereafter. His extensive photography in this region garnered significant international attention, making the Dong people known to the Western world for the first time, drawing interest from foreign tourists and cultural anthropologists.
The following article is a record of Yann Layma's first visit to the Dong region.
Exploration
A Chinese director friend told me about this unique ethnic group living in the mountains of Guangxi, Hunan, and Guizhou.
At that time, there was no information or research about the Dong people in the Western world; even the name "Dong" was unknown. This only heightened my curiosity. Although I conducted some research in China, the results were minimal. I decided to visit the Dong people myself.
One evening, while crossing the Seine in the heart of Paris, I suggested to my best friend Simon Platt to join me in visiting the Dong. He could make a film, write for magazines, or perhaps write a book. He immediately agreed, ready for a new adventure.
After a turbulent landing influenced by air currents, the adventure began. After a few days in Nanning and enduring a long and difficult journey, we arrived in Guizhou Town, Sanjiang County, northern Guangxi. This small town, located in the southern part of Dong territory, would become our base from where we would travel along mountain roads to reach various renowned wooden villages.
Guizhou, 1989
Wooden Villages
The road to Guizhou Town was quite difficult, muddy and rough. When we reached the newly opened concrete town for foreign tourists, it was cold and raining. Everyone stared at us in amazement, as if we were from Mars. We were surrounded by curious people who watched us closely.
Small shop, Guangxi, 1989
There were only a few small shops on the street, selling items like plastic basins, quilts, simple clothes, and farm tools. There was only one restaurant, which was infested with rats and never had other customers.
The Chinese New Year was approaching, and we began our exploration from Chengyang Bazhai, which boasts the largest wind and rain bridge in Dong territory – the Chengyang Yongji Bridge, with five pavilions and a length of over 80 meters.
Chengyang Yongji Bridge, Sanjiang, Guangxi, 1989
Repairing the wind and rain bridge, Guangxi, 1989
People gathered on the wind and rain bridge during festivals, 1990
Building a new drum tower, Guangxi, 1989
Seeing this architectural marvel, Simon and I were almost moved to tears. Chengyang Bazhai's wooden villages were quickly changing, with concrete buildings appearing along the paths. The village near the big wind and rain bridge was entirely wooden, well-preserved, and centered around an exquisite drum tower where villagers had gathered for generations.
The locals were very curious about our mysterious equipment. Some spoke a little Mandarin and bravely asked us, "Where are you from?"
"France."
This answer puzzled them, but when we explained it was a country 10,000 kilometers away, they all responded in unison, "Oh! You must be very tired, sit down." People habitually brought us small stools less than 20 centimeters high, which I always found uncomfortable.
Cooking by the central fire pit in the house, 1990
Guangxi Baxie, 1989
Children ran around the small square in front of the drum tower, laughing as they followed us. The surrounding houses were all traditional wooden structures. The more reserved women observed us from their balconies. They were drying long purple fabric strips used to make traditional family clothing. The Dong people still mainly wore their ethnic attire, only young men wore pants, shirts, or sportswear and took pride in it.
Dyeing fabric, Guangxi Baxie, 1989
Weaving the cotton cloth needed for family clothes takes six months, Guangxi Baxie, 1989
Weaving, Guangxi, 1989
Pigs and poultry roamed freely in the village. The narrow alleys between the multi-story wooden buildings were muddy and littered with animal droppings. Wastewater and garbage flowed through small ditches in the middle of the paths. Electricity reached only a few villages, each household had just one or two incandescent bulbs. Vehicles were rare, with a few rudimentary tractors occasionally used for public transportation.
Our car became a curious focal point, always drawing a crowd. In this valley connecting to the world, people were preparing for the New Year, slaughtering a pig, a few poultry, and piling up mountains of rice.
