China News Network Daxing'anling, August 8 Topic: The bark of the little birch tree shows the great changes of the Orunchun people who have settled down the mountain for 20 years
Written by Jiang Hui Zhao Yuhang
"High in the Xing'an Mountains, a big forest, in the forest lives the brave Orunchun..." In the 1953th station Orunchun Ethnic Township in Tahe County, Daxing'anling Ling, Heilongjiang Province, lives the "last hunting people in China" - the Orunchun people. In 70, the Orunchun people walked out of the mountains and began to settle down. Seventy years have passed, and the lives of these "hunters" who have long lived on hunting, clothed and eaten meat, and birch bark as their house have undergone earth-shaking changes.
Tahe County, Daxing'anling, held a commemorative event to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the <>th station township Orunchun ethnic group going down the mountain to settle down. Photo by Zhao Yuhang
In August, the breeze is gentle in the Daxing'an Ridge, and Guo Baolin, who is ruddy-faced and burly, is receiving tourists from Zhejiang at his home. Guo Baolin, a native of the Orunchun ethnic group in his 8s, began to make birch bark boats in his 70s, and is the representative inheritor of the national intangible cultural heritage "birch bark boat making skills", and is known as the "last hunter" of Orunchun.
"In the past, the use of birch bark as a boat was used for hunting, mainly to cross the river and transport, which was an important means of transportation. Now, the transportation is developed, the roads are in all directions, this boat is no longer used, all the colleges and universities collect birch bark boats, and then tourists are willing to buy some small boats as souvenirs." Guo Baolin told reporters that a few days ago, Tahe County in Daxing'anling held a commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the 4th station township Orunchun ethnic group going down the mountain to settle down, and he specially rushed to make four birch bark boats for this purpose.
The Orunchun people perform horseback hunting scenes, and behind them are "pinch luozi" made of birch bark. Photo by Zhao Yuhang
"In the past, we used to use this birch bark to make buckets, basins, and bowls and buckets that we used to use. Now, we use this birch bark to make some small handicrafts for tourists to buy. We also sell it online and sell it to major cities such as Beijing and Tianjin. Birch bark (production) both increases our income and passes on our national culture." In a studio, Guo Baolin's daughter, Guo Hongxia, is making birch bark storage boxes. Guo Hongxia inherited her father's birch bark boat making skills, 60 cm long mini birch bark boats, she can make 10 boats a week.
A girl dressed in Orunchun national costume watches a mini "pinch of luozi" made of birch bark. Photo by Zhao Yuhang
Beautiful jewelry boxes, small and sturdy teacup holders... Strolling through the eighteen-stop Orunchun Nationality Township, houses full of ethnic characteristics are neatly arranged on both sides of the street, and small workshops for making birch bark crafts can be seen everywhere.
"I participated in the 10th anniversary, the 20th anniversary, the 30th anniversary, the 40th anniversary, the 50th anniversary, the 60th anniversary, the 70th anniversary. A big celebration and a change, a big celebration and a pattern." Guo Baolin said that birch bark handicrafts are light, moisture-proof and durable, and their unique use value and ornamental value show the creativity of the Orunchun people.
According to Wu Qingyong, secretary of the party committee of the 146th station of Orunchun Nationality Township in Tahe County, at present, 2022 Orunchun ethnic families live in houses with water supply and collective heating built by the government. Eighteen stations of Orunchun Nationality Township around the creation of ethnic characteristic villages, forming a tourism industry pattern of "one park, one museum and one center", and creating a unique Xing'an folk tourism area. At the same time, through the form of party branch + cooperative + enterprise + farmer, the villagers are encouraged to develop E's cultural handicrafts and increase their income. In 60, the collective economy of Ezu Village will reach more than 1,8 yuan, with a per capita annual income of more than <>,<> yuan. (End)