The Dong people in Guangxi Province
3 min readThe Dong people in Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi grow famous fragrant sticky rice as a major crop. Some, though not many, keep fish farms or do forestry production. Its population:2.96 million.
Their homeland is commonly called”land of songs and poetry.”Their grand songs in multiple parts，unaccompanied by musical instruments，represent the highest in their culture and are invaluable for music and literary studies.The Dong people use songs to record their culture，social practices，etiquette and customs.Their grand songs are unique，with one voice higher than others in succession，so it takes at least three to sing a grand song.Multiple parts，unaccompanied and without a director，are grand songs’main features.Their grand songs may mimic birds，insects or running water from mountains.Most of their songs are about scenes of life:work，love，friendship and the harmony among people or between man and nature.The evolution of their grand songs is legendary.They were born from ordinary people，sung indoors by a group-melodious，slow，gentle，and profound.When their grand”xylophones”were sounded，the music was like a dreamy，ancient voice from the mountain depths，calling on the people，and revealing the history of this region.
For many years，music scholars in the world believed that China had no music of multiple parts or harmony.This belief continued until the 19 50s，when a famous musician Zheng Liicheng made a surprising discovery，the grand songs of the Dong people.Their choral performance in France in 1986 was a sensational event and the music world was extremely enthusiastic.Since then，nobody has ever questioned the existence of multiple parts or harmony in Chinese traditional music.Singing a grand song is a huge event，which happens only at major festivals，social occasions or receiving honored guests from afar.Among all，the voice songs are the most outstanding，often named after an insect or an animal like Cicada or The Third Month.The Dong people take their songs as their treasure，culture and knowledge.The one who can sing more songs than others is considered to be the most knowledgeable and the best educated and，thus，highly esteemed.The way they sing is closely related to their lif habits，personality，psychology and living environment.Their songs record their history and mirror their culture.
Besides singing，the Dong people are good builders.Their nice stone or wood constructions are very impressive.Among all constructions，the drum houses and the Wind-and-Rain Bridges are the most epresentative.
The drum house has a special position in a village，which can often be seen at the center of the village or close to its gate.Whenever a big event happens that requires discussion of the villagers，the village head will sit inside the drum house to preside over a meeting.Otherwise，the drum house is a place for entertainment.After a day’s work，they may gather around a bonfire inside the drum house to tell stories，play musical instruments and sing ancient songs.On festivals，or when honored guests arrive，the villagers will gather in front of the drum house to conduct ceremonies.Usually，a drum house is of wood-its parts joined by lock brackets；no iron nails are needed.It may have four，six or eight columns square at the bottom；some，hexagonal.The drum house may have multiple eaves of three，five, seven or even 15, like a pagoda. The grand-looking drum house is the hallmark of a village.
The Wind-and-Rain Bridges are typical Dong constructions found on almost every river. Among them, the most famous is the Chengyang Bridge in the Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County, Guangxi, which took over 20 years to complete:76 meters long,10.6 meters tall,3.4 meters wide, with five piers and four arches each 14.2 meters long. This bridge, together with other three famous ones in China, is called the”four most famous ancient bridges in the country.”Besides this bridge is another classic bridge, called Patuan in the Sanjiang. This was built in 1910, six years earlier than Chengyang,50 meters in length, having one pier, two arches and three pavilions. Although not as large as Chengyang,this bridge has something very special. It has two levels, one for people and one for animals. Thismarvelous arrangement makes the bridge an ancient overpass. Each part of the bridge, pavilions and railings, is both attractive and highly functional, bearing proof of Dong people’s wisdom and architectural skills.