Washing hair with water mixed with wood ash, Guangxi Baxie, 1989
Guangxi Baxie, 1989
In the winter of 1989, it rained every day with temperatures only four or five degrees Celsius. Although it was difficult to stay warm, we happily enjoyed the traditional tea with popped rice. The Dong people were fascinated by our faces, my reddish-brown hair, and "golden" body hair. Some asked if I was born this way and commented that I was quite unfortunate, while others thought we were from another planet or had fallen from the moon. Everyone was very friendly and not hostile at all, just like people all over China were towards foreigners. The Dong people lived in a perpetual and kind tranquility.
Sea of Songs
We were invited to a Dong family's New Year's Eve dinner. I set up three flash units covering the entire room, which scared our new friends quite a bit, but we explained the purpose of these strange, flashing devices.
The men ate first and then exchanged bowls of rice wine. Each person took turns offering the wine to others, back and forth. This was a custom. Soon, the sound of singing filled the air. The polyphonic songs sung in the night amazed us.
The Dong people actually have various songs, said to be 47 different types, embellishing their daily lives. This ethnic group, with no written language, showcases their rich culture through a wide variety of songs.
There are greeting songs, blocking songs and road-opening songs when villagers test the cultural level of outsiders trying to enter the village, festival songs, drinking songs, songs sung while trekking along mountain paths, songs for farming and celebrating the harvest, songs sung around the fire in the drum tower at night, songs young men and women sing to attract each other and test their compatibility for future marriages, and songs young men sing in groups as they go from village to village in spring looking for their loved ones.
Dong girls believe eating this flower will make their singing voices better, 1989
The Dong people's lives are so filled with these songs that this area is known as the "sea of songs."
This song-based culture is unique in the world. Besides such a rich singing culture, the Dong language has fifteen tones, setting a world record.
Singing in the drum tower, Guangxi, winter 1989
Singing in the drum tower, Guangxi, winter 1989
Sa
After dinner, we went outside to set off firecrackers in the square in front of the drum tower, following the custom. We felt almost deafened by the noise. We returned to our small hotel late, both drunk and deaf, but happy to have celebrated our first festival in Dong territory.
According to legend, a long time ago, a brave Dong heroine was surrounded and heroically killed by enemies while resisting an invasion. The Dong people revere her as "Sasui" (meaning ancestor mother) and regard her as the supreme deity. It is believed that the Dong people developed from a branch of the ancient Yue people who lived in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River and south of it, migrating to the current Dong areas before the Tang Dynasty. For over fourteen centuries, the Dong people have happily secluded themselves, retaining some ancient Yue customs and developing a unique indigenous culture. Sasui is still worshipped throughout Dong territory, with a Sasui altar in every village.
Huapao Festival
Ten days after the New Year, I lost count of how many thousands of firecrackers we endured.
First was the riverbank Huapao Festival. Everyone in festive attire was excited. The elderly brought a large cylinder of giant firecrackers with an iron ring on top. All the robust young men were ready for a fierce battle, fighting for the sacred iron ring blasted into the air by the big explosion. The women watched from the sidelines, commenting on this chaotic melee.
Huapao Festival, Linxi, Guangxi, 1990
Huapao Festival judges, Linxi, Guangxi, 1990
Dressed up for the "March 3rd" Huapao Festival, Fulu, Guangxi, 1989
With the women watching, two to three hundred young men, like warriors, each hoped to be the lucky one to present the precious iron ring to the elders serving as judges on the stage. The person and his village who won the ring would receive the gods' blessings for the year. Almost everywhere, there were singing competitions organized around bonfires in drum towers, judged by the elders known for their fairness and handling of village affairs.
Like many other parts of China, there were many dragon dance teams, but these teams were followed by bands playing the lusheng (bamboo mouth organ).
Lusheng Competition
Lusheng performances are a must at every Dong festival, with each village's lusheng team ready to take on challenges day and night, preparing for the spring competition.
After the New Year, the elderly judges would retreat behind the mountains and then draw lots to match the lusheng teams for successive duels. The goal was to play as loudly as possible while ensuring harmony and dancing for performance effect.
At the end of the day, the judges would reappear to announce the winners, as if completing a "musical exercise," another unique aspect of Dong culture.
