Introducing...
Chinese Rice Culture
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 | Photo by Mark Anderson
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Rice - no Chinese meal would be complete without it; the versatility of the grain is demonstrated by its wide variety of uses, and it's impossible to overstate its significance in Chinese culture.
The cultivation of rice goes back thousands of years, and it was the rise of rice-based agriculture that made the economic and political development of China possible. Rice symbolises the link between Heaven and Earth, and in ancient times rice was given as an offering to the gods. Rice is also a symbol of luck, fertility, and wealth, and different dishes are prepared from rice during different festivals, traditions that continue today.
Glutinous rice represents the cohesion of the family and features during the Spring Festival celebrations. Rice cakes are eaten at New Year to ensure a good harvest and expresses hope for an increasingly prosperous future. Two weeks later during the Lantern Festival, which coincides with a full moon, glutinous rice balls are eaten by families, signifying their unity.
The Dragon Boat Festival, which falls on the 5thday of the 5th lunar month, sees the preparation of zongzi, glutinous rice parcels wrapped in leaves. These are made in commemoration of the great statesman and poet, Qu Yuan, who lived during the Chu dynasty more than two thousand years ago. He is considered a great patriot because he preferred to commit suicide rather than see his state conquered.
Southern China is where most rice is grown (in the cooler north wheat is favoured) and it is here that you will find rice noodles (mi fen), rice porridge or congee (zhou), and rice wine (mi jiu).
This home brewed alcohol, whose strength can vary between mild to eye-watering, is a must-try when visiting the rural areas of Guangxi and Guizhou provinces. Here rice paddies feature large in the landscape, providing a foreground to the karst mountain scenery around Yangshuo. You can also find the spectacular Dragon's Backbone rice terraces, where narrow paddies have been made along the steep hillsides.
We hope to welcome you to eat, drink, and photograph the rice culture of China for yourselves, please check our website for more inspiration.
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Spotlight on...the Shaman Festivals
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Qinghai province, high on the Tibetan plateau in western China, is a remote area few would have reason enough to make the effort to journey to. However, we are going to let you in on a secret - every year the villages in the area of Tongren celebrate one of the most colourful and unique festivals in the world, making it well worth the visit.
The area is predominantly Tibetan and Tu minority, and the Shaman festivals take place in order to ensure the good health for the people and a bountiful harvest, as well as to protect the crops and livestock from disaster and disease. This is done by honouring the mountain gods, who are thought to have originally been brave and upstanding men who have taken the shape of the mountains after death. During the festival the mountain gods themselves take part by inhabiting the body of the village shaman, or lhawa, who goes into a trance to allow the mountain gods to enter his body. He is helped along in his task by the Living Buddha, a high-ranking monk thought to be the reincarnation of earlier monks, and it is the Living Buddha who helps open the door to the spiritual realm and prepares scriptures to ease the process of possession.
The Shaman festivals offer a rare opportunity to experience and capture images impossible to see elsewhere. The festival is a riot of colour, with the local people garbed in their gorgeous costumes and ornate jewellery, prayer flags and embroidered scrolls billowing in the breeze, and the ceremonies themselves. Not for the faint-hearted, these include the local men having the shaman insert long needles through their cheeks (to protect the mouth from disease), male dancers have bundles of needles inserted through their backs (to provide strength and vigour), and finally the shaman himself will cut his own forehead with a knife, offering his blood as an offering to the mountain gods.
This July you have the chance to witness and capture this spectacular event; with expert guides we'll get you to where the action is on our Shaman Festivals Explorer trip. We hope to see you at the festivities. |
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 | Photo by Nick Rains
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The Blue Skies of Mongolia
The landscape of Mongolia varies from gently rolling grasslands, the wild beauty of the steppes, deserts, and mountains; but above it all is always the sky...the impossibly wide, blue sky that is at the heart of Mongolian spirituality. With around 300 clear days a year it's not surprising that the sky should be so revered, and Mongolians themselves refer to their country as the "Land of Eternal Blue Sky". The blue sky even takes a central place on the national flag, with a blue strip in the middle.
According to the traditional animistic and shamanistic beliefs there are 99 tenger (sky spirits) of which Eternal Blue Heaven (Koke Mongke Tenger) is first and foremost, being the creator of the physical and spiritual worlds. This Father of Heaven is the one who keeps balance in the world, and is also responsible for the weather and seasons. It is believed that he played an important role in inspiring Chinggis Khan on his empire building missions - there are reports of Chinggis Khan climbing the mountains in order to pray and commune with the sky spirits.
Heavenly bodies are also significant with the sun and moon being the eyes of Tenger, representing the elements of fire and water respectively. Objects that have been struck by lightning are known as Heaven's Hair, and are thought to contain to contain a distilled amount of heaven's power. These objects are placed in milk or alcohol, which is then drunk by the shamans to enhance their powers.
No visitor to Mongolia can help but be awed by the spectacular landscapes, and of course the eternal blue sky. If you'd like a chance to commune with the sky gods, you can join our Guest Artist Gary Waidson on a photography workshop this August. Blue skies (almost) guaranteed!
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