Lancang-Mekong youth explore colorful Lijiang

Art of papermaking

"Clang, clang, clang..." Morning sunlight shined on roofs. The rhythmic sounds of chopping and pounding tree barks broke the tranquility of the Lijiang ancient town. Youth representatives arrived at the Lijiang Folk Manual Art Museum to learn about papermaking.

"The Dongba paper of the Naxi ethnic group is made from Wikstroemia indica, a rare wild herb in mountain areas. This plant is known for its durability and resistance to moisture and pests. In the past, the Naxi documents, scriptures, and family records were written on Dongba paper. Today, it holds significant collection value," explained Xiu Chang, an intangible cultural heritage inheritor of Lijiang traditional papermaking.

Dongba papermaking involves several steps, including bark boiling, rinsing, pestling, and airing. The youth took turns to try the above. In no time, dried tree barks were turned into wet pulp, which was then laid thinly on a board. The pulp will become Dongba paper when it dries up.

"Everyone knows that papermaking is one of China's Four Great Inventions. Experiencing it firsthand today feels like stepping back into ancient China!" said Tim Chivorn, full of joy. Tim is a Cambodian student at Kunming University of Science and Technology.

Joy of San Duo Festival

Coinciding with the Naxi ethnic group's annual San Duo Festival, the youngsters participated in a garden party in Lijiaing's Jade Spring Park. They learned about the San Duo Festival and Chinese traditional culture through many challenging games, such as making sugar figures and paper lanterns, as well as guessing lantern riddles.

"Sugar figurines aren't just beautiful; they're yummy too!" Chuon Lin from Cambodia enjoyed the sugar figure she had just made and said. Meanwhile, Tippawan Kiti from Thailand concentrated on learning from a master how to make paper lanterns. "2023 is the Chinese Year of the Rabbit; I want to make a cute rabbit lantern as a gift for a friend,” said Kiti.

In the Dongba character experience area, Laotian youth Silivong Phouthachack imprinted the Dongba character "courage" on a piece of paper. "Courage is an important attribute in Laotian traditional beliefs. I hope everyone can be brave, overcoming difficulties and challenges in life!"

Ingenuity from embroidery

Lijiang's Naxi embroidery has a profound history, showcasing local characteristics. The next station was Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute.

"Inserting the needle through the fabric, pulling it back up; moving the needle in a specific pattern to create stitches," under the guidance of embroidery masters, the youth embroidered spring, summer, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Dongba characters on handkerchiefs. They also depicted "rivers, family, and love" on fabric bags as keepsakes.

In the display area, upon learning that a piece of embroidery work would take a decade to complete, Thai vlogger Jaruwan Udomsab immediately took out her phone to record a video introducing the uniqueness of Lijiang embroidery and shared it with her Thai fans.

Coziness in Yuhu village

Under the gentle afternoon breeze, the magnificent snow-capped mountain stood in the distance. Yuhu Village, a millennia-old village near the Jade Dragon Mountain, greeted a special "caravan." The youth delegation rode horses in a line, trodding on rough stone paths and ascending the hill with a sway. Their destination was villager He Chengwei's residence, where they could learn about Naxi folk customs.

"Everybody, taste our homemade honey jams, dried fruits, and grape wine." Cheng Wei warmly welcomed the guests. Sitting around a table, he introduced the ancient Tea Horse Road and local customs to the guests.

As the conversation flowed, He Chengwei invited everyone to grind tofu and make jellied bean curd. "It feels like visiting a relative's home, chatting about daily life, very relaxed," said Arunee Anusuriya, a Ph.D. student from Kunming University of Science and Technology in Thailand. "The houses here are so beautiful! If possible, I'd like to build one just like this in my hometown in Thailand!"

Source: Yunnan Daily; trans-editing by Guo Yao