Rongjiang

cctv.com 08-14-2003 09:39

From Kaili, head further south east to reach Rongjiang, where you are going to visit the Dong people, one of the other prominent ethnic groups in the region. The Miao people usually live in the mountains but the Dong people tend to make their homes along rivers.

Along the Duliujiang River in Chejiang, stand thousands of old banyan trees. They鈥檝e stood here since the Qing Dynasty, protecting the riverbanks and the Dong villages. Many small Dong villages are scattered along the waterway. Their wooden houses have sloping roofs that form beautiful geometric designs.

The Dong people have a reputation for being great singers, diligent farmers and able fishermen. After a day鈥檚 work in the field, people generally head home and sit at home in a group they call, Xinggezuoyue. It means singing songs while waiting for the moon to rise.

Women continue doing things around the house like spinning or embroidering, all the soft work that鈥檚 up to the females. As they sing along, men play traditional instruments. You would get the feeling that the rhythm of their songs keeps pace with the speed of their busy hands and feet. Maybe the monotonous work is much less tiring this way and it鈥檚 become a romantic way to pass time.

Editor:Han Ling  Source:CCTV.com