Weixi county

cctv.com 01-06-2004 16:06

The land slopes from north to south in Diqing prefecture. Further down south to Weixi, the county at the south tip of Diqing, the weather gets warmer and landscape mellows down compared to the rugged mountains and gorges up north.

Weixi is the only Autonomous County of Lisu people in the country. The origin of Lisu people can be traced back to one to two thousand years ago. Most of lisu villages are located on top of high mountains.

And the best way to reach the villages is either on foot or to ride a mule. But don't be intimidated by the mountain climbing, with the beautiful landscape and incredibly fresh air, it's actually quite invigorating.

The houses in Tongle village are of typical Lisu style. They are all built of tree logs, no paint on the outside.

As usual, the hospitable people from the village put on their best clothes to greet visitors at the entrance. Tongle is a typical lusu village of about 600 hundred people.

In Weixi County, Tongle village is known for a special ethnic dance – achimugua.

You've probably noticed that their singing resembles the sound of goats. Actually, the dancing also imitates the movements of goats. It has something to do with Lisu's nomadic lifestyle long time ago.

Achimugua is danced on all festivals, and what they sing about varies according to the different occasion. Most of the lisu history is passed down through Achimugua lyrics because lisu had no written language of its own.

Editor:Han Ling  Source:CCTV.com