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Voices from South of the CloudsWords and Images from the people of Yunham Province, China
Tibetan Life
"I just want to tell people through the picture that the Tibetan way of life is still very hard, and even in wintertime we have to go out to get milk."
Nan Jie: 19-year-old Tibetan man, Nagela Village, Shangri-La 
PhotoVoice Project in Nagela Village, Shangri-LaAs part of the Photo Voice Project in Nagela Village, participants were honored with a local exhibit of their photographs.
Nomads
"This picture shows nomadic people moving their livestock along the steep and harsh mountain path. These nomads move according to the seasons, searching for the places where the grass is richer. They move to low altitude areas in the winter and higher altitude areas in the summer."
Yi Xi: 50-year-old Tibetan woman, Meilishi Village 
Mountain Pass
"We call this mountain pass Dugei La. It is on the pilgrimage route near Kawagebo Mountain."
Sinajiangchu: 29-year-old Tibetan man, Yangza Village 
Sweeping Up and Bagging Bran
"These women were sweeping up and bagging the bran after crushing the wheat. The bran is usually used for feeding chickens and pigs. Our Jiyu Village is an administrative village that has the most croplands in the Lashi Township. Naturally, more cropland means more hard work in the fields. Because the people in Tai'an only grow potatoes, we sometimes go there to sell our grain crops or exchange with people there for their potatoes."
Wang Xinyun: 24-year-old Naxi man, Yule Village "Only a handful of Dongba priests are still living and they are very old. Most of their scriptures were confiscated during the Cultural Revolution, and now the old priests depend on their memories to chant liturgy."
Burial Service
"I was attending a burial. The dead person is an uncle of mine who was 60 years old. In Longpan, when a person from a Naxi family dies, a Dongba priest should perform the funeral. According to my dad, the service is far simpler now than in the past. Only a handful of Dongba priests are still living and they are very old. Most of their scriptures were confiscated during the Cultural Revolution, and now the old priests depend on their memories to chant liturgy. We can't understand their chants. In the evening after the burial, many people perform a Renmeicuo dance, one that is performed only when someone dies. The Dongba priests made the special paper banners and drew images on them. These often include a tiger, white crane and deer."
He Kexi: 22-year-old woman, Lower Wenhai Village 
Burial Caskets
"According to our tradition, caskets are made in advance of the death of old people in the family. A simple ceremony will also be held afterwards. This picture was taken on the day Yang Weidong had caskets made for his parents. He is holding a feast for his guests."
He Xiudong: 22-year-old Naxi man, Dongba Culture Institute 
Archery
"Archery is a man's activity. It's a Tibetan tradition said to have begun with the hero King Gesaer. It's also the main men's activity during the Spring Festival. Every man who can pull a bow has to participate in the game."
Ahnanzhu: 36-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village 
Village Bimo
"My father is 80 years old this year. He is the only Bimo in Wenhai and also the best in Lijiang County. In addition, he is a well-known intellectual of the Yi people. Each year he is invited to preside over various Bimo ceremonies by Yi people from Lijiang, Ninglang and Jianchuan, and I accompany him. Among the seven sons in my family, two were forced to work due to the Cultural Revolution, four lost their interest in Yi traditional culture, and I became the only son to inherit my father's knowledge and job."
Hong Zhengyong: 28-year-old Yi man, Xuehua Village The Bimo, a priest of the Yi people, presides at all important life events—such as childbirth, sickness, and death—and at important seasonal rituals. 
Bride and Groom
"A young man in the village is having his wedding. When the bride is brought back to the groom's house, it is a local custom that he has to hold her in his arms and they have to enter the house together. Many married young women by the door are laughing at the shy groom."
He Fenghua: 34-year-old Naxi woman, Yule Village 
Tibetan Wedding Ceremony
"The people wearing red hats are distinguished local people. Their job is to escort a bride to the groom's house. They are singing to the group of people who are waiting for the bride."
Ciliduji: 75-year-old Tibetan man, Yangza Village 
Harvesting Buckwheat
"Sha Yuzhi and her daughter-in-law were harvesting buckwheat in the fields. Buckwheat flour is a necessity for Yi people, especially for our traditional festivals. Some buckwheat is for our own consumption, and some is sold in the market or straight to dealers. Now that some of our croplands have been restored to forests, there are fewer patches left for growing buckwheat."
