[Three Days in Guangxi] Another Matriarchal Society: Dongqing Water Village Tells Its Heartfelt Story

[Three Days in Guangxi] Another Matriarchal Society: Dongqing Water Village Tells Its Heartfelt Story

I know that Lugu Lake in Yunnan is a kingdom of women, where women are the heads, but I never expected that Guilin's Dongqing Water Village is also a small matriarchal society. The tour guide said that the Dongqing Water Village scenic spot is a targeted poverty alleviation project. Nowadays, many young Dong people go out to work in cities, leaving only middle-aged and elderly people in the village (at Chengyang Bazhai, I had already noticed that the welcoming songs on the Wind and Rain Bridge were sung by middle-aged and elderly women, and the parking lot attendants were men in their fifties or sixties). If this continues, the traditions and culture of the ethnic minorities will be lost. So the government introduced policies to create tourist attractions, allowing educated young people in the village to work as interpreters and promote ethnic culture. Thus, this Dong ethnic cultural theme scenic area was created. It mainly showcases various Dong-style buildings, Dong songs and dances, Dong silverware, and Dong customs. It is the only tourist attraction in Guilin that best represents the Dong ethnic minority's characteristics. The main scenic spots include: a large stalactite exhibition hall, a Dong culture exhibition corridor, a Dong village welcome square, Dong village houses, a Dong characteristic street, a water stage theater, and a Dong silver workshop. The most representative "Three Treasures of the Dong"—Dong Grand Song, Wind and Rain Bridges, and Drum Towers—will leave you in awe! As soon as we arrived at the scenic area, a local guide took over from our tour guide. There were many tour groups visiting every day. We were Group 46. The person leading us was a beautiful woman. When someone called her "A Mei" (younger sister), she corrected, "If you call me 'A Mei,' my husband will be unhappy. Just call me '46 Sister-in-law'!" Then she took a silver comb from her hair and said, "See, this is the symbol. Married Dong women wear a silver comb in their hair" (the first appearance of the silver comb). She led us along, explaining as we went. We crossed a Wind and Rain Bridge and came to a square. In the square, a large silver pot hung in mid-air, with a huge stream of water pouring from its spout. Many people were about to take photos, but she told us to wait until we came back, because taking photos when entering would leave good fortune for them, while taking photos when exiting would bring good fortune home. Then we passed a square used for Dong sacrificial ceremonies. She told us not to take photos there, as it would bring bad luck. It turns out the Dong people have many customs.

Entering the Dong village, handsome Dong men and beautiful women on the stage energetically played musical instruments to welcome us.

Visiting the Dong Folk Custom Museum, 46 Sister-in-law said no photos were allowed. I secretly took one of a silver phoenix crown.

I took a photo of the sacrificial square, which she said would bring bad luck, only hearing her words after I had taken it.

At the head of the Wind and Rain Bridge, three Dong women and men sang songs and offered a cup of rice wine to each visitor, calling it a welcome drink.

On the Dong antiphonal singing platform, two women and one man sang, everywhere welcoming tourists!

46 Sister-in-law said their area is the second longest-lived region in China (the first being Bama), with an average lifespan of 84 years.

In an open pavilion, 46 Sister-in-law greeted a Dong woman with her hair coiled. She asked her to stand up and let down her hair. The woman's hair was about one to two meters long, jet black and shiny, making us envious. 46 Sister-in-law said, "We wash our hair with fermented rice water that has been boiled." She also told us: The more than 700 households here moved down from the mountains. The government allocated houses to them. Soon she led us to a house, telling us it was her home. Above the central part of the room was a wooden rack, which she said was used for smoking bacon.

The houses varied in size. She asked us to guess the basis on which the government allocated houses. Someone said larger families get bigger houses. 46 Sister-in-law said, "That's one factor, but more importantly, the more daughters a family has, the bigger the house they get. Here we have a matriarchal society; women are honored. Having daughters means a profit, having sons means a loss."

We asked, "So did you have a profit or a loss?" She replied, "I had two losses, so my mother-in-law is very unhappy." We said, "Then just keep having children!" She said, "Yes, there are no birth restrictions here, so we'll keep having more. The reason our family's house is big is that my mother gave birth to five profits. In my parents' home, my mother's words carry weight; no one listens to my father. In my own home, I have the final say; my husband's words don't count. In marriage, men marry into the family; we take men in. I'm so envious of this matriarchal society."

