[Poverty Alleviation Story] China's Last Gunman Tribe: Folk Culture Brings Fire to Rural Tourism

  [Live sound] Traditional custom performance

  Hello, everyone. This is a sickle we usually use for mowing. In our Basha Miao Village, it can be used for haircuts. Usually, our beards can be long and can also be used for shaving. Now I will show you (shaving) ...

  [Explanation] The scene in front of me is the unique custom of Basha Miao Village in Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture of Guizhou Province-the sickle shaves the head, and the sickle blade walks around, the hair is scattered, clean and tidy, and the tourists watching are frightened...

  [Explanation] Basha Miao Village, located in the hinterland of Moon Mountain, Congjiang County, Guizhou Province, is a well-known original ecological ethnic cultural tourism village at home and abroad. The traditional culture and customs in the village are well-preserved, and it is also known as the "last gunman tribe in China". Ten years ago, there was a deep poverty here, and the villagers could only maintain food and clothing by relying on farming and breeding. Over the years, with the help of the local government, Basha has relied on its own advantages to develop characteristic tourism, and the whole village has been lifted out of poverty. Today, tourism has become Basha's characteristic rich industry.

  [Explanation] Basha Hanzi Gunshuige is a person who has experienced the development of tourism in the village to get rid of poverty. As the first full-time narrator in the village, since 2012, Gunshuige has provided scenic explanation services for nearly 6,000 tourist groups. He introduced to reporters, Basha still retains the ancient customs of wearing muskets, shaved heads with sickles, worshiping old trees and more than a dozen unique traditional festivals. This has become an opportunity for Basha to develop tourism.

  [Contemporary period] Villagers of Basha Village, Congjiang County, Guizhou Province

  In 1999, at that time, I remember a photographer who took a group of photos of Basha men in Basha. After posting his unique hair styles, costumes and our unique tree burial customs on the Internet, they attracted a lot of attention. Dabo’s guests, because the government also considered that we had such resources here, our government took the lead in driving the villagers (to develop tourism) to see what their unique culture could show to the guests, and take it. come out.

  [Explanation] Welcoming guests with guns, singing and dancing performances, wedding customs and adult ceremony demonstration experience...Through the government's guidance, enterprises participate in development and operation, Basha people transform ecological advantages and unique cultural customs into special tourism products, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists every year Tourists come here admiringly. With the opening of the high-speed and high-speed rail, tourists have increased year by year. Almost all people in Basha have participated in tourism. The villagers participated in performance teams, opened restaurants and hotels, and sold local specialties... Not only to achieve employment at home, but also to take care of daily life. Labor.

  [Contemporary period] Villagers of Basha Village, Congjiang County, Guizhou Province

  At the end of 2017, Basha was rated as a 4A scenic spot by the country, and more people were employed in Basha. For example, like me, now I am an instructor in Basha Scenic Area. Basically, I can get around 3,500 in a month (salary), and I can get up to 6,000 in a month. It is our performance team that has the largest number of employees. It involves the whole village, such as during the Golden Week of Tourism. There are over 360 registered performance teams.

  [Concurrent] Yang Deqiong, a villager in Basha Village, Congjiang County, Guizhou Province

  After the development of tourism, our family has to do catering, accommodation, and weave some local small bamboo baskets. If small crafts come here to sell, it can drive the local economy. And our own entrepreneurship can drive several employees. Normally, the annual income is more than 100,000, 150,000 to 160,000.

  [Explanation] Relevant data show that in 2019, the per capita income of Basha Miao Village reached 7,000 yuan (RMB). This formerly poorest village in Congjiang County became the first village in the county to get rid of poverty. According to Gunshuige, although the stockade has undergone earth-shaking changes, the ecological environment and unique customs have not changed. The Basha people always abide by the legacy of their ancestors, and the ancient cultural customs will continue for generations.

  Reporter Pu Wensi reports from Qiandongnan, Guizhou

Editor in charge: [Li Ji]