Minority report

It took me a while to find out the answer, but I finally received an explanation for the Chinese national flag. While I am still uncertain about the yellow color of the stars, the red background stands for the blood shed during the people's revolution. Many Americans would probably thing that it stands for the communist party, however, much like the red stripes in our own flag, this red pays homage to those who gave their lives for a new nation. The large star in the corner stands for the communist party. The other four, smaller stars represent the variety of people groups in China. And that is what I would like to share with you.

In Yunnan province alone, over twenty-five different minorities are recognized. Some speak variations of Putonghua, or standard speech (Mandarin), while many others speak their very own dialect (i.e. Dong Ba is spoken by the Naxi people who live in and around Lijiang). On the south side of Kunming, not far from the north shore of Dian Chi (Dian lake), the local governement has created a type of amusement park dedicated to the various minorities in Yunnan province. While not all the minorities are represented, the park does display many of the larger people groups--Bai, Dai, Yi, Naxi, et. al.. The following photos provide a small taste of the various minorities.

If one did not know that I am actually standing in southcentral China, one might think that this photo shows me touring aroung Thailand. In fact, this Bhuddist monument is in the Dai section of the minority village. The Dai people live in the more southern section of Yunnan, closer to Thailand and have many things in common with the "Taiguoren" or Thai people, not the least of which is Bhuddism. This beautiful white structure features numerous wind chimes (and it was quite windy on this day). It was also surrounded by the scent of incense. While dressing up in traditional minority clothing and having a picture taken is an option throughout the park, I decided to stick with my "Xishuang" or western style.
I apologize that I do not recall which minority these women represent, however, one thing holds true for the clothing of the majority of the Chinese minorities: the garments are usually brightly colored. These two women use a simple loom to create the brightly colored additions to their basically black and white tops and bottoms. Usually, the people will start with a very simple color--black, white, navy--and adorn the sleeves, shoulders, plackets, and cuffs with the brighter woven accessories. These women worked beneath a stilted dwelling. I am assuming that this minority village represented a community further south toward the sea or at a lower elevation where there may be more possibility of flooding.
Those of you who have seen my blog about my trip to Dali may find some similarities with this picture. This performance stage is designed to look like the architecture of the Bai people. Dali is a center for Bai culture. Therefore, the pictures I showed of downtown Dali may look somewhat like this one. In this photo, the two men on the left side of the stage are practicing for a larger show. A woman in a red traditionally Bai dress (her arm is visible from behind the inside left pillar) is directing the men on how their dance should be performed. While I never saw a traditional show during my trip to Dali, the miniature "town" at the minority village certainly reminded me of Dali. Even the color of the stone is the same.
Just outside of Kunming, in XiShan (Western Mountains), live a minority called the Yi. I will share more about them in another blog--during my Chun Jie break, I went with my Chinese teacher, her family, and some of the other staff to the XiShan to go on a little hike. Many Yi monuments pay homage to cats, especially panthers and tigers. This Yi equivalent of a Northwest Native American totem is topped with three small panthers. Ringing the totem are statues representing the twelve signs of the Chinese zodiac. There are also twelve spheres painted half white and half black. From any angle, a person can see the phases of the moon, from New to Waxing to Full to Waning. Chun Jie marked the beginning of the year of the Golden Pig.
This last photo shows yours truly putting the spurs to the year of the sheep. Personally, I am a Dog, whose year just ended. Much like the Greek and Roman zodiacs, the Chinese zodiac attributes certain personality traits to the various signs. People born within a sign supposedly carry these traits. Because the compatibility of personality traits are so important to a healthy marriage, the Chinese zodiac, much like the Greek and Roman counterparts, instructs certain signs to seek out or avoid relationships with certain other signs. While the the Chinese government has mandated that this tradition--amont others--no longer be strictly adhered to, there are still people who look to the zodiac for such items, which also include suitable dates for performing the wedding ceremony. The only thing I can equate this to in my own Faith is the command to not be unequally yoked.

These are just samplings of the various minorities throughout Yunnan. While I would recommend that a person who has the time and the resources visit the individual regions of Yunnan where each of these minorities dwell, certainly this minority village provides a look at the entire province in about a day. A person can find traditional clothing, traditional food, and a traditionally minority feeling in this one small piece of Yunnan.