Banna impression - Gatangpa Festival of the Aini people

---

In SE Asia they call Ahka. in Banna they call Aini，and in China they group it all under the name of Hani. Each year on Newyear the Aini in Banna area will celebrate their Newyear - Gatangpa，a new beginning，a day to be happy，to make fun and to feast. well...no surprise about the festival as according to the Banna style...big boss speech and performance and banquet....a standard！ but the Gelanghe town did surprised me, 5 years ago it was a tiny village with only couple of houses, but now...although still tiny...but now there is a lake, a government building, a street, I totally had no recollection about the place, and it seem like going up for more soon as some building works is underway. said it is high standard apartment building, there is a showroom within other seller in the festival street, displayed some model of the future apartment, trying to presented the idea of modern houses...3 bedrooms, 2 bedrooms....a kitchen a toilet etc...but...I look at the sale woman...seem like she not even able to convince herself as...I guess she herself had never stay inside this kind of city flat, how could they able to convince the others how nice to live in a place like that. was it a bit too quick for real estate here？ few steps away in the village local still live in those semi brick-wooden stilt house. anyways...that company at least did sponsor this festival, but I kept wondered why the minority needed to involve with this？what they got instead of celebrated their own festival but hard working in help preparing everything, dressed up and play the part as a entertainer. all they got are just a few words at the opening bullshiting speech then the whole event would pointed to how great the holy communist party and how luck you all are under this government. then the rest of the event will be for those so call important guests and us...tourists and photographers. and the original hosts would turn into servants. Perhaps they all believe in this myth...the word are come from one of the tourist on my table...once the sponsor help provided the festival, with more performance and better foods, it might attract more people come here and will kick start the local economic. come on....do you know how many of this kind of festival no a day in Yunnan？ they are all one a year bubble！expose but no economic, posioning and hurt the real local festival culture, it made they look more on their appearance than the inner part, turn them from the host into an outsider. but...a day to be happy, to make fun and feast. well....they got it all and seem...willing and enjoy it！guess I better shut up！

---