A Yummy Yi Lunch and a Brilliant Market
We went south of Zhongdian to trek in the high mountains of the region.
There, we came across Hui and Yi villages.
The Hui minority is Muslim. Women cover their hair and men often sport a moustache or, more rarely, a bear. Their daily outfit does not vary from Han Chinese. When we crossed their villages, we could see Hui men and women busy working in the maize fields following the harvest and cleaning them in preparation for planting. The Hui represent the second largest minority in China.
The Yi minority is more reclusive. We got invited for lunch by a couple returning from their fields. They laid down their tools before entering the house. There is very little natural light entering the room so it takes a bit of time to get used to it. The kitchen space was on the right by the entrance.
Behind it, the main living space spread around the fireplace. They asked us to sit on small stools by the fireplace on which a giant wok was resting. Our host put some giant white beans with boiling water to slow cook and added fresh spinach shortly after. She added a bit of lard in the mixture for taste. We got a big serving in a bowl together with two portions of rice. It was genuinely delicious!
In terms of clothing, Yi Women wear a very colourful outfit: a long slightly pleated colourful skirt, a long-sleeved top, a jacket adorned with colourful stitches and richly decorated and a pentagonal-shaped hat. Nowadays, women tend to only wear their hats and jewellry (big loop earrings linked by a beautifully-crafted golden chain at the front) for ceromonies or at the market.
Hence, it was our luck that we ended up in a village on a market day. We witnessed people setting up their stalls or parking their small trucks along an alley by a river. Pretty soon, Yi women were showing off their colours with their beautiful hats, dresses and jewels. The market was a maze of minorities: Naxi, Hui and Yi people were trading their farm produce for a few frantic hours. Then, around three o'clock, everybody went back to their villages and the market vanished as fast as it had appeared.
From an historical perspective, Yi people were, until 1959, a class society. Black Yi were the aristocrats and landowners who could trade slaves. Meanwhile, White Yi were labourers. The lower cast among the latter had no rights and could be freely traded as slaves. They have come a long way since then but retain their air of superiority at times ;0)
After such a wonderful experience, it was time for us to backtrack to Zhongdian for our next adventures.
There, we came across Hui and Yi villages.
The Hui minority is Muslim. Women cover their hair and men often sport a moustache or, more rarely, a bear. Their daily outfit does not vary from Han Chinese. When we crossed their villages, we could see Hui men and women busy working in the maize fields following the harvest and cleaning them in preparation for planting. The Hui represent the second largest minority in China.
The Yi minority is more reclusive. We got invited for lunch by a couple returning from their fields. They laid down their tools before entering the house. There is very little natural light entering the room so it takes a bit of time to get used to it. The kitchen space was on the right by the entrance.
Behind it, the main living space spread around the fireplace. They asked us to sit on small stools by the fireplace on which a giant wok was resting. Our host put some giant white beans with boiling water to slow cook and added fresh spinach shortly after. She added a bit of lard in the mixture for taste. We got a big serving in a bowl together with two portions of rice. It was genuinely delicious!
In terms of clothing, Yi Women wear a very colourful outfit: a long slightly pleated colourful skirt, a long-sleeved top, a jacket adorned with colourful stitches and richly decorated and a pentagonal-shaped hat. Nowadays, women tend to only wear their hats and jewellry (big loop earrings linked by a beautifully-crafted golden chain at the front) for ceromonies or at the market.
Hence, it was our luck that we ended up in a village on a market day. We witnessed people setting up their stalls or parking their small trucks along an alley by a river. Pretty soon, Yi women were showing off their colours with their beautiful hats, dresses and jewels. The market was a maze of minorities: Naxi, Hui and Yi people were trading their farm produce for a few frantic hours. Then, around three o'clock, everybody went back to their villages and the market vanished as fast as it had appeared.
From an historical perspective, Yi people were, until 1959, a class society. Black Yi were the aristocrats and landowners who could trade slaves. Meanwhile, White Yi were labourers. The lower cast among the latter had no rights and could be freely traded as slaves. They have come a long way since then but retain their air of superiority at times ;0)
After such a wonderful experience, it was time for us to backtrack to Zhongdian for our next adventures.
posted by Tribasia at
2:42 AM
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