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Province works to protect unique ethnic cultures

By Liu Xiaoli and Hao Nan | China Daily | Updated: 2015-05-29 07:34

While the picturesque natural landscapes in Hainan province are the biggest draw for tourists, the island's unique tropical culture and ethnic diversity are just as captivating.

The province is home to many ethnic groups, with the Li and Miao people particularly prominent on the island.

The Li were the earliest settlers and developers of Hainan, with their first-recorded appearance on the island traced back 3,000 years ago.

The Miao people are the second-largest ethnic group in Hainan, with more than 400 years of history in the province.

The two ethnic groups are highly dissimilar, each with their own distinct styles in clothing, dancing, architecture, handicraft and religions. Both, however, have made great efforts to preserve their traditions.

Bamboo rice, glutinous rice wine and yucha, a fermented dish made up of slices of raw fish and cooked rice, are typical foods for the Li and Miao people.

In recent years, as the regional tourist industry develops, the Hainan government has made every effort to protect and highlight the two ethnic cultures.

The Binlang Valley Cultural Tourism Zone in Baoting county, for example, has preserved the ancient buildings of the Li and their traditional ways of life.

Built in 1998, the tourism destination is devoted to the protection and promotion of the ancient ethnic culture. Visitors can enjoy live performances by the Li people, tour a folk culture museum, a ceramic art museum and a totem gallery and experience 10 related national intangible cultural heritage items, such as how the Li people make cloth out of tree bark and build their boat-shaped houses.

The zone currently has more than 1,000 employees.

Chen Guodong, the zone's deputy general manager, said they are trying to build the valley into an international tourist brand to promote the Li and Miao ethnic cultures around the world.

Another must-see site in Baoting county is the Yanoda Rainforest Cultural Tourism Zone, which opened in 2008.

It is a national tourism destination and a model for the local culture industry. Its recreational programs, including a 600-meter zipline through the forest, have attracted lots of adventurous tourists. The zone is also home to about 1,500 kinds of trees and tropical flowers.

Yanoda currently has two parks open to the public and has a total investment of 300 million yuan ($48.4 million). Construction on another three parks in the zone will conclude in 2023.

In the zone, people say yanoda as a way of saying hello.

It is also known as ya nuo da in Chinese. Zhang Tao, the zone's president, said the phrase has given the three Chinese characters new meanings, which individually refer to innovation, commitment and practice.

haonan@chinadaily.com.cn

Province works to protect unique ethnic cultures

 Province works to protect unique ethnic cultures

Top: The Miao people are the second-largest ethnic group in Hainan. Above left and above right: The Li people were the earliest settlers of Hainan province.

(China Daily 05/29/2015 page7)

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