Homeland Dreams - Aini People in the Heart of Ailao Mountains

Author: Xie Wei, Li Hongwu, Liang Li, Liu Jun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The so-called "fire-blocking tower" refers to the space formed between the flat roofs of thatched houses and the two sloping sides of the roof. The Hani subgroups of Baihong and Lami call this space "fire-blocking tower," which originates from its function of separating the thatched roof from the indoor fire to prevent the roof from catching fire. We have long heard romantic stories about the fire-blocking tower. Such a small space is closely related to the love lives of the Hani people. Today, with the implementation of rural housing renovation projects, the fire-blocking tower is on the verge of extinction, and its stories are gradually being told through other means. There are still two fire-blocking towers left in Anà. Our second visit to the Anà village was to seek traces of the stories once told about the fire-blocking towers. Since the fire-blocking tower is a "tower," the activities conducted there are called "climbing the fire-blocking tower." The Hani people of Baihong and Lami also call it "fire hymn." In places like Anà village, where houses are not spacious, families with many children often slept together with their parents when they were young. By the time they reached adulthood, usually around the age of 12 or 13, they would separate from their parents and be sent to "climb the fire-blocking tower"—sleeping on the fire-blocking tower. In families that could afford it, the sloping sides of the fire-blocking tower were enclosed with wooden boards, a small window serving as the door, with a single pillar used as a ladder to the entrance and ground. In less fortunate families, one side was simply blocked with earth, leaving the other side open as the door. Straw was often piled on the fire-blocking tower to feed cattle, and it also served as a bed for children. The poor villagers in the mountains could not provide their children with much bedding, so the straw pile was the warmest nest. Young boys and girls who had just moved into the fire-blocking tower would often gather in groups—boys together, girls together—to play and sleep in the same tower. Before going to sleep, they would often "visit" each other's fire-blocking towers, gathering in groups of three or five to sing love songs and chat. Once they had a crush on someone, the two would seek out a separate fire-blocking tower to stay, usually the one belonging to the boy's or the girl's family. In families with windows on their fire-blocking towers, if the window was open after dark, it meant the girl or boy living there had no sweetheart. If the window was closed, it meant someone was already there. Others were advised not to disturb them. The Hani people believe that by the age of 13 or 14, one should start dating and find their life partner. In their "Haba" songs, they sing, "When a calf grows, it will lock horns, and when men and women reach 13 or 14, they should pair up." Therefore, parents do not interfere with their children's activities of "climbing the fire-blocking tower." Instead, they worry if their sons have not found a girl to take to a fire-blocking tower alone, or if their daughters have not been taken out by a boy to climb a fire-blocking tower.
When it comes to "climbing the fire-blocking tower," every adult in Anà can tell countless stories. In Anà, we heard that almost all men over 35 had experience climbing fire-blocking towers, and most of their wives were also married after such encounters. The fire-blocking tower is not only a place for teenagers to sleep and play but also a venue for young men and women to court. Once their romance fades or the girl becomes pregnant, and if both parents approve, the relationship becomes official. If the two part ways midway or if their parents object, they may form new families, leaving each other unharmed and blameless. During dates in the fire-blocking tower, whether or not sexual relations occur,
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