Wuhualou

Author: C.P. Fitzgerald (Australia)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-12
Features: If one judges the book solely by its title, "Five Flowers Building," it might easily be mistaken for a work about famous scenic spots and historical sites. However, upon closer reading, this book, written by a Western scholar and published over half a century ago, offers a completely fresh perspective. It is as if one were to peer through the clouds from an altitude of over 10,000 meters and see the scene below. In the southern extension of the Tibetan Plateau along the Himalayas, at the convergence of the ancient Silk Road connecting China with Myanmar and India (Shu-Shen-Du and Cha-Ma ancient roads), amidst the towering mountains and river valleys of western Yunnan, "there lies a narrow strip of fertile rice land nestled between the green mountains and clear lakes—this is the homeland of the Bai people (Daijia)." Thus, the author guides us through time and space, back to the Dali of six or seven decades ago, allowing us to relive the life of our ancestors. The entire book, written in eleven chapters, vividly describes and provides insightful analysis of the natural geography, historical origins, social structure, productive resources, customs of production and daily life, economic conditions, religious beliefs, foreign exchanges, and ethnic relations of the Bai region. Coupled with hundreds of photographs, it comprehensively recreates the survival and development of the Bai people in China during the 1930s. Through the lens of an anthropologist, it thoroughly dissects the characteristics of the Bai people as a nation, clarifying some ambiguous views in Bai ethnic studies throughout history and serving as an outstanding academic monograph on the human geography of Dali Bai people.