Li Jiang Impressions (麗江印象)

I do not know about how the others feel. For me, I shall never forget how I felt at a show called "Impression Li Jiang" (印象麗江) conceived and designed by the famous Chinese director Chang Yimou (張藝謀). It took place upon a multi-level stage of brown with a zig-zag path leading up from the lowest to the highest level. Above the semi-circle at the top, I saw shining under the blazing sun the dazzling whiteness of the snow capped Jade Dragon Mountain against a sky of the purest blue.

We saw the enactment of a love story. A Yi tribe (actually the combination of 5 small ethnic groups) youth who fell in love with a young lady, but could not get married to her because of objections from their parents, vowed to go up the Jade Dragon Peak to commit suicide with his love, after having praymade their wish there that they be joined together in the next life. According to legend, whatever prayer said and whatever wish made high up the Jade Dragon Peak will be heard by the mountain god and will come true. We see in the form of song and dance first the way the Yi tribe live: the men would go on the the "Tea-horse" caravans which plied between Yunnan and Tibet, the 5 tribes of the Yi people will compete with each other in courage and enterprise, whilst the women will look after home and harth and when the men return, they will have a feast in which they drink and display their physical prowesss and then lose themselves in an alcohol haze. Then we saw how the two young lovers meet, fell in love, how they went up the mountain, followed by the young brother of the girl running after her and begging her to change her mind but to no avail, because she was resolute in her wish, how the villagers tried their best to retain her but could do nothing to stop it and finally how their tribal shaman gave them his blessings. The show ended appropriately with a song about the clear sky and the freedom it brings to the human heart  in the language of the Naxi tribe (纳西族) sung in a clear female voice, its vibrations conveyed by two enormous sound boxes on each side of the huge open air stage under the sky. The Naxi tribe has a population of about 300,000 and ranks 27th in terms of number amongst all the ethnic groups in the PRC and about 95% of them live in the Li Jiang area in Yunnan Province. This is what she sang:

 "Here, every day, every day, we enjoy the baptism of of Nature,
 the baptism of the sun,
 baptism of snow and mountains,
 baptism of water and grass,
 baptism by tanned skin,
 baptism by yells,
 baptism by scorching direct gazes,
 baptism by rough hands,
 baptism by guileless smiles.
 Till now, standing here, we, clear, transparent in body, pure in looks,.
 Till now, we find being alive, is so real, so good.
 What reason do we have,  not to be grateful for life?
 You Here,  like us, far away from the noise of steel and concrete,
 Washed clean of worries of the trifles of daily life,
 Never having taken a big breath of joy,
 Isn't that a bounty of Nature?
 Please place your hands across your forehead,
 Let your eyes look afar, towards the sky, put your hands together,
 Stretch out your arms, high above your head,
 Make a wish, in this wonderful place.
 It will give us the happiness we're looking for,
 Make a wish of that which you most desire,
 Follow us, through the wonderful door of hope,
 Let your wish stay in the incense bowl full of five cereals in Impressions Lijiang"

and in mandarin:

"每一天 每一天 我们都在享受 大自然的洗礼 阳光的洗礼 雪与山的洗礼 水与草的洗礼 被黝黑的皮肤洗礼 被高亢的吼声洗礼 被直灼的目光洗礼 被粗糙的双手洗礼 被无邪的笑容洗礼 直到现在 站在这里的 我们 清澈 通体透明 目光纯净 直到现在 我们发现 活著 是如此真实 美好 我们凭什么 不去感恩生命 在这里的你们 和我们一样 远离了钢筋水泥的喧嚣 洗净了凡庸俗事的困扰 从未有过的 快乐地大口呼吸 难道这不是大自然给予的恩泽么？ 难道这不是大自然给予的厚待么？ 请把你的双手交叉 放在额头 让你的目光遂远 向著天的方向 双手合十 展开你的双臂 高举过头 许下你的愿望吧 在这个神奇的地方 它给予我们想要的快乐 许下你最想实现的愿望 跟著我们 穿过这扇憧憬的神奇之门 将你的愿望 留在这盛满五谷的香炉中 留在印象丽江"

The snow covered Jade Dragon Peak

The show was the joint efforts of the five tribes making up the united "Yi people", with one representative from each tribe

A show of solidarity between the members of the five constituent tribes.

The tribesmen dancing with the saddles they use in their "tea-horse barter" treks to Tibet

A team of "tea-horse" caravan with their leader

The same group spread out

The women with their baskets of tea leaves

The caravan has started

More joined in the trek to Tibet

They are ready to depart

Another tribe is also ready to depart

The members of the two caravans join forces

Members of two tribes engage in a friendly competition of their ability to drink, make witty rhyming words for drinking (酒令) and the acrobatic agility of their bodies.

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The young lover announces his wish and his vow to the god of the Jade Dragon Peak

The brother of the lady begs her not to go up

He is joined by all the ladies in the village

All the members of the 5 tribes joined in. But nothing can deter the firm resolution of the two lovers

Shamans from the five tribes gather together to join in to celebrate their love and to give them their blessings

The shaman calls upon the people to join in their blessing of the lovers



Drummers at the top of the stage

The head drummer gives the signal to start striking



The drums start rolling in celebration of the love of the true lovers.

a closer view of some of the drummers

To engage the audience, some tribesmen with hand drums went between the aisles

A hand drummer at my side

The valley resounded with the heavy rhythm  of the celebratory drum rolls in praise of true love.