Xiangzhou and Jinxiu area

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Like any other area in this part of Guangxi, krast hillform are everywhere, especailly between Liuzhou and Chuanshan, but unfortunetly ended in Xiangzhou.anyways...my intention here is the 100 years old French church in Longnv village, that was hidden within krast hills and paddy fields. It was a beautiful stone building with tower on each side and a dome body at the back. but beside the main stone structure...all the rest of the decorated objects had been destory...especially the 100 tons bronze bell that was made in France. The French priest had himself a Chinese name Suanning arrived here in 1886, and completed this church 10 years after. but had been murdered in April 1898 by bandits on his way to Xiangzhou. unoffical local folklore gave a different story said the priest actually was a mob and mafia in the area. locals dislike him for long time, finally killed him when the hated got to the limited on one incident. anyways...no one will or interest in talking about this history...better let sleeping dog lay I guess. still there are about 100 believers in Longnv village nowaday and they kept their mass on every weekend. and the biggest day was on the 3rd November to memorized the birthday of Suanning, which the villager had built a tomb for him at the edge of the village surrounded by paddy. Xiangzhou still has many old villages but with no maintainence. Yunjiang once was an prosperious trading town by the Liujiang river. but now it was a ghost town with falling aparted windows and doorframes. only some old folks still stay behind in this once glory village. but in between the small lane laid with stone blocks, you could still see the faged-away tarvan, trading hall, guesthouse, drug store....in fact, the pier still operate boat services up down the river. if they are willing to restored the village in a authentic way. I would say it will be a great relexing place to hangout...only if it wasn't under this Chinese communist mentality.

Jinxiu is the only area in this region that I might able to spot some Yao in costume. the town had been upgraded and renovated into a standard Chinese style ethnic theme city. the same kind of flying roof, whitewash wall and brown wooden windowframe. one mould for every ethnic town! Jinxiu is small but long and narrow, sandwiched with a manmade river. the town not ugly but nothing to write about either. beside couple of ethnic villages filled the leaflet, the main sight is Shengtangshan, the Chaple Mountain. as the shape of the mountain actually look like a chaple and was awesome! I only seen the image on internet as the sky never open up while I was there. Anyways...I was here for the Yao. you could see Pan Yao in town easily. I went to Lakou market but with no costume scene. but in the only Yao costume shop the women pity me and put on their costume for me to see. "we are Ao Yao" they said, and told me there are 5 subgroup in Jinxiu region. the Pan, the Hualan, the Chashan, the Shanzi and themself. theyheld up the tiny bamboo headcap and told me "it used to be silver". everything became simplify nowaday. after some chatting she pointed me uphill to her village"5km" she said, where I could find their Panwang temple where they will hold festival after 2 weeks time. they claimed theirs is the original ritual."the one that celebrate in township are learn from us" they all protected. I took the 5km execise walk uphill. it was a nice little village. the Yao are very friendly and more...they all manage to speak cantonese...waohhh...it really did make thing easiler! there was actually 3 temple in the village. beside the Panwang temple. there is temple dedicated to a local saint Fengshenggong, and another to the famous legend Liusanjie. but both was Han not Yao I asked "why?". no one could reveal any answer but said the temple came down from a long time. more important "its actually answer our prayer most of the time"! no wondered the condition of those two kept even better than their Panwang temple!

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