Yunnan Ethnic Village Captures the Very Essence of China
Among all places of interest in China, one that stands out immediately is the Yunnan Ethnic Village near Kunming. This is a special place which sprawls over a huge area and houses a number of ethnic minorities of the country. If one wants to witness the nuances in the cultures of different Chinese ethnicities, this is the place to be. Here people live according to their traditional lifestyle in small villages that have been created for them in the premises. It is a perfect exhibition of the diverse Chinese culture.
What to Expect While Visiting the Yunnan Ethnic Village
Yunnan Ethnic Village is a theme park that has been set up barely 5 miles away from the capital city of Yunnan Province in China. This theme park is different in its pursuit, as it is dedicated to the celebration of the lifestyle of ethnic minorities of China. The question is what makes this place so special?
To begin with, this “Village” establishes a new standard of depicting the culture of a country. This kind of theme park is rarely found in other parts of the world. If there is a perfect destination for students learning Mandarin in China, then this is it. The objective of the Chinese language programs have been devised to give an overview of the Chinese culture and lifestyle. This is why elements like learning martial arts, calligraphy and traditional Chinese cooking are incorporated along with language classes. However the additional “on-job learning” comes from traveling to offbeat destinations and places which have been preserved. There are many places in the country which still bear the looks and lifestyle of the past and the Chinese authorities have taken care to ensure that they remain so. This helps students and people attending gap year programs to get to know about the past as well as the present of the country.
But what sets the Yunnan Ethnic Village apart from the rest of these destinations is its unique ability to showcase lifestyle and traditions of multiple ethnic groups in one place. Students interested in knowing China more closely, can get to see at least 26 minority groups of the country residing in one place. This village has been established next to the Dianchi Lake. Spanning over an area of 133.3 acres, it is divided into a number of “sub-villages”. Each of these villages is home to one ethnic minority group. The lifestyle, the houses and all traditions of these minority groups have been preserved here. Each of these groups follows and practices its traditional lifestyle.
Visitors are usually given a tour of the village so that they can experience and understand firsthand the lifestyle and culture of each of these groups. It must be pointed out that Yunnan is the home to 26 out of 52 ethnic minorities, and hence this village becomes an important destination for comprehensive cultural understanding. People don their ethnic dresses and costumes and a visitor can also wear these costumes if he or she so wishes. Additionally, there are dramatized dance performances which tell stories and mark the festive occasions of each of these minorities. One can see the celebrations of the Torch Festival by the Bai community, the Water Splashing Festival of the Dai people and even the Knife Ladder Climbing of the Lisu people. The cultural diversity seen in this village is impressive and the whole experience is rewarding at many levels. One must visit this unique “museum of ethnicities” while on China tour.
26 out of China’s 52 ethnic minorities in Yunnan Ethnic Village
Bai Ethnic Village is the largest sub-village in Yunnan Ethnic Village
Yi Ethnic Village in Yunnan Ethnic Village
White Pagoda in Dai Ethnic Village in Yunnan Ethnic Village
Pumi Minority Village in Yunnan Ethnic Village
Wa Ethnic Village in Yunnan Ethnic Village
