Culture explored trip - The WA people- Black teeth, Big pierced ears, Old style smocking pipe, Eat clay……

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There is no bus service directly to Wengding village. It takes around 30min. driving from Cangyuan County to there. It’s a small village with more than 100 more Wa families. People there are living base on farming. The village has been open for tourist since 2006. Some villagers also sell some of their hand make items, like hand make linen bags, clothes, or local food.

There is no hotel there, only 2-guess houses, one is Li hong ‘s home(李洪家). There have 4 simple rooms, 8 beds with share shower room, and very simple W C.Another is anther villager’s home near playgroup.

There are OX-head hanging everywhere at the village. The Wa people believe that everything is living. Especial for OX. Their best friend, help them ploughing fields. Eating glasses, give of full themselves. They sacrifice their OX-head after they died. It’s means that they live with OX’s spirit forever.



The WA cook their breakfast with fireplace every morning. Most of the house there are 2 floors. They live in the upper floor, and keep their animal in the lower floor.

The traditional Wa people take high value for black color. They think that black skin, black teeth, and long black hair are considered as beautiful.



The most impressing thing for me, it is most of old ladies are holding or smocking with their special old style pipe. Those ladies are over 40 years old. Most of them can’t speak mandarin. One of their daughter told me, long time ago, the Wa men lived base on hunting, their wife are helping families via farming and weaving. There were lots of mosquitos around, wife had to smock to keep mosquitos away.

It cause those women got used to it, an hard to give up。The new generations know smocking is not good for health, they have mosquitos repellents. This habit is going to disappear soon.

Hunting, weaving or farming are not making money comparing to work in factories in big cities.

Most of young people have out for work or school. It’s only children and old people stay here.



The woman who are working for a shop next to told me that she want to work outside. Her salary is 700 rmb each month. The living cost increase a lot those years, commodities are very expensive. She was a worker in Guangdong . Base salary is 1100 rmb/ month with 9 hours working each day. 6 days a week. But most of the time, it had to work around 12 hours per day, and 7 days a week. The finally salary included paid of over time working can reach to 1500 rmb/month. Life is simple, regular, and hard; it’s only working, working, working, but she can save some money for her family and buy something.



The Wa woman said: “I still remember the times when my husband and I worked in Dongguan. We rented a room, cost 200rmb per month. Shopping 1 time each month when got salary. My husband always tries to satisfy what I wanted. I was interested in 1 cloth that cost 400rmb after discounted. It’s still expensive, it’s ok to buy it but I dropped my mind. I ‘m very regretting for that. Otherwise. I can wear it now, and looks nice. My salary is 700 rmb monthly. It’s impossible to buy a cloth cost 400rmb.

Worked at a factory is hard. it can make more money.

I have 2 kids now. They are too young to be separated. I need to go with my husband. I don’t know what to do?

Living here with both of our parents is nice. They help us to take care of the kids, housing and eating. Most of foods are self-confessed, more delicious.

But I still missing the time that we worked outside.

You knows that every day is same as I m live here. It’s very boring. “



I: “How about u kids if u and ur husband work outside”?



Wa : Losts of people of this village left their children to their old parents, and work outside. They come back one time per year. It’s cost a lot for coming back, and take days in bus, depends on where u went.



I: “ Do u have any plans for future?”

Wa: I don’t know yet. I wait for my husband’s final decision. I really hope we can work outside.



I shared my candy with her. The young mother, most of the people married at 18-20 years’ old. It’s almost the rule of the village. She is only 21 years’ old with 2 kids；3 years’ and 1 more years’ old.

She asked me to wait a few minutes; her younger sister was making food. Then she showed me some clay with her hand. And said:” it’s have been cooked, would u like some”

She ate some 1st and showed me how to eat, ok to eat.

I tried a small piece, it’s tasteless.

I : Do u like the taste?

Wa : It’s our local clay, and have been cooked, We eat it sometime.

I : it’s my 1^st time to see people eating clay.

Wa : I ate lots of clay when I was young. The food was not enough. I had to cook and eat it when I was really hungry. Now, I eat it sometime as snack.

I gave more candy to her. She return me with big smiles…

Wa : Thanks, can i keep some for my kids?

I: Yes, u can.

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Photos

Wengding old women
Weaving

Window
Morning @ Wengding

Smocking old women
Weaving

Wengding kid
I love their eyes