Portrait of an LBX

By Evan

*See all of Andy’s great tomb-sweeping pictures here

The Nong family going through the tomb-sweeping ritual for their deceased father in Guangxi, by Andy

So picking up back in Guangxi, we spent the first rest day of our new 5-day cycle plan in the county seat of Jingxi (靖西縣). Fate, seeing us on a tight schedule, decided to strike Alexis down with an intestinal malady that kept us in place an extra day… the best laid plans, as always. The next morning, he had regained most of his energy, and it was decided that we should progress an easy 30 km to a new town after the requisite coffee stop.

Now, that plan was made in full knowledge that this was the third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar (三月初三), the most important holiday of the Zhuang people (壯族), through the heart of whose territory we happened to be passing. We had heard only that there was a holiday and had no preconception of what form it might take, but we hoped we could join in some sort of festivities that night. (more…)

By Evan

*Long post warning — this one goes on for a while, but there’s some pretty funny stuff if you hang on for a while.

(For all the great pics we took during our stay in Luxi, click here)

Forgive me readers, for I have sinned. It has been weeks since my last meaningful post, and so here is my shot at an act of contrition. Last time I wrote anything worthwhile, we were heading into the southwestern corner of Fujian (福建西南角) right before Spring Festival (春節).

Entrance to Shengwu Lou, falling apart in many places. By Andy

Once we had a night of sleep under our belts, we headed out into the villageside of Luxi (蘆溪鎮鄉村) to scope out the famous sister tulou (姐妹土樓) for which the city is apparently famous, even though most people had no idea where they were. Tulou #1, named Shengwu Lou (繩武樓), the first one we came across, defaced on the side facing the river with Maoist propaganda, was like a miniature Chinese rendition of the Roman Coliseum, made of earth and nestled amongst the rolling green mountains. As terribly magnificent the giant structure was to look at from the outside, it has clearly been the victim of historical stagnation (因凝滯而腐蝕).

The stucco exterior was cracked and falling apart in many places, and on the inside, it was mostly quiet, with most doors barricaded or otherwise locked. A woman emerged from the only open door and, as we were becoming used to, invited us inside her apartment within the tulou for some tea. Shortly thereafter, her husband, Mr. Ye (葉, everybody in Luxi is named Ye) entered the dark, damp, cave-like dwelling and took over tea-pouring duties. As he talked to us, his daughter of six jumped up and down from a wooden chair onto the stone block floor, and his wife tidied the tight apartment of maybe 30 square meters, dumping waste water into the slit in the floor, a feature apparently all tulou share. (more…)