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Mysterious Rock Paintings in Guizhou
Ethnic minority groups in Guizhou tended to govern people's
behaviors and social order by village rules. Many village rules stipulated that
those violating rules would be published by incantations. With such penalties,
local people could well regulate their conducts.
Rock paintings in Guizhou's caves are also distinctive. For instance, many
artifacts of the Paleolithic Age have been excavated and rock paintings
featuring human figures, birds and beasts discovered in Peach Blossom Cave, now
designated as the key cultural heritage site under the provincial-level
conservation. On the cliff in Zhenfeng, with the height of 10 meters and the
width of 50 meters, dozens of images, including wild boar, deer, human figures
and hands, are painted in reddish brown, presenting a panoramic scroll of
hunting and fishing scenes. Those rock paintings vividly demonstrate life of
local ethnic groups living two thousand years ago.
"Fishing", cliff carving in
Xishui
Rock painting on the cliff of
Dayanjiao
During the Song-Yuan-Ming period (960 - 1644), ancestors of some ethnic
groups in Guizhou lived a nomadic life, which is vividly expressed in rock
paintings on Horse Cliff in Guanling. Images of human figures, horses, dogs,
birds and other animals now are still visible. In addition, rock paintings in
this region also feature farming life of ancient people, with the sun, farmlands
and farmers carrying farming tools. The rock painting "Seven Horses" describes a
seven-horse caravan holding cargos on their backs and trekking through paths on
cliffs.
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