She also said, "Don't call your man 'laogong' (husband). If you call him that, you elevate him—'laogong' sounds like 'old master.' Instead, call him 'laoguai' (old obedient). The more you call him that, the more obedient he becomes." Dong women really know how to tame their husbands.

At 46 Sister-in-law's house, she poured 52-proof liquor into a porcelain bowl and a silver bowl, respectively, and asked us to smell the difference. Some said the liquor in the porcelain bowl was pungent, while that in the silver bowl was milder. That's the effect of silver ions.

She also called two group members. In public, she combed the hair of a male group member and performed Gua Sha (scraping) on a female group member, using the silver comb from her hair (second appearance). She strongly promoted the health benefits of silver. In her hands, that silver comb had many uses. Combing with a silver comb has specific techniques: depending on the health issue (such as liver problems, insomnia, a buffalo hump), you comb different acupoints. She then performed Gua Sha on a female group member, again using the silver comb. First, she applied some vegetable oil (like olive or rapeseed oil, but not animal oil) on the neck, then used the back of the comb to scrape. Soon the area turned red. 46 Sister-in-law said, "If it's red, there's dampness; if it's purple-black, the liver and gallbladder are not functioning well..."

All the activities at 46 Sister-in-law's house, including her demonstration of Gua Sha with the silver comb, were announced beforehand as not to be photographed.

I deeply felt that this was truly a magical silver comb! I had seen similar ones at Coconut Forest Ancient Village in Hainan, and now here again. Could it be that to help ethnic minorities escape poverty, related scenic spots are simply replicating each other?

All of this hinted that the Dong silver here is the best pure silver, handcrafted from silver bullion provided by the state treasury, a government-supported project with no fake goods, and ten times compensation for any counterfeit. The price ranged from 25 to 30 yuan per gram, with absolutely no discount. Then we were led to a large shopping market.

Outside the market, there were live demonstrations of silverware making.

Crowds of people; silver jewelry, silver bowls, silver cups, and silver combs were abundant. A comb cost over 1,000 yuan (third appearance), and a silver water cup ranged from 2,000 to over 3,000 yuan. You couldn't exit through the original entrance; a young woman stood guard, directing you to the right place. I heard a guide say to follow the footprints on the ground to find the exit. Only then did I notice that the footprints marked "Exit" led to another large market—a winding path through handicrafts, food, and clothing—and you had to pass through everything before reaching the exit. What a strategy!

The silver comb kept flashing before my eyes; it appeared intentionally many times. Several group members took one home, but I remained unmoved.

After exiting the market, we had free time, and I finally took some photos of Dong customs. Every house had red lanterns hanging high. Here come the group photos.

This teapot appears in many scenic spots—from the foot of Changbai Mountain to Guilin's Dongqing Water Village—I'm visually tired of it.

A matriarchal society is the beginning of human society. The modernized Dongqing Water Village, which has lasted to this day, tells its heartfelt story. Although women take in husbands and giving birth to daughters is considered a profit, and husbands are called "laoguai" (obedient ones), the backbone of the family—driving this matriarchal clan forward—is women. Battling in the waves of the market economy, they promote silverware, Gua Sha, and acupoint combing based on reality and sincerity. This detail may reenact the original spirit of the matriarchal system. When society is no longer matriarchal, in the cyclical historical cycle of thousands of years, tigers and flies sometimes run rampant. Perhaps that is because the original heartfelt spirit of the matriarchal era is lost!

The Northern Song poet Yan Shu wrote in "Telling Innermost Feeling: Lotus and Chrysanthemum Vie in Fragrance":

"Lotus and chrysanthemum vie in fragrance, / The weather is about to turn to Double Ninth. / Distant villages look like autumn paintings, / Red leaves scatter among sparse yellow. / The flowing water is pale, the azure sky long, / The road is vast and boundless. / Gazing from a height, / When the wild geese come, infinite thoughts arise."

Dongqing Water Village tells its heartfelt story, and there are also infinite thoughts!

(2429 2020/12/18)