Wuhua Building (Research on Ethnic Groups in Dali, Yunnan)

Author: C.P. Fitzgerald (Australia), translated by Liu Xiaofeng and Wang Hui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features: If one judges the book solely by its title, The Five Flowers Pavilion, it might easily be mistaken for a work about famous scenic spots. However, upon closer reading, this book, written by a Western scholar over half a century ago, offers a completely fresh perspective. It is as if one were to peer through 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, and in the mountainous regions of western Yunnan, dotted with river valleys and plateau lakes, "there lies a narrow, fertile rice-growing land nestled between the green mountains and blue lakes—this is the home of the Bai people of Dali." Thus, the author guides us through time and space, taking us back to the Dali of six or seven decades ago 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, natural resources, production and living customs, economic conditions, religious beliefs, foreign relations, 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 perspectives in Bai studies throughout history, making it an outstanding academic monograph on the human geography of Dali Bai people.