Jin Xiuhai: 38-year-old Yi woman, Upper Nanyao Village 
Lunch
"When we are working in the fields, we usually don't have our lunch until 2:00 p.m., so our children have to prepare the food by themselves when they return home at noon from school. During lunchtime, we seldom have a chance to be with our children."
Yang Juhua: 36-year-old Naxi woman, Yule Village 
Tibetan Butter Tea
"This is a picture of my mother making traditional Tibetan butter tea for me. I'm a teacher in the village primary school, so I'm busy all the time. My mother still takes care of me. Whenever I come back from the school, she always insists on making tea for me. I often feel a bit guilty about not taking better care of her. I'm very grateful for what she has done for me, and want her to know it. But somehow I have no idea what to do to express my gratitude. Recording this scene in a picture makes me feel less guilty. Every time she makes tea, she does it so meticulously— heating and adding butter or milk. When I'm back home from school, I feel my weariness diminish watching her make tea for me—I feel gratitude and tender warmth towards her."
Cao Liyuan: 47-year-old Zang man, Ganjue Village "We've built a greenhouse using scientific methods, and we planted our favorite vegetables in it. No matter how thick the ice, we can still have fresh vegetables to eat."
Winter Vegetables
"All of our vegetables used to die from frost or ice during the wintertime. It was very hard to have fresh vegetables on the table then. But now things have changed. We've built a greenhouse using scientific methods, and we planted our favorite vegetables in it. No matter how thick the ice, we can still have fresh vegetables to eat."
Yang Wenying: 42-year-old Naxi woman, Diandongsishe Village 
Biogas Installation
"I went to visit my relatives in Foshan County in October 2001 and I was impressed by the biogas installation in their village. I wonder when we will be able to use biogas in my village of Niuba. Biogas is a really good way to use less firewood and protect the environment."
Nong Bu: 36-year-old Tibetan man, Niuba Village Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide that is captured from the decomposition of organic matter, such as crop residues and animal manure. Once the gas is formed, it can provide energy for cooking, lighting and other household uses. The organic remains can be applied to crops as fertilizer. 
Collecting Firewood
"Our kids are helping to collect firewood when they come back from school."
Wujiacili: 34-year-old Zang man, Bala Village The villagers depend on wood and locally produced charcoal for heat and fuel. As a consequence, sustainable forest management, especially in high mountain areas, is an urgent priority. 
Shucking Corn
"Teachers and pupils are working together to shuck the corn husks. Such activities are often organized so students learn how to work the farmland, know that life is not easy, and feel the pleasure of the harvest after the hard work is finished."
Yang Huiying: 30-year-old Naxi woman, Xinrong Village 
Making Sweet Wine
"The villager who is from Jimeigu Village is making sweet wine, and she is Pumi minority."
Xiong Lixian: 24-year-old Pumi woman, Sanchahe Village Nearly 30,000 Pumi people live in Yunnan. Former nomads, Pumi harvest corn, rice, and highland barley. Their language is related to Tibetan. Literate Pumi traditionally wrote in Tibetan script, but now use Chinese. "I am herding the sheep high on the mountain. When looking down, I am very impressed by the beautiful ocean-like clouds."
Herding Sheep
"I am herding the sheep high on the mountain. When looking down, I am very impressed by the beautiful ocean-like clouds."
Kang Wenming: 25-year-old Yi man, Xuehua Village 
Herding Cattle
"It's sunrise and my third uncle's daughter-in-law is driving a cattle herd to Lashi Lake for grazing. In
my village, we separate all the cattle into two herds after the rice seedlings are transplanted. One herd consists of water buffaloes and the
other, cows. Each family in the village takes turns grazing the cattle herds. Water buffaloes are herded near Lashi Lake and cows in the mountains."
He Zhanyi: 54-year-old Naxi man, Enzong Village 
Herding Goats
"The elder sister of my husband herds goats seven hours every day in the mountains. Among her 63 goats, 38 belong to my family."
Sha Guixiang: 33-year-old Yi woman, Upper Nanyao Village 
Corn Harvest
"October is corn harvest season. During that time, though tired, we feel happy from the bottom of our hearts. I like this season so much, and how it feels when I'm at work in the fields. When I saw people carrying corncobs on their backs, I got a good shot of the scene."
