Yao Minority Village - house
We took a side trip to the Yao minority village situated at the bottom of the winding road from our hotel. We crossed a river on a very old, crickety bridge that was throwing up wood slabs every now and then when it was stepped on the wrong way. Some nice swinging to it, too! And, of course, a little icy to boot. Here is Laurel navigating the last portion of the bridge.
Tanner walking through the village as we make our way to visit a typical home. We saw some Yao women in the other village earlier in the morning. They are famous for their Phoenix hair do's. They only cut their hair once in their life, when they are 18, and are not allowed to show their hair until they have a child. Then the Phoenix hair comes into being. It is piled high on the forhead, and the hair that was cut off when they were 18 is used as a "hair" scrunchy for the rest of their lives.
Their homes are three stories high. The bottom level is reserved for the animals, feed, and outhouse.
Chickens roaming wild in the streets!
Ears of corn drying for . . . not sure. All kinds of possibilities.
We have arrived at the house we are to visit. The ground level has some water buffalo babies and pigs. Chopped wood for the winter was stacked everywhere. We didn't see the outhouse, but know it was there. Another section of the bottom level had farming equipment and the like.
One of the women with her Phoenix hair, and baby - thus we get to see the hair!
Inside the house a group of women with small children were sitting on stools, the furniture of choice in these parts, around a fire in the middle of a large empty space. A chicken was hanging above the fire, being smoked, we imagined. They tried to pull up stools for us to warm ourselves also. I think this is how they spend their day, keeping warm.
One of the adorable children we find everywhere. (see the hair?)
Paige and Jessie, our guide, by the fire.
This is what looked to be the kitchen, although a huge wood burning stove was in another corner where soup is cooked all day. Other things, also, I am sure. This particular area was overflowing in beer bottles, lined up on the floor - all empty. So the main level, which is up some stairs from the animal level, was one big room of living space with no furniture, this kitchen, and a couple of bedrooms off of closed doors. We didn't see into those.
Upstairs, third level, is food storage and an extra, oh so rustic, bedroom. These are potatoes.
Looking down over the 3rd floor balcony this is the wall that greets everyone as they first enter the house. A wall of clocks. These clocks are given as house warming gifts when a family moves into a new house. Above the clocks, incense and red scrolls for praying.
The front door is on the left. This is the space in front of the clocks, which would be on the wall to the right. Nothing there. Just posts holding up the upper level.
Keeping warm.
The beautifully painted front door.
The rice paddy in front of their house.
Looking back across the rice paddy to the house. One would never imagine, looking at this beautiful building, that it is empty inside! Maybe they have lots of gatherings in the big empty spaces of their home.
Heading back across the river on another bridge. Into the bus and off to Guilin for lunch and then Yangshuo.
Tanner walking through the village as we make our way to visit a typical home. We saw some Yao women in the other village earlier in the morning. They are famous for their Phoenix hair do's. They only cut their hair once in their life, when they are 18, and are not allowed to show their hair until they have a child. Then the Phoenix hair comes into being. It is piled high on the forhead, and the hair that was cut off when they were 18 is used as a "hair" scrunchy for the rest of their lives.
Their homes are three stories high. The bottom level is reserved for the animals, feed, and outhouse.
Chickens roaming wild in the streets!
Ears of corn drying for . . . not sure. All kinds of possibilities.
We have arrived at the house we are to visit. The ground level has some water buffalo babies and pigs. Chopped wood for the winter was stacked everywhere. We didn't see the outhouse, but know it was there. Another section of the bottom level had farming equipment and the like.
One of the women with her Phoenix hair, and baby - thus we get to see the hair!
Inside the house a group of women with small children were sitting on stools, the furniture of choice in these parts, around a fire in the middle of a large empty space. A chicken was hanging above the fire, being smoked, we imagined. They tried to pull up stools for us to warm ourselves also. I think this is how they spend their day, keeping warm.
One of the adorable children we find everywhere. (see the hair?)
Paige and Jessie, our guide, by the fire.
This is what looked to be the kitchen, although a huge wood burning stove was in another corner where soup is cooked all day. Other things, also, I am sure. This particular area was overflowing in beer bottles, lined up on the floor - all empty. So the main level, which is up some stairs from the animal level, was one big room of living space with no furniture, this kitchen, and a couple of bedrooms off of closed doors. We didn't see into those.
Upstairs, third level, is food storage and an extra, oh so rustic, bedroom. These are potatoes.
Looking down over the 3rd floor balcony this is the wall that greets everyone as they first enter the house. A wall of clocks. These clocks are given as house warming gifts when a family moves into a new house. Above the clocks, incense and red scrolls for praying.
The front door is on the left. This is the space in front of the clocks, which would be on the wall to the right. Nothing there. Just posts holding up the upper level.
Keeping warm.
The beautifully painted front door.
The rice paddy in front of their house.
Looking back across the rice paddy to the house. One would never imagine, looking at this beautiful building, that it is empty inside! Maybe they have lots of gatherings in the big empty spaces of their home.
Heading back across the river on another bridge. Into the bus and off to Guilin for lunch and then Yangshuo.
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