Page 19 - YunnanTourismCultureTimes (110)

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TOUR ROUTES | 游线

A one-day Naxi experience

做一天纳西人

Stepping into Changshui Village, an dition. By the fire pit, an old Dongba priest
ancient Naxi village embraced by spruces, painstakingly rendered ancient pictographic
one immediately noticed a wisp of smoke Dongba characters, one meticulous stroke
curling from the tile cats and other roof after another. “This symbol represents
guardians of a quadrangle courtyard. At ‘man,’ distinguished by a hat; and this one,
the antique courtyard’s entrance, the Naxi ‘woman,’ adorned with a flower. Isn’t that
host, dressed in traditional Pixing Daiyue wonderfully evocative?” a French tourist
attire, symbolically representing “wearing observed, tracing the characters. “Dongba
stars and moon,” and a sheepskin waistcoat, script uniquely condenses the Naxi ances-
led their whole family in Naxi folk songs, tors’ profound understanding of the world
warmly greeting visitors. into over 2,000 symbols. Its poetic depth, I
Once inside the courtyard, visitors changed find, surpasses even Mayan script.”
into Naxi attire, seamlessly beginning their As twilight dyed the snow-capped moun-
immersive “one-day Naxi experience.” tain peaks red, He Linyi, a representative
In the early morning, sunlight streamed inheritor of Baisha Xiyue (Baisha Ancient
into the courtyard, filled with the sounds Music)—a national-level intangible cultural
of birds and the fragrance of flowers. The heritage project, prepared a wonderful per-
diligent and kind hostess, Naxi Grandma, formance with his entire family.
had already prepared ingredients such as The performance took place right in
wheat flour and sugar. Wang Lei, an en- He Linyi’s own courtyard, with his family
gineer from Shenzhen, and his family of members making up the band. For over
three were following the hostess, wrapping 20 years, he has led the Baisha Xiyue folk
rose and brown sugar filling into dough. band to perform and exchange in renowned
“Be as gentle as possible with your hands; music venues such as the National Centre
if you press too hard, it won’t come out,” for the Performing Arts and the Central
Naxi Grandma said, holding a century-old Conservatory of Music. They have also per-
carved wooden mold, demonstrating and formed in countries like Hungary, Germa-
reminding them. As the Naxi celebratory ny, Slovakia, Belarus, and Russia. He was
cake dough, adorned with auspicious Eight personally appointed as a visiting expert by
Treasures patterns, was carefully lifted from the School of Art at Yunnan Minzu Univer-
the mold, the 10-year-old boy gasped in de- sity. In recent years, he has started a Baisha
light. A perfect flower was imprinted on the Xiyue inheritance training class in his own
soft cake surface. “Mom, look! I can make small courtyard.
cakes now!” he exclaimed. Dressed in his sheepskin waistcoat and
This traditional pastry, infused with his- felt hat, He Linyi greeted the tourists in his
tory and culture, offered visitors a hands-on small courtyard with a warm smile, effort-
opportunity to delve into the unique culi- lessly hosting them in English, Chinese, and
nary traditions of the Naxi people through the Naxi languages. His quick wit and humorous
very acts of kneading and baking. Hangzhou anecdotes frequently erupted in laughter from
food blogger Nida was particularly impressed, his audience. Yet, as the exquisite sounds of
extending her trip specifically to film the Baisha Xiyue began to fill the space, a pro-
creation of these Naxi celebratory cakes. found silence descended upon the guests, who
“While modern baking relies on precise became utterly captivated by the drifting mel-
measurements,” she noted, “Naxi Grandma’s odies of the classical music.
mastery of dough fermentation comes from “The harmonics of the sanxian (three-
the intuition of her fingertips. That inherited stringed lute) perfectly resonate with the
culinary wisdom is truly invaluable.” flute’s melody; it’s more moving than any
Beneath the blue-tiled eaves, an ancient concert hall performance,” a music teacher
stone mill stood poised. The hostess, with remarked. “Listening to ancient Naxi music
practiced ease, added soaked soybeans into in a Naxi courtyard creates a truly unique
its opening. Gripping the handle firmly with atmosphere.”
both hands, she began to turn the heavy As night fell, bonfires cast a warm, danc-
millstone. Slowly, a creamy, milky white ing glow across the village. Tourists and
stream of soy milk emerged from between villagers, arms linked, joyfully whirled in a
the grinding stones, captivating the sur- traditional group dance known as “datiao,”
rounding tourists with its traditional charm. their movements synchronized to the en-
Li Shuhua, a retired teacher from Bei- chanting “Alili” flute melody. Reflecting on
jing, eagerly volunteered her turn. As she their “one-day Naxi experience,” one tourist
concentrated on the rhythmic push of the later wrote on social media: “Tonight, in this
mill handle, she remarked, “This reminds ancient Naxi village, we rediscovered the
me of helping my mother make tofu as a collective memories long lost in the city. The
child. The Naxi ancestors’ ingenuity in us- cultural richness preserved by the Naxi peo-
ing coagulants truly embodies a remarkable ple—through their fire pits, songs, dances, and
wisdom of coexistence between humanity ancient scriptures—might just be the perfect
and nature.” balm for modern souls seeking self-healing.”
Bathed in afternoon sunlight, the cen- (The photos featured here are sourced from
tury-old house hosted a scene of quiet tra- the Lijiang Integrated Media Center.)