Liqingkangzhu: 14-year-old Tibetan girl, Minyong Village 
Dedicating the Main Beam
"This is a group picture to show the process of how to put up an upper beam. We need to prepare some offerings—Mantou [steamed buns], a pig's head, cigarettes, wine, tea, sugar, millet, colored flags and new clothes for the carpenter. Then we will invite
the old men of the village to venerate [the spirit of] the upper beam first, and then the carpenter dedicates the beam. In the end, the old people
will have a meal."
Li Shuhua: 34-year-old Bai man, Henan Village 
Burning Incense
"After offerings of incense, old people used an incense burner, a vase and a colored banner to welcome the
gods of happiness, wealth and victory to the home of the host for that year's archery contest. The colored banner was made with threads of five
colors tied to an arrow. On the way to escort the gods to the host's home, old people were dancing and singing. This incense burner, colored
banner and vase all belong to the village, and these would be returned to the village office after one night in the host's home."
Wang Jianzhong: 55-year-old Naxi man, Qibie Village "The grandpa in the picture is worried that there are fewer and fewer fish in the lake, and sadness shows on his face."
Cormorant Fishing
"Grandpa He Yaokun and his grandson are with their cormorant in the boat. Some years ago, almost every family
had their own cormorant for fishing. A thin rope is tied around the cormorant's neck, thus when it catches fish, only the small ones can be
swallowed, while the big ones are taken by the fishermen. Since the government banned all fishing during the spawning season a few years ago,
some people still continue to catch fish during the banned season, which has greatly reduced the fish population. The catch has become smaller
and most villagers cannot afford to feed a cormorant any more. The grandpa in the picture is worried that there are fewer and fewer fish in the
lake, and sadness shows on his face."
He Yunying: 30-year-old Naxi woman, Gele Village 
Old Women Chatting
"These two women were having a chat at the gate of the village government office. Both women are too old to do farm work. The woman on the right lives on her own now. She thinks she can have more freedom living that way. Whatever she wants to eat, she can make for herself. Her son offers her pocket money and food. Most young Bai people treat their parents or grandparents with filial respect."
Zhao Jihua: 45-year-old Bai woman, Sanshe Village 
In the Fields
"On Sundays, He Hailiang and He Haishun follow their parents into the fields to help collect pig-forage
or bring meals to their parents. During the day, while their parents are plowing the fields, the children tend the kettle and do their
homework in the fields."
Yang Yingju: 43-year-old Naxi woman, Lower Nanyao Village 
The Teacher
"A teacher from Xiananyao whose surname is Zhang has been teaching at Dongcun Primary School for five
or six years. He is very patient, never late for school, and often goes to villagers' houses to try to persuade them to let their children
continue their education at school. Ever since he came here, many students have passed their exams and graduated to middle school. He is
not at all like the former teachers, who taught children to collect mushrooms or medicinal herbs, but not much else."
Jin Xiuhai: 38-year-old Yi woman, Upper Nanyao Village Although China has a nine-year compulsory education system, students in poor and isolated areas often drop out. Even nominal fees for textbooks and supplies are a hardship for their families, and many students do not consider the standardized curriculum meaningful for their future lives. 
Laqueuring
"It takes many steps to make a Zanba box, a box to hold food. Our Tibetan clothing has all kinds of
decoration on it, so we use paint to decorate the Zanba case well. This case will be complete after one more lacquering."
Lurongzhuoma: 33-year-old Zang woman, Ganjue Village 
Weaving a Blanket
"We have little time to relax when in the pasture, but when we do, women will sit down and weave
blankets. The day is late. My wife set up a loom in front of the hut to weave a blanket. All the string is pure wool. Weaving a blanket
is a very complex process. If we have time, it won't take long to weave a blanket. But when we are in the pasture, we can only weave one
blanket in one year. Mostly we weave blankets for our own use, not to sell. The blanket is very warm. Nearly every family has one."
Li He: 30-year-old Zang man, Niru Village 
Mountain Valley
"This is our living environment—high mountain, deep valley and slope."
Wang Tingguang: 54-year-old Lisu man, Wanglibi Village Water runoff and soil erosion greatly reduce agricultural productivity and sustainability on the steep hills of southern China. Carving terraces into the slopes helps to retain topsoil and keep rainwater from rushing directly into the valleys. "Villagers living nearby have dubbed him 'the king of the gourd-bamboo pipe'. In fact many other people in the village play the instrument, too, and the village is known as 'the village of the gourd-bamboo pipes'."
