Road to Longsheng (2010)

Passing through Guilin

I really didn’t get to see much of the city. Jing and I left Chengdu late in the evening and didn’t even realize our hotel was right across from the river until we checked out the next morning. We check out and catch a bus line that takes us to the mountains about 2 hours north.

 

 

Guilin street scene while waiting for the bus to Longsheng.

 

I have no idea where this is exactly, but this was a fairly large orange grove next to a rest stop.

 

On the way up, we make a stop in Huangluo, a deeply rural Yao village in the mountains. The government has invested heavily in their infrastructure to promote tourism, and help them raise their standards of living. We visited for just over an hour to see a presentation about Yao culture and see a few homes and shops. The place was under much construction.

 

Puppies… a lot of puppies here.

 

With the influx of tourists and cash, the village is erecting hotels, which also serve as personal residences.

 

We are invited inside one of the homes. It’s pretty bare-bones. Minimal electricity, little to no furniture. One large room houses a complete family.

 

It was pretty dark in there so the pics are not that sharp.

 

 

Yao people cultural presentation

We enter in a newly constructed theater and grab a seat to watch the presentation.

 

A lot of folk singing and dancing.

 

The Yao women of Huangluo Yao Village in China typically have hair from 4-5ft in length, a world record for a whole community. Up until recently (late 1980’s) their hair was almost always coiled under a turban-like headdress in public. An outdated tradition stated that any man that saw the Yao woman’s hair unwrapped, particularly while being washed, would have to become her husband for a period of at least 3 years–that pretty much ended in 1987. Yao women get their hair cut once, on their 16th birthday, when courtship typically begins. What’s hot in Huangluo, other than long hair? Big butts, loud voices, and giant feet.

 

Yao women are known for being empowered and strong.

 

 

The red head scarves, if i recall, are a wedding thing.

 

 

Yao women also have a habit of slapping the ass of men they like. At the end of the presentation, as men exited, a line of Yao girls slapped their asses.  Apparently they said they would do this, but said in Chinese. I was caught off guard.

 

 

Commerce going in in the streets. Yao-made crafts on sale.

 

 

 

While we wait for the rest of the bus group to finish shopping, we head down to the river. Notice the foot bridge.

 

 

I captured one of my best photos in this village.

Longsheng Rice Terraces

Everyone has seen those beautiful photos of the precision-cut mountains of China, where rice paddies layer up and down the slopes as far as the eye can see. This is the place. But you won’t see those perfect vistas here. We came in the off season. Still beautiful and still worth the trip. While it’s not too far from Guilin city, it feels really remote. In fact, vehicles can’t even make it up the mountain. So once we arrived, we had to trek an hour to the top where our inn was. Realizing how huge are luggage was, Jing decided to hire a few locals to carry it up for us. I guess it was less embarrassing than the locals carrying us up, which was totally an option. But then when I saw who was going to carry it, I felt a bit ashamed.

Two old ladies, easily in their 70s, with our luggage strapped to their backs.

 

While the trek up the mountain path was a long one, it was lined with shops most of the way. We’ll definitely have to come back and check them out.

 

Saw this cute Yao baby along the way.

Finally our place. At the very top. Even the old ladies thought it was a bit far. We paid them pretty well for such an amazing effort.

 

The place is pretty nice, with two beds, electricity, shower and a hole on the floor next to the shower for pooping into. Best of all the view was pretty amazing.

 

Exploring the mountain

After getting settled, we decided to wander around and explore the village.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The buildings in the village are build on supports because the Yao only build their houses on the steepest, most rocky side of the mountains, thus reserving the flatter, and more fertile, slopes for rice cultivation. The result: a village with a steep climb.

Not looking my best. I’m coming down with a cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking back down at the gateway entrance to the village at the roadside. We didn’t make it down the path, so we retired for the night and decided to try tomorrow.