Voyage to China: Jidao Village

During our stay in Guizhou, Patrick and I spent some time in a small Miao village called Jidao.  As I mentioned in my previous post, the Miao people are one of the 55 minority groups in China with their own distinct way of life.  Jidao is one of those unique treasures in the world where people are still operating more or less the same way they have been for hundreds of years.

Nestled into the foot of a mountain and situated next to the Balahe River, the village is about a 4 hour drive from Guiyang (although that's by crazy Chinese driving standards... by nice, normal, obey-the-law kind of driving, it may be closer to 5 hours).

Geographically the village is split between two groups: Upper and Lower Jidao.  We stayed in Lower Jidao.  In total, there are about 220 families and 1037 residents.  Or at least that's what this sign said.

The traditions of the Miao are hundreds of years old, though various circumstances have forced them to relocate on a number of occasions.  Jidao residents have been dwelling in this particular settlement for about a hundred years. 

During our visit, Patrick and I were invited to stay in the newest building of the village.  You can probably guess from this picture which one it is.

Yep, it's this one.  You can see our lovely host, Chen Qin, greeting us from the balcony of the second floor.

Chen Qin is the village doctor and one of few adults in the village who speaks Mandarin fluently.  This new building acts as the village hospital on the first floor, Chen Qin's family's residence on the second floor, and a hotel for guests on the third floor.  As far as we know, it is one of the only buildings in the village with internet access, running water, and a working toilet.

Upon our arrival, Chen Qin's daughter was also there to greet us.

I was assigned the best guest room, which you can see is pretty cozy.  Especially since my expectations were set low from Patrick's experience a few years ago when he had to sleep in an old granny's house (who has since passed away) on a shabby mattress next to a heaping pile of corn husks.  Not to mention, he also had to use the outhouse with a cow constantly peering in from the livestock stalls immediately adjacent to it.

Once we were settled, Patrick and I wandered aimlessly around the village on a self-guided tour.

Many of the buildings seemed to be in disrepair.  I'm guessing they have been standing for quite some time.

This one even displays a slogan left from the Great Leap Forward (a failed attempt at rapid, nation-wide industrialization that resulted in widespread famine and political turmoil) - lingering evidence of a tumultuous past that feels somewhat like an intrusion in this otherwise remote and peaceful oasis.   

This is the dancer's circle where the villagers gather in their traditional costumes for festivals and other special occasions.  

While we were out, Chen Qin and Betty's mother (our guide) picked these beautiful wild flowers for our rooms.

Meanwhile, Chen Qin's father-in-law made his own pipe by hollowing out this bamboo pole.

Here is Chen Qin sautéing some potatoes for our dinner.  I was impressed by her huge family-sized wok.  

Unfortunately I don't think the chairs in this village were made for really tall foreigners.

Dinner consisted of some smoked pork, scrambled eggs with wild greens, dried peas, stir-fried pork, rice, and a fish and tofu stew.

Later that night, we met with Chen Qin and some of the village women.

We discussed some business strategies to help them market the beautiful embroidery pieces that they produce in their spare time.

After the meeting, one of the women (Chen Qin's sister-in-law) invited us into her home.  I couldn't understand a word of what she said, but I could tell from her personality that she was a very lively and spirited person.  

Upstairs, she showed us some of her handmade paper.

Before leaving, we convinced her to take a photo with us.  You may not be able to tell, but she had a tight death-grip on my wrist.

For breakfast the next morning, we ate a traditional meal of fried sticky rice dipped in sugar crystals...

...along with some rice noodles.

Outside, workers were already settled into their routine.

Meanwhile, these kids were busy playing with a toy gun (seen laying on the logs in this picture).

Patrick and I spent most of the morning exploring the hillside behind the village.

We meandered carefully through what I consider *treacherous* terrain.  Of course, the villagers navigated around these wild paths with impressive ease and agility.  Check out Patrick's skills.

Somewhere along the way, we spotted these adorable puppies.

The view during our hike was amazing, though despite my greatest efforts, every picture I took seemed to only capture a fraction of the beauty.

This waterfall, for instance, seems completing underwhelming in this photo, but up close it was actually quite stunning.  Perhaps it's the magnitude of beauty that Patrick and I radiate in these photos that detracts from the nature beyond.

Upon our return, it was time for one last meal together before our 4-hour ride back to Guiyang.

Chen Qin served us her homemade rice wine.  

And as is Miao custom, she sang to us each individually...

... and hand-fed us the rice wine.

If you think it would be awkward to have someone sing to you while pouring wine into your mouth, you are certainly correct.  But it was also fun to partake in Miao traditions.  In fact, I'm thinking of adopting this tradition in my own home.

Once we were sufficiently wined and dined, it was time to say goodbye to Jidao village and our gracious host.

oo,