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I AM THE GUARDIAN | 我是守护者
Old Town of Lijiang 丽江古城
The tales of the Old Town
我和我的古城故事
Revealing the vibrant narrative of the Old Town
n the Old Town of Lijiang, culture serves as “讲好”鲜活的古城故事
the lifeblood that defines its essence. Locals In the Heaven and Earth Courtyard of Dayan ing and perpetuating our cultural heritage can we
actively engage in safeguarding and passing Old Town, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, visitors breathe life into the story of the Old Town.”
on this rich heritage, allowing it to seam- are treated to a mesmerizing display of traditional Every day, like clockwork, the ethnic song
Ilessly blend into every facet of modern life. Naxi folk song and dance. Accompanied by the me- and dance performances commence at the Heaven
lodious tunes of “remeicuo” music and light-hearted and Earth Courtyard. Regardless of the crowd
dance steps, the show brings to life the rich cultural size, the passionate actors and actresses whole-
heritage of the Naxi people. heartedly devote themselves to the show, which
“Remeicuo,” an enduring tradition that has has gone uninterrupted for over 2,000 days. These
been passed down through thousands of years, holds performers encompass a diverse range of back-
a special place as a collective folk song and dance grounds, including ordinary citizens, farmers, and
of the Naxi people. At the Heaven and Earth Court- college students. Spanning the generations, from
yard, tourists have the privilege of witnessing this the elderly to the middle-aged and the young,
“living fossil of song and dance.” He Xueguang, the they bring the vibrancy of traditional culture into
78-year-old manager, explained to visitors, “It is our the homes of common people, and ensure that the
ancestors’ remarkable legacy that has enabled us to essence of traditional culture remains alive and
lead a joyous and fulfilling life. Only by safeguard- accessible to all.
Reviving timeless memories through Dongba pictographs
“书写”源自古老的幸福
The Dongba pictograph is known as exude their own charm. The Dongba paper adorned
“the world’s only living hieroglyphics” and with depictions of flowers, grass, birds, and animals
serves as a “living fossil” of ancient civili- silently narrate untold stories... Every symbol and
zation. It is also an important part of the Naxi every hue serve as a testament to the progression of
cultural heritage. In 2003, the Naxi ethnic group’s an ethnic community.
ancient Dongba literature manuscripts were includ- Since its establishment in 2016, the Naxi Picto-
ed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World, making it graph Painting Studio has welcomed over a million
China’s third entry in the list. visitors and hosted over a hundred complimentary
An artwork featuring the “dancing” Dongba open classes. For its manager, He Runyuan, the most
characters written on Dongba paper is an ideal keep- joyous moments come when he writes or paints the
sake. Visitors can have an excellent “writing and desired Dongba hieroglyphs for the visitor
painting” experience at the Naxi Pictograph Painting “It is also an innovation for us to incorporate
Studio, which is located in Xianwen Lane, Guangyi Dongba pictographs into couplets, booklets, lan-
Street, in the Old Town of Lijiang. terns, paintings, and plaques,” He said. Recognizing
The studio is brimming with an assortment of the extensive journey ahead to preserve cultural her-
Dongba paper. When presented on the unadorned itage, he earnestly hopes that more individuals will
Dongba paper, the animated Dongba hieroglyphics participate in this endeavor.
