On the entrance door to Basha Village hangs a horizontal board inscribed with "China's First Village of Tribe Culture." Whenever visitors arrive at the village, a group of villagers with long guns in hands will stop them outside the village, while another group load a homemade cannon. In fact, they are preparing a special Miao welcoming ceremony for the visitors.

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  Lusheng Hall

Located on the top of one of the village's mountains is "Lusheng Hall" (Lusheng being a reed-pipe wind instrument) is in fact a round flat ground with tall ancient trees standing along the ground's outer regions. According to the locals, the place is a product of nature, as all the trees form a circle and the ground is naturally flat. On festivals or other grand occasions, the whole village will gather here, and the Miao people's traditional way of festival celebration -- "Lusheng Cai Tang" -- is also held here. Usually, the place is open to public with no taboo, although no courting is allowed there.

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Only 5 kilometers away from Congjiang and with a highway running right across, Basha Village has witnessed great changes over the past decades. A television set can be found in every household, and a school has been built. Some villagers run grocery stores, and some go to work in the southern cities. Whereas in the past, Basha people didn't understand Putonghua, let along speak it, nowadays, almost all the people can understand it.

However, with their unique folk customs and lifestyle, Basha people seem to live on an alien planet, and their ancient tradition and practice seem to have changed little over generations.

Author: Jessie

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