Black Clothes Zhuang in the Mountains: Naopo Black Clothes Zhuang Cultural and Artistic Investigation: Naopo Black Clothes Zhuang Cultural and Artistic Investigation

Author: Liao Mingjun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: At the southern gate of China, on the China-Vietnam border, amidst thousands of mountains and lanes, a unique ethnic group with distinct cultural characteristics—the Black-Cloth Zhuang—has lived for thousands of years. The Black-Cloth Zhuang admire black, using it as their attire and tribal symbol, and are a branch of the Zhuang ethnic group, with a current population of over 50,000 (in Napo County). Over the long course of history, the Black-Cloth Zhuang people have created a rich and distinctive cultural art. The Black-Cloth Zhuang in the Mountains presents a unique perspective from a Zhuang scholar, based on field research conducted in the Black-Cloth Zhuang areas of Guangxi's Napo County. Using vivid prose and exquisite photographs, it describes the history and living spaces of the Black-Cloth Zhuang, records the stories and experiences encountered during the research, and reflects their cultural pursuit of "admiring black" and "valuing songs as life." It reveals the cultural features of the Black-Cloth Zhuang, including their farming, weaving, architecture, as well as their customs related to drinking, marriage, and funerals.