"King of the Gourd-Bamboo Pipe"
"Ding Shunchang, of Wanglibi Village, Liming Township, is over 70 years old now. He has been very
attached to his gourd-bamboo pipe [a traditional musical instrument] since his childhood. Whenever there's a village gathering, like a
wedding or funeral, people invite him to play the instrument for the occasion. Villagers living nearby have dubbed him 'the king of the
gourd-bamboo pipe'. In fact many other people in the village play the instrument, too, and the village is known as 'the village of the
gourd-bamboo pipes'."
Wang Tingguan: 54-year-old Lisu man, Wanglibi Village 
Watching Television
"I have a color TV set, so our young fellow villagers like to come over and watch TV at my home.
They were playing musical instruments while watching TV."
Wang Tingguan: 54-year-old Lisu man, Wanglibi Village 
Going to Pasture
"This photograph was taken in mid-October near a sacred waterfall named Min Nuo. I took the picture
while we were moving livestock to pasture."
Ahnan: 52-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village 
Meeting Place of the War Gods
"Long, long ago, there was this lake. The old people of our village have told us that this lake
is where the war gods of Kawagebo Mountain meet. Before, this place had many glaciers but now they have grown smaller. Yet this glacial
lake has grown bigger. We don't know why. From the edge of this lake the mountain's shape has the appearance of an army general. It is
said that if children go there they will disappear and that adults cannot spit there, for if they do, the ghost of the mountain will
come out to chase and capture them."
Ahnanzhu: 36-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village 
Reading Scripture
"He Xun, my grandpa, is 75 years old, and he is also the only Dongba who is still alive in our village.
Despite his great age, he insists on helping with the household chores, like cutting firewood in the mountains and herding pigs in the
fields. One day, I brought a Dongba scripture from the Dongba Culture Institute in Lijiang. I found my grandpa in the place where people
cut bamboo at the foothill and showed him the scripture. He read it through from start to finish and told me that the scripture was very
similar to the scripture of our village, only with some differences in the chapter describing how to send people's souls away."
Ahnanzhu: 36-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village The sacred texts of the Naxi people are written in Dongba ideographs and can be read only by priests who have received special training. The Dongba Culture Institute seeks to perpetuate knowledge of Dongba rituals and texts by training the next generation of Dongba priests. 
High Up on the Mountain
"This is a nice view behind our village, and I like such a beautiful place with a view. The young guys
in our village take up the job of herding cattle, horses and goats, and they take care of the woods on hills at the same time, too. The
places where we graze goats are high up on the mountain. Standing there, we can see very faraway places. This is a picture of Xuehuacun
Village. The croplands close to our village are all on very steep hillsides, so fertilizers are often washed away by rainwater and our
crop yields are poor, so we all live in poverty. Most boys here can't go ahead with further schooling after primary school. Girls stay
in school only for grade 1 or 2. Without schooling, people get poorer. In other places, there are nice roads and vehicles, but here we
don't even have bikes."
Kang Wenming: 25-year-old Yi man, Xuehua Village 
'God of the Mountain' Ceremony
"Usually this ceremony takes place on January 10th of the lunar year and it is done at a specific
spot facing Kawagebo Mountain where there is a big pine tree. It is the Tibetan custom that only men participate in ceremonies where
there is praying and burning incense. We pray facing the god of the mountain and use incense to pay respect to Kawegebo. We also pray
for good weather and enough rain in the upcoming year so that we will have a good harvest. We learned this ritual from the old people
and we teach it to our children. People say that there used to be a sky book that contained rules about where to burn incense and where
to pray to the mountain god. No one has seen the sky book but everyone believes it exists. Through the years, there have been no changes
to this tradition. While it looks like there is music being played in the picture, in fact there is no music, just chanting by the lamas."
Ahnan: 52-year-old Tibetan man, Yubeng Village 
Sacred Waterfall
"This is a picture of pilgrims—a group of teachers from Xidan Primary School—at the Sacred Waterfall.
It is said to have been blessed by countless Buddhas. A pilgrimage to this site would not only cure a mute or someone with a speech
impediment, but would also relieve a pilgrim of his or her sins. They will then be safe for the rest of their lives. The waterfall also
has the power to foretell a pilgrim's fortune. According to local people, if a pious but unfortunate person goes near the waterfall
to pray, the waterfall will stop flowing, or the flow will turn into trickles. But when a fortunate pilgrim goes near it, he or she will
get drenched all over. So, whenever a pilgrim approaches the waterfall, he or she must first offer incense, so the gods will respond with
an auspicious downpour all over one's body."
