ADVENTURER0:

Twenty-two of China's fifty-six ethnic minority tribes live in the southeast province of Yunnan. Every tribe has its own form of language, history, food, colorful clothing and traditions, each distinct from the other, and all of them different from the majority Han Chinese. I spent some time trekking in the mountains there recently, and found that, although the people don't want to lose their unique and ancient traditions, the modern world is unfortunately endangering them. I traveled to the southeast corner of Yunnan, called Xishuangbanna, on the border of Myanmar and Laos, and spent two weeks in the mountains, staying with the local minority people. What struck me most, first of all, were the houses themselves.

Twenty-two of China's fifty-six ethnic minority tribes live in the southeast province of Yunnan. Every tribe has its own form of language, history, food, colorful clothing and traditions, each distinct from the other, and all of them different from the majority Han Chinese. I spent some time trekking in the mountains there recently, and found that, although the people don't want to lose their unique and ancient traditions, the modern world is unfortunately endangering them. I traveled to the southeast corner of Yunnan, called Xishuangbanna, on the border of Myanmar and Laos, and spent two weeks in the mountains, staying with the local minority people. What struck me most, first of all, were the houses themselves.
ADVENTURER1:

These wooden, three storey constructions have an earthen ground floor, with no walls. This is where the animals - pigs, ducks, chickens and cows live. The 'living room', where the people cook, eat and relax, is on the first floor. There's no front door. To get there you have to climb up a ladder and go through a hole in the floor.

These wooden, three storey constructions have an earthen ground floor, with no walls. This is where the animals - pigs, ducks, chickens and cows live. The 'living room', where the people cook, eat and relax, is on the first floor. There's no front door. To get there you have to climb up a ladder and go through a hole in the floor.
ADVENTURER2:

At night, the family sleeps on the second floor, in the roof compartment. The largest ethnic group in Xishuangbanna are the Dai people. The Dai minority language and traditions are closely related to those in nearby Thailand. The people are Buddhists, and it's traditional for young boys of around eight to twelve years old to spend two or three years in a monastery and learn the ancient traditions and beliefs of Buddhism. Another interesting tradition is the Water Splashing Festival.

At night, the family sleeps on the second floor, in the roof compartment. The largest ethnic group in Xishuangbanna are the Dai people. The Dai minority language and traditions are closely related to those in nearby Thailand. The people are Buddhists, and it's traditional for young boys of around eight to twelve years old to spend two or three years in a monastery and learn the ancient traditions and beliefs of Buddhism. Another interesting tradition is the Water Splashing Festival.
ADVENTURER3:

According to Dai tradition, the New Year occurs between April the twelfth and the eighteenth. To celebrate, the people splash water over each other to drive away evil spirits. And I mean splash! If you're outside during the day at this time, you'll get absolutely soaked! In Xishuangbanna, there are around one hundred thousand hectares of virgin forest and over five thousand different kinds of plant.

According to Dai tradition, the New Year occurs between April the twelfth and the eighteenth. To celebrate, the people splash water over each other to drive away evil spirits. And I mean splash! If you're outside during the day at this time, you'll get absolutely soaked! In Xishuangbanna, there are around one hundred thousand hectares of virgin forest and over five thousand different kinds of plant.
ADVENTURER4:

However, landowners are cutting down the indigenous forests to replace them with rubber trees, which produce a quick and regular profit. Without proper regulation, the villages could find that the land they've lived on for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, could be destroyed. Another danger to their way of life is rural migration. It's not uncommon to enter a village in the mountains and see only old people, young children and dogs, most of the village youths having left for the bright lights of the city to seek their fortune. You can't blame young people for wanting to better their lives, but the village elders worry who's going to carry on their ancient traditions in the future.

However, landowners are cutting down the indigenous forests to replace them with rubber trees, which produce a quick and regular profit. Without proper regulation, the villages could find that the land they've lived on for hundreds, if not thousands, of years, could be destroyed. Another danger to their way of life is rural migration. It's not uncommon to enter a village in the mountains and see only old people, young children and dogs, most of the village youths having left for the bright lights of the city to seek their fortune. You can't blame young people for wanting to better their lives, but the village elders worry who's going to carry on their ancient traditions in the future.
ADVENTURER5:

This isn't a problem that affects only the minority tribes of China, it's something every country has to deal with in the modern age. Leaving home to look for a job in the city is one thing, but forgetting our culture and history is another. Like a tree in the rainforest, it's human nature to reach as high as we can but, just like that tree, we should never forget our roots.

This isn't a problem that affects only the minority tribes of China, it's something every country has to deal with in the modern age. Leaving home to look for a job in the city is one thing, but forgetting our culture and history is another. Like a tree in the rainforest, it's human nature to reach as high as we can but, just like that tree, we should never forget our roots.