Exploring an island of Han culture in Guizhou

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Longli, an ancient military fortress with a history of more than 600 years, is in Jinping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Guizhou Province.

The town was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is the only well-preserved military facility of Han culture in southwest China, in an area with a lot of ethnic minority people. Even now, it still preserves the layout and residential buildings from the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties .

The inhabitants of Longli were descendants of station troops in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), when Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang sent armies to depress an uprising by ethnic Miao and Dong people there.

The soldiers came from Zhu Yuanzhang's disputed hometown, Jiangsu and Anhui, both with a strong Han cultural background. Thus, there has been a preservation of the customs of Jiangnan, or South of Yangtze River in Chinese.

Yu Qiuyu, a famous Chinese writer, calls the town an "isolated island of Han culture".

Anhui architecture with Miao and Dong elements in Longli Town, Jinping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous prefecture, Guizhou province./CD Photo

The culture handed down in Longli is mainly Han culture. Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism are rooted in this land, while mixing with the local Miao and Dong cultures.

A dragon dancer with a painted face in Longli Town, Jinping County./CD Photo

Over the centuries, Han culture and local Miao and Dong cultures have collided and merged with each other, forming a sub-cultural group different from the Central Plains culture and the local ethnic culture. It is a Han cultural community in an ethnic group area.

Anhui architecture with Miao and Dong elements in Longli Town, Jinping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. /CD Photo

The architectural forms and artistic techniques of buildings here have obvious characteristics of Anhui architecture with white walls, black tiles and corbel-steps. However, due to influence by the Miao and Dong culture, buildings here have gorgeous color.

Dragon dancers with painted faces in Longli Town, Jinping County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. /CD Photo

Here tourists can also appreciate many intangible cultural heritages. Most famous is the painted-face dragon dance. Especially during the Lantern Festival, people come from miles around to see the dragon dance. Dragon dancers, with paint on their faces, use the dragon's tail to pull the whole dragon, a unique style of dance in China.

Painted-faced dragon dancers in Longli. /CD Photo

Longli no longer exists as a military garrison unit. Coming to Longli is like walking into a time tunnel, as if life from 600 years ago is within reach. This is a place where nature and humanity, history and reality are perfectly fused.

Source(s): China Daily