Wumulong

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Carried the shadow of the earthquake in Japan and the neuclear radiate threat, I took the 3 long days bus journey via Luchun, Jiangcheng, Jinggu and Lincang I arrived at my destination Wumulong. strange...all along the trip...the trees, the mountain, the landscape...all seem much more full in colour, more prettier...didn't know why, perhaps I was trying to catch the best out of what I could still see, before the total destruction of the environment...or even the whole universe!!!
Why I came to Wumulong....I had never seen this kind of Yi people before, they call themselve Limi people. and also because of their festival today. The Sangzhaoli said to be the Valentine day of the Limi people, in the old day, young people would bath in the hotspring in the area around before the festival and youngster dating each others. Legend said The Limi was immigrants in Lincang region, and there was 2 outstanding young man made great contribution in building up Wumulong after they settle down here, so the headman wanted to reward them by offered them marriage in fine match which they could choose any woman they like in the community, so...all the girls went bathed in the hotspring and prepared themselve, on the 15th Lunar Feb the 2 young man pick the woman they like and a happy ending....that was how the festival came along they said!
The festival ground is about 10km outside of town where a permanence dance platform stood by a small steam, makeshift stands and vendors occupied part of the hillside offered standard festival deals. seem like the authority were trying to pumped up the event for tourism some year ago by created this festival ground, but...you wouldn't see any tourists or travelers here(excepted me and 2 Americans I met in Lincang), and that how I like it...an local event! still....same kind of festival program and luckily without many speech from the official. besided the dancing performance, there also cross-bow and tuoluo competition by the late afternoon and of course...the boys and girls dating after dark, which I had no match with the youngsters and it sure only for local I guess. worried about the return transportation so I heading back to town after I had enough of the costume photo. Black is the main tone of the Limi costume, and all of them are in hard thick cotton material, not much embroidery on their dress, the long sleeve jacket is an heavy loose robe tied up by girdle decorated with silver studs, gold and color stitching. couple of pattern lines along the front collar and on the cuff area the festival dress had addition collar with silver buttons and chest panel of silver plaques. on top of the baggy pant there is another apron wrapped from the back like a skirt. the headdress either are black colour head cloth in heavy folded or in tartan pattern. The daily dress for the woman would be the same baggy pant and similar jacket but longer, with the lower part double back up and tied together with the girdle, instead of the skirt like back apron, there is only a simple apron tied in front.
Wumulong is a small town hidden inside a deep valley surounded by big mountain, there are many opportunity for hiking around the area, " Daxueshan, only 26km away" an old man told me when I asking for direction, Daxueshan is a natural reserved park supposed to be a nice area to visit. At the moment is the beginning of harvest season for wheat, the landscape is so pretty with golden green colour, especailly the area around the Yi village Mengzha, through which I was heading to Yalian market, the uninterest market offered very little tribal scene, only a couple of Limi women there.

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