Basha Miao Village: The Last Gunman Tribe in the World

With the sheer number of charming destinations in China, the dozens of ancient ethnic villages hidden in wild Guizhou of West China never get much attention. Basha Miao Village is one of them, and offers a unique opportunity to discover, explore Miao Culture and interact with Miao people, one of world’s oldest and most mysterious nations.

It’s hard to think of an isolated life in Basha, 5km from Congjiang Country, as even now the village is virtually untouched by modernization. For over 2000 years, Basha residents have been living in their traditional dwellings of wooden houses, practicing centuries-old customs and keeping their own unique beliefs.

Take our Guizhou package tour for a unique ethnic culture experience

 

Embraced by lush primitive forests, with a quiet, serene surrounding, Basha consists of four sub-villages, with a total population of about 2000. Today, most of Basha Miao people live by farming and planting fruit trees. They still keep their own society system, with which, the chiefs and elders are in charge of village affairs.

Miao’s old customs and traditions

Diaojiaolou dwelling

All the residences in Basha Village were built in line with the landform of mountain, including a number of Diaojiaolou (wood columns supporting building), which is beautiful and comfortable. 

The gunman tribe 

All men in Basha Miao Village carry long rifles, but only for hunting and practicing a traditional manner in the grand ceremonies or to welcome the distinguished guests.

Worshipping Trees

Basha Miao people believe that human beings are children of nature and trees, and the old trees are the ancient ancestors. Therefore, around the village are numerous ancient towering trees. Basha people also plant a tree on the birth of a baby. The tree won’t be cut down until that person dies, and it will be made into a coffin for him/her.

Baha man’s unique hairstyle

Here, men attach great importance to their hairstyle – a unique hair bun, with a lock of long hair in braids in the middle of head, and all the other hair being shaved off. Legend has that this is the oldest hairstyle for men in China and has existed for thousands of years.

Qing Dynasty dress style

Men and women of Basha also keep their traditional dress style, which dates back to the Qin Dynasty (1644-1911), thus they are known as the living fossils of Qing Culture. Basha men usually wear turbans and short loose trousers, with a long knife on the waist and without shoes, even in the cold winter. Women's clothing is colorful and dazzling. They wear silver necklaces, bracelets, and embroidered attires and skirts.

Steamed Bun – China’s Most Popular Breakfast

A very old Chinese wheaten food, steamed bun (baozi, 包子) was invented by the scholar and military strategist Zhuge Liang over 1800 years ago during the legendary Three Kingdom Period.

Recommended China China Gourmet tour:

10-day Taste of China Top Cuisines

15-day China Culinary & Cooking Tour 

Today, steamed buns can be seen all over China, and usually purchased for take-away. They are placed neatly in the steamer or bamboo utensils and giving up sweet fragrance of food while engulfed in steam. Many consider steamed bun a masterpiece of Chinese gourmet art, while almost all people find it an excellent breakfast.

Chinese steamed bun is a fermented food that can be filled with pork, beef, lamb meat, yolk, candy, bean paste or various vegetables, and may be made in small cage package, or in big size and served individually.

Top 10 steamed bun types in China include Goubuli baozi from Tianjin, baked baozi from Xinjiang,Nanxiang Xiaolongbao from Shanghai, soup dumpling (guantang baozi) from Kaifeng Henan Province, Shengjian mantou from Shanghai, steamed creamy custard bun (naihuang baozi) from Canton, Qingfeng baozi from Beijing, Fried bun (shuijianbao) from Shandong Province, Cha siu bao from Guangdong, and Doushabao (sweet bean paste baozi).  

Follow Hollywood blockbusters to China’s most inspiring destinations Part II

Transformers: Age of Extinction was filmed in Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Chongqing

Michael Bay's fourth Transformers movie has a dozen locations in Hong Kong, including Tsing Ma Bridge, Lyndhurst Terrace, Victoria Harbour and the old areas of Sham shui Po, Kowloon. However, the movie has its most exciting scene in Wulong, Chongqing, when Optimus Prime fought with Grimlock in the huge Three Natural Bridges.

 

(Wulong, Chongqing)

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor was filmed in Xian

Director Rob Cohen was hooked on Chinese history and culture, thus we can see the wonderful performances of Chinese Kung Fu actors Jet Li and Michelle Yeoh, as well as the stunning scenes of Terra-Cotta Warriors, the holy snow mountains in Shangri-La and the deserts in Hebei.

(Terra-Cotta Warriors)

Kill Bill was filmed in Beijing

Both Quentin Tarantino and Uma Thurman are Chinese martial arts fans. Kill Bill was deeply influenced by Hong Kong’s Kung Fu movies and mostly filmed in Beijing.

(Temple of Heave in Beijing)

The White Countess was filmed in Shanghai

Many Hollywood directors are interested in mysterious Chinese culture, not least for James Ivory. The White Countess provides a perspective of the old Shanghai, and the city’s past prosperity and continued development.

(The old streets of Shanghai)

The famous locations of Chinese movies:

China West Film Studio at Zhenbeipu: "the Orient Hollywood" is of primitive simplicity and mysterious charm, and very appealing to Chinese and international directors. Numerous movies were shot here such as Red Sorghum, the West Odyssey, Dragon Inn, Red River Valley etc.

Kaiping Diaolou architectures: UNESCO cultural heritage the Diaolou buildings in Guangdong set a fantastical background for the wonderful movie “Let the Bullets Fly”.

Erjina Populus euphratica forest: in Alashan league of Inner Mongolia, the beautiful forest has been known to the world because of Hero directed by Zhang Yimou. It is the location of Juyan Culture sites dating back to Xixia Dynasty (1038-1227)

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park: Zhang Yimou’s A Woman, A Gun And A Noodle Shop was filmed in this majestic rainbow mountain.

Follow Hollywood blockbusters to China’s most inspiring destinations Part I

China is loaded with spectacular landscapes and literary & historical sights with stories. For years, many brilliant Hollywood directors have located their movies in China.  

1. Avatar was inspired by Yellow Mountain or Zhangjiajie National Forest Park?

Director James Cameron has confirmed that the ‘Hallelujah Mountain’ was created according to Yellow Mountain. But many people have questioned his claim, as this floating mountain, as well as the fantasy world of Pandora is more like being‘filmed at Zhangjiajie’ in Hunan Province.

(Yellow Mountain)

(Zhangjiajie National Forest Park)

2. 2012 was filmed in the Himalayas

Disaster film 2012 was enormously popular, and leads us to many famous world landmarks. In the southwest of China, the Himalayas is human being’s last hope. The temple ruined by flood in the movie is Rongbuk Monastery, 20km away from Mt. Everest, and the world’s highest temple above sea level. 

(Rongbuk Monastery)

3. Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith was film in Guilin, Guangxi 

Director George Lucas is addicted to Chinese landscape. Therefore in Star Wars: Episode III, Guilin’s amazing Li River and Karst Landscape with mystery have hit the big screen for the first time.

(Li River)

4. The Painted Veil was filmed along Yangtze River to Huangyao Old Town

Directed by John Curran and starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton, The Painted Veil was shot entirely in China – the lens change from place to place, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangxi, and focus on the scenic Yangtze River, Li River and serene, romantic Huangyao Ancient Town.

(Huangyao Ancient Town)

5. Mission Impossible III was filmed in Shanghai

Apart from the film locations of Berlin and Vatican, director John Woo and Mission Impossible II came to Shanghai. With the lens, we see Oriental Pearl Tower, Jin Mao Tower, Huangpu River and Xitang Water Town full of classical elegance.