The Millstone

1 THE remote mountain village had no electricity and was inaccessible by motor vehicle. However, a millstone sat just outside the door of each house. Men worked from early morning until well into the night tilling the thin layer of soil, while women circumambulated millstones grinding grain. The dates turned red and the leaves turned green heralding the approach of an important event for one village family.     

The Kazakhs

Kazakh women wear hats made of horsehide decorated with owl feathers. Long dresses with sleeveless jackets are also in the typical Kazakh style.     

The Bride

The work is full of joyous atmosphere The style of carving is simple The bride is dressed in a traditional wedding costume. a phoenix coronet on her head and a red silk cape on her shoulders. Carried into the groom's home in a dainty decorated sedan chair. she is led into the bedroom by her groom after the wedding ceremony     

The Daur Women

During festivals or weddings, young women dress in bright colored silk clothing. Here comes the bride.     

The Miao Nationality

The Miao people who live in mountainous areas live in diao jiao lou, buildings constructed into the side of a hill and partially supported by pillars. Families store their goods and raise livestock on the first level of these dwellings. These young women lean on a "beauty rest," a place where they often sing in the antiphonal style.     

The Nu Women

In the northwest of Yunnan Province lies an area of 14,703 square kilometers called Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, which is inhabited by an ethnic group unique to Yunnan—the Nu ethnicity. The Nu people are the most ancient settlers and the earliest pioneers of the region. With a population of 27, 123(13,000 females), the Nu are among the smallest of China's 55 ethnic groups. The Nu live in a mountainous area filled with sloping hills and steep cliffs. The roaring Nujiang River and Lacangjiang River separate the Nu from the outside world. In addition to using rope bridges, the Nu cross the rivers bv means of dugout canoes. The canoes are so small that it is hard to imagine they can be rowed in the rolling waves, but the Nu are good ferrymen. Some people believe that the changeable weather and the complicated natural environment nurtures the Nu to develop rugged and straightforward personalities. The Nu are an optimistic people who take delight in their life. The men like to play the musical instrument k     

The Tujia Women

The Tujia nationality settle in the border areas of Hunan. Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces, Almost 2,000 years ago. the Tujia ancestors began tclive in this mountainous forest area. The mountains of Zhangjiajie and Tianzishan. which blocked the desires and dreams of the     

The Scenic Wulingyuan

Wulingyuan in western Hunan Province. is a national nature protection area. The beautiful natural scenery is called a "fairyland on earth"     

The Joyous Kitchen

MY kitchen, less than 5 square meters, is my favorite place. On my simple gas stove I can change chicken, duck, fish, meat, eggs and variety of vegetables into various delicacies to entertain family and friends. Cooking is culture as well as recreation. My old friends who I haven't seen for many years were astonished to learn about my interest in cooking, because they all knew how I didn't like to be tied to the kitchen when I was young.     

The She Nationality

Although the She people mainly engage In farming, those who have settled at the key forestry base of Jingning County in Southern Zhejiang also rely on hunting.     

The Life Boat

In the deluge, a group of soldiers of the People'sLiberation Army cluster around a rubber boal on which area woman who has just given birth and her newly horn baby.The soldiers fight bravely against the flood to save the twolives, while they, the mother and her son, lie safe undertheir protection. The painter, using a style of fine brushworkand close attention to detail, depicts the contrast betweenstaunchness and tenderness, terror and serenity to praisethe selfless actions of the brave PLA who set their own safety     

The Haircut Incident

ON July 8, 1921. the ChengduPolice Bureau, controlled bySichuan warlord Liu Cunhou. issued anofficial notice strictly prohibiting womenfrom cutting their hair. It read: "Recently,many women have cut their hair short andwear it in "Napoleon." "Washington" andother styles. It is really an offense againstdecency and is hereby prohibited....Ifanyone dares to ignore this prohibition, sheand her parents will be punished." This preposterous notice not only     

The Ancestors' Legend

The Fairy Lady of Wushan Mountain Yao Ji, youngest daughter of Emperor Yandi, sent to thesouth of Wushan Mountain in the Three Gorges, was named theFairy Lady of Wushan Mountain. When King Chu Huaiwangwas on a tour to Gaotang. he dreamed of the fair lady. Later,when King Chu Xiangwang was on the same tour, he too mether in a dream. Yao Ji grew a majestic plant, plucked it andmade it an iris. It was said that if stewed and eaten, the one whoate may chance to meet their lover in their dreams.     

The Nuo Performance

On the first day of Spring Festival people remove the statue of god but leave only a mask there instead to garrison the place from evils.     

The Zhuang Women

A Zhuang bridegroom has to carry his bride on his back and walk on a single-log bridge. This symbolizes the couple's promise to support each other in happiness and hardships and live to ripe old age in conjugal bliss.     

The Ta'er Monastery

Many of the temples feature characteristics of both Han and Tibetan architecture.     

Saving The Baiji

AT a conference of the World Whaling Commission in Cambridge, England, in 1981, a special video tape caught the attention of experts at the meeting. It was a tape about the artificial raising of Baiji ill China, brought by Chen Peixun, head of the Baiji Coordinative Group and a research fellow of the Institute of Hydrobiology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. On the screen was a large mammal with a long, pointed mouth, swimming in the water with its belly up one moment and down the next. It looked like a dolphin, but     

The Golden Fall

ON a windy evening, I rode my bicycle past the newly-built Guangming overpass in Beijing and heard sounds of gongs and drums. Through the haze I saw a group of people dancing yangge(the most popular folk dance in Northern China) against the wind. Walking more closely to observe, I saw a group of old women     

The Border Town

Pas de deux by Cuicui and TianbaGroup dance with strong local flavor。Pretty and innocent CuicuGirls frOm West HunanThe Border Town     

The Madam Fair

"NADAM" means "entertainment" or "game" in Mongolian. The Nadam Fair, a traditional Mongolian gathering, is held each year in summer or autumn and features horse racing, wrestling, shooting, singing and dancing. In the summer, I, together with my friends, traveled to Dong Ujimqin Banner of Xilin Gol League in Inner Mongolia for