Zhengcong & Dong people

cctv.com 08-14-2003 09:39

Zhengcong is another Dong village. The girls sing a song to welcome guests from afar.

Drum tower, the center of the Dong community, is for more of the welcoming ceremony. Gong girls start to sing in natural unrestrained vocals, no instrumental multi vocals.

From their songs, you would get the feeling that these people are natural actors and performers. They are born with the talent of expressing themselves in music. Although they鈥檝e spent their lives in this small village in a remote corner of the world, they are just as open and confident as if they were from an urban jungle. According to Dong custom, groups of girls and boys visit other villages in a kind of group date like this. Singing is their way to get close to people and make direct contact in a short time.

The Drum Tower is uniquely Dong in style and it鈥檚 where all the important events take place in the village. When the elders decide to have a meeting, the drum on top of the tower is sounded and everybody who hears it, drops what they鈥檙e doing and turns up. The drum tower in Zhencong is among the oldest of its kind. It was built some 400 years ago, all from wood, but still stands firm. The drum tower is not only the symbol of the Dong village, it鈥檚 also their pride. No outsiders can be involved in building it so the final structure reflects the villagers鈥skills and prestige.

Zhencong sits in the mountains one-and-a-half hours from the Rongjiang county center. Surrounded by forests and a little river, it鈥檚 like a nirvana tucked away in an unpolluted, unspoiled natural world. About 100 families make up this small community and the pastoral scenery is impressively serene. You will want hide here forever, soaking up both the environment and the local hospitality.

About 1,000 years ago, the ancestors of the Dong people moved from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to Guizhou, southeast China. The ancestors of Zengcong built their tombs right close to the village. Even in another world they still maintain their tradition of hospitality. Knock knock, anybody home? You are always welcome to visit as a guest.

It鈥檚 hard to find a Dong person, young or old, who does not sing. As the Dongs don't have their own written system, traditional folklore and all their important history is passed down in song. There are more than ten types of songs, sung at different occasions - when you鈥檙e dating, spinning, sitting in a group drinking, inviting people to drink. The list goes on and on. All in all, the most famous singing village is called Xiaohuang, in Congjiang county, two-hours鈥drive from the Congjiang centre.

The Dong children learn to sing almost as soon as they start to speak. At the age of five or six, they are sent to special classes for instruction. Each village has its own recognized teachers, who earn their respected titles through general public consensus. The Singing Teacher usually teaches lyrics and rhythm of the tunes to a small group of children. They also decide who will play what role in the choir.

When the children grow up, they don鈥檛 need a conductor to lead them and any group that comes together can sing like a professional chorus at moment鈥檚 notice.

Although they are able singers, it doesn鈥檛 stop them from drinking, and after a few drinks, their voices get even better.

Such voices can only be heard in this part of China. They鈥檙e natural and moving, and reach out directly to your heart. The timeless melody contains all the wisdom and talent passed on in the Dong people. If you want to hear it for yourself, and meet these incredible people, you have to come here to southeastern Guizhou.

Editor:Han  Source:CCTV.com