Gatailamu: 29-year-old Tibetan woman, Yubeng Village 
The Torch Festival
"The Torch Festival is the most important event to us Yi people. In the daytime, people from the Yi
group hold a big ceremony to offer prayers to gods who affect our lives. In the picture, my sister-in-law, who is my second brother's
wife, was offering prayers to the God of Earth with chicken blood. After twilight, people light torches to send the gods back. The
celebration is all bustle and excitement. We slaughter goats and chickens, drink liquor, sing songs and dance. We also invite our best
friends to a big feast."
Hong Zhengyong: 28-year-old Yi man, Xuehua Village 
Snow Scene
"This is a view of Diantou Village, Ludian. We have 46 families, 206 people. Almost all are Naxi
minority; a few Pumi minority like us are from another hamlet. I went to the market to sell vegetables at eight in the morning, I saw
this nice snow scene, and so I took it."
Lu Wenxing: 59-year-old Pumi man, Diandongsishe Village 
Harvesting Peppers
"Villagers collected the peppers from fields and sold them at the price of 0.50 yuan [6 cents] per
kilogram to some buyers from Junliang Village. In recent years, pepper prices have been low. This year the price is even lower than before."
Mu Yuexian: 21-year-old Naxi woman, Meiquan Village 
Lunch in the Fields
"The fields are very far away from home, so it is very common for villagers to have lunch in the
fields to save time. These pictures show three families of relatives helping each other during the busy agricultural season and having
lunch in the fields together. They also brought their children because there is nobody at home to take care of them."
Zhao Yuxi: 56-year-old Naxi woman, Lower Nanyao Village "My job is to feed the livestock and do the housework. My grandson is three years old this year, and he is glad to help me feed pigs, although he is not skilled in this yet."
Feeding Pigs
"The little boy is my grandson Li Yipin. His father is a village cadre, and his mother is often busy with farming. My job is to feed the livestock and do the housework. My grandson is three years old this year, and he is glad to help me feed pigs, although he is not skilled in this yet."
Zhao Yuxi: 56-year-old Naxi woman, Lower Nanyao Village 
Harvesting Plums
"My third sister and her son were bagging their harvested plums to sell. They looked happy with their harvest. Previously, people sold some of their plums in the market, dried some before selling them, and kept the rest for making plum wine to drink. People didn't earn much money this way, despite the time and energy they spent. Now there are a couple of fruit-processing mills in the town. The prices they offer are usually good. Compared to the past, people now earn much more money, and for a lot less work. Almost every household grows plum trees in our village, in spaces in front of and behind homes, and also in the spaces by the side of our crop plots. There are no plum trees in large orchards, first, because the croplands belong to individual households and it's not an easy job growing the fruit collectively. Second, people aren't sure of a market for their plums. And third, it's hard for people to try new planting techniques, since most farmers think the grain crop should be their top concern."
Mu Fenghua: 40-year-old Naxi woman, Jixiang Village 
The Card Game
"These old ladies are playing a card game called "Doushisi" [fighting fourteen]. Usually, they spend the morning at home helping with household chores, and assemble to play card games in the afternoon. Many people like to play this game, but there are only about eight or nine regular players. They have played this card game on the slack time between busy seasons of agricultural work for almost two years."
He Chunman: 57-year-old Naxi woman, Xihu Village 
Photovoice Project in Xihu Village
As part of the Photovoice Project in Xihu Village, participants were honored with a local exhibit of their photographs.
The Photovoice Project
The photovoice Project was initiated by The Nature Conservancy in order to engage the public in the Yunman Rivers Project. Many villagers live in remote mountain regions, speak only local languages and cannot read or write; most had never before held a camera in their hands. Photovoice enables them to use photographs and their own words, written down by others, to communicate their knowledge, values and concerns to a global audience. Since 2001, more than 200 people from dozens of villages have participated, using simple, inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras. Photographers are honored with local exhibits of their work and they are given copies of all their photographs, which they often keep in a place of honor in their homes. Together they have produced over 50,000 photographs with 15,000 accompanying stories to date. This archive provides an extensive visual record of the environment and village life. Most important the project organizers and participants hope the policy makers will use this documentation in planning the region's future. This exhibit is made possible by the generosity of the Arthur Ross Foundation. |
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