Guizhou Trip - Zhaoxing Dong Village

1 Congjiang, Guizhou. Zhaoxing Dong Village. This is my second time visiting Zhaoxing Dong Village. It has been eight years since my first visit. There have been some changes. There is more commercial atmosphere. But the wooden buildings are still the same wooden buildings. The stream is still the same stream. The Dong people are still as simple and honest. We arrived in the evening. The Dong village, with its lights just coming on, was filled with a gentle warmth. Like a woman smiling softly at her child, feeling content. In the off-season, the Dong village has a peaceful tranquility. There were not many people. A few tourists here and there occasionally let out cheerful laughter, gradually breaking and blending into the quiet of the night. Guizhou is not actually wealthy. Due to its geographical location, it had little contact with the outside world in ancient times. It was culturally deficient, yet surprisingly cohesive, historically referred to as the "Southern Barbarians." It has its own culture but no written language. The history has been passed down through the tribe's beliefs, clan rules, village regulations, oral traditions, rich clothing embroidery, traditional weaving... passed down bit by bit. 2 The Dong village has bonfire parties. The folk performances are filled with the unique atmosphere of ethnic minorities. Not glamorous, not professional, but genuinely local, reflecting the accumulated hard work and self-sufficient joy. The Dong Grand Song, a national intangible cultural heritage, a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage of humanity, is known as the world's oldest "a cappella." When the Dong Grand Song is sung, I can't help but get goosebumps. The original voices are extremely penetrating, with a narrative feel that suddenly reminds me of my great-aunt - a Miao song king. The real Grand Song and Miao singing have random lyrics, created on the spot by god-level lyricists. The rhythm doesn't change, the tone doesn't change, only the lyrics change, telling the singer's story, thoughts, and world. The scene is very stirring. As the bonfire in the Dong village is lit, the rhythmic beats resound, and the Dong men and women begin the bonfire dance. The kids from the 2000s among the tourists are still the main participants, not shy or timid at all. They lead us, the more passive 70s generation, to join the dance queue and jump together. At that moment, you feel that life isn't so unfamiliar. As long as we hold hands, laugh together, dance together, sweat together, experience together, and enjoy together, it's all good. 3 Snacks in the Dong village. The snacks are all made by the residents of the Dong village. Their unique dipping sauce, grilled potatoes on an iron plate, something similar to cold jelly made from potatoes, and tofu, each piece with a bit of Zheergen sauce, tastes like a delicacy. Not salty, not oily. The ingredients are the key. Pure natural handmade agricultural products, the local water and soil nurture the local ingredients, and the local ingredients nurture the local people. The same potatoes, but you can taste the unique and simple joy of potatoes. That potato jelly really looks unappetizing, but it tastes incredibly good. Night. Very quiet. Not noisy. The evening breeze is as gentle as the moonlight's dance, brushing by. You can see the twinkling stars in the night sky, playful like human babies. On the road, the dogs raised by the villagers are playing in twos and threes. You see the stilted buildings built along the mountain, the villagers busy coming and going... In an instant, you are struck by this indescribable beauty. Life is just this simple and unadorned. Zhaoxing. I am here.