Lusheng competition, Guangxi Baxie, 1989 Spring Festival
Lusheng competition, Guangxi Baxie, 1989 Spring Festival
Wedding
On the tenth day, a hundred-person wedding took place in Pingfu Village, Linxi Township. Guests arrived in groups, carrying baskets full of gifts for the newlyweds. The sound of thousands of firecrackers drowned out the cheers. Guests poured into the bustling place, bringing rice, cigarettes, handmade indigo-dyed cloth, and especially a whole pig painted with blood. The grand feast was about to begin, typically consuming dozens of liters of local rice wine.
Our first trip to Dong territory was cold and rainy almost the entire time, but Simon and I remained excited after discovering the group's fascinating singing culture, wooden architecture, and traditional indigo-dyed clothing.
Preparing food for the wedding, Spring Festival, 1990
The bride gives red rice to her parents when returning home, Spring Festival, 1989
The bride returns home, Guangxi Baxie, Spring Festival, 1989
Scenery
In autumn, Simon and I returned to Dong territory. I longed to see the wonderful Batun Bridge, about ten kilometers away. As I hurried down a difficult path, a young man on a bicycle rode past me. I called out to him, asking for a ride on the back seat.
It was the most painful experience for my buttocks! It was terrible, but I finally reached Batun Bridge just in time to catch the great light. I was out of breath but happy to catch two minutes of sunset on the open ground in front of the bridge, where the Dong people were spreading mats to dry rice.
Villagers harvesting rice before the rain, Batun, Guangxi, 1990
Photographing the harvest season's fieldwork was a great joy. The Dong people found us amusing but later ignored us, busy cutting rice stalks and threshing precious grains with wooden machines. The harvest songs echoed through the valleys.
Children caught fish and shrimp raised in the paddy fields before they were cleared and replowed. We returned to Zhaoxing Da Wantun in Guizhou, where the terraced rice field scenery was particularly impressive, and the village retained its original flavor. The women's traditional clothing was beautiful. At the end of the day's work, I captured a family walking on the ridge, carrying yokes, tools, and harvests, following their water buffalo. The light was misty, but the photo was a great success, often featured in international magazine spreads.
Zhaoxing, Guizhou, 1989
Guizhou, 1989
Guangxi Baxie, 1989
Bullfighting Festival
According to Dong custom, after the harvest, it was time for the buffalo kings to battle.
Each village raised a buffalo king. On the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, during the bullfighting festival, these villages gathered to compete. Each village staked its honor.
All villagers dressed in their most beautiful traditional clothing, carrying red flags, and climbed the hills. It was there that I experienced undoubtedly the most beautiful day of my photographic career. I was completely mesmerized by the beautiful colors and the vibrant scene.
Thousands of firecrackers resounded. The bamboo mouth organs, lushengs, were played loudly. On this unforgettable magical day, I took thousands of photos, God knows how many.
Bullfighting in front of the wind and rain bridge, 1990
Leading the buffalo into the arena, 1990
Bullfighting spectators, 1990
Bullfighting spectators, 1990
Bullfighting spectators, 1990
Return
In 1998, I was commissioned by a German magazine to return to Dong territory. Traditional clothing was less common, there were more vehicles on some roads, and shops had more supplies. However, the lusheng competitions were still exciting, and the buffalo kings continued their fierce battles.
In 2016, I revisited Dong territory. Almost all Dong parents had left for factory work in economically developed areas, leaving children to be raised by their grandparents. Sanjiang had become a modern city with several excellent hotels. Traditional clothing had become rare. Concrete had replaced wooden buildings. A highway directly connected the city and continued to be built, ready to cross Dong territory.
Economic development had impacted the once secluded Dong culture, which was also a good thing. Now, Dong territory had electricity everywhere, television, the internet, mobile phones, and cars. The Dong people finally connected to the rapidly changing outside world.
The above narration and photos are from Yann Layma's album "Sea of Songs." Indigenous cultures around the world, including the Dong people, are deeply impacted by modern civilization. Before these invaluable traditions fade away, we aim to preserve more stories about these ancient civilizations and their rich heritage.
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