ChinaDaily[971222-8]
Chinese News
China Daily
97 / 12 / 22 /
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1. Brave Lisu people love their lives of beauty
2. Ruins may date dynasty
3. Fish fossils found
4. Doctors restore gorilla's sight
5. What's on (Page 10, Date: 12/22/97)
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Brave Lisu people love their lives of beauty
THE Lisu ethnic minority group, numbering more than 570,000,
mainly live in concentrated communities in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous
Prefecture of Yunnan Province.Others are found scattered in
Lijiang, Diqing, Dali and Chuxiong prefectures or counties of
Yunnan and Yanyuan, Yanbian and Muli counties of Sichuan Province.
In most areas the Lisu people wear hemp or cotton clothes. Women
put on short dresses or long skirts. Their heads are decorated
with red and white glass beads and their chests with necklaces
formed by strings of colourful beads. Men wear short dresses and
pants reaching the knees. Some wear a black turban, a cutting
knife hangs at the left of a man's waist, and a quiver on his
right.
The Lisu are divided into three categories, identified by the
colour of their traditional costume: the Black Lisu, the White
Lisu, and the Hua Lisu, which means in Chinese, the colourful
Lisu.
The Black Lisu mostly live along the Nujiang River Valley. Women
of the black Lisu wear hemp or cotton clothes in pure black, or
black and white. Women of the white Lisu living in Fugong area are
usually dressed in pure white, or white and blue, while the women
of the Hua Lisu living in Dehong area wear skirts made of hundreds
of pieces of cloth in different colours. The way of dressing has a
long history.
According to their legends, the Lisu men often had to leave their
homes to fight their enemies. They often sent their medals and
rewards back home to their women, wrapped in cloth, often in
different colours. To show their husbands' bravery, and to
remember their men far away on the frontiers, women sewed the
cloths together and wore them as skirts. They would wear the
medals on their clothes, or on their handkerchiefs.
The Lisu people also pay great attention to their headdress. Women
of the Nujiang Prefecture like to wear hats decorated with beads,
white corals and small copper bells.
The famous Nujiang River Valley is in the territory of Nujiang
Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, where the Lisu people, blocked by high
mountains and turbulent rivers, had hard access to the outside
world. For generations, the Lisu people had to meet difficulties
and dangers crossing rivers on simple and crude rattan chain
bridges. Visitors would find themselves crossing range after range
of rugged, snow-capped mountains, the foothills of the mighty
Himalayas. The trails seem to hang dangerously close to the
mountain's slippery edge, where one slip will lead to a plunge of
thousands of feet to the valley floor.
With the help of the central government, the first steel cable
bridge was built in the prefecture in 1958. So far, more than 490
bridges and highways have linked the area to the outside world.
The Lisu enjoy singing and dancing. They sing and dance at
weddings, when they hunt, when they build houses and when they
celebrate harvests. The traditional festivals of the Lisu include
the "Zaotang" Meeting, Harvest Festival and Lunar New Year. The
Lisus living in Tengchong area celebrate their Knife and Pole
Festival on February 7 on the lunar calender when they demonstrate
their amazing skills by walking on knives. Yet whatever the
festivals observe, they mean the same thing for women of the Lisu,
the chance to put on their best clothes and join the festivities.
According to historical records and folk legend, the forbears of
the Lisu lived along the banks of the Jinsha River and were once
ruled by "Wudeng" and "Lin," two powerful tribes. After the 12th
century, the Lisu people came under the rule of the Lijiang
Prefectural Administration of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), and in
the succeeding Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), under the rule of the
Lijiang district magistrate with the family surname of Mu.
During the 1820s, the Qing government sent officials to Lijiang,
Yongsheng and Huaping areas where the Lisu people lived in compact
communities, to replace the Naxi and Bai people's hereditary
chieftains. This practice speeded up the transformation of the
feudal manorial economy to an economy controlled by landlords, and
tightened the rule of the Qing court over Lisu and other ethnic
groups.
In the years around the turn of the 20th century, large numbers of
Han, Bai and Naxi peoples moved to the Nu River valleys, taking
with them iron farm tools and more advanced production techniques,
giving an impetus to local production.
The Lisu waged many struggles against oppression. In 1911, they,
together with the Han, Dai, and Jingpo, resisted British
aggression. From 1941 to 1943, they fought against the Japanese
troops invading western Yunnan Province and succeeded in
preventing the aggressors from crossing the Nu River, contributing
to the defence of China's frontier.
In the past the Lisu people worshipped many gods. This appeared to
be a remnant of totemism. Religious professionals made a living by
offering sacrifices to ghosts and fortune-telling. During the
religious activities, animals were slaughtered and large sums of
money spent. In the middle of the 19th century, Christianity was
spread into the area by Western missionaries.
The monogamous family was the basic unit of Lisu society. Sons
left their parents and supported their own families after getting
married. The youngest, or only, son remained with the parents to
take care of them and inherit their property. The daughter had no
right of inheritance but could take her husband into her parents'
home instead of being married off. Marriages were arranged by
parents, with enormous betrothal gifts.
The Lisu Minority have their own language, belonging to the Yi
language group of the Tibetan-Burmese branch of the
Chinese-Tibetan language family. A new type of Lisu written script
was created in 1957 based on the Latin alphabet.
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_Date: 12/22/97_
_Author: Bian Yi_
_Copyright© by China Daily_
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Ruins may date dynasty
ZHENGZHOU (Xinhua) -- City ruins believed to date back to the
beginning of the Shang Dynasty (about 16th-11th century BC) have
been found in Yanshi County in Central China's Henan Province.
Chinese archaeologists expect the finding to give a clue to the
exact dating of the dynasty, which has long puzzled the experts.
China's chronological records so far found begin from the year 841
BC during the Western Zhou Dynasty (about 11th Century to 771 BC).
Dates of the earlier dynasties, Xia (about 21st-16th century BC)
and Shang, remained unknown.
The newly-found city ruins, however, shed light on the issue, says
Wang Wei, director of the group on the study of Xia, Shang and
Zhou dynasties under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Wang and his colleagues found the city ruins within the remains of
a Shang capital in summer this year.
According to the experts, the city was probably built immediately
after the Xia Dynasty was overthrown and the Shang Dynasty
established because it was only 6 kilometres away from the Erlitou
site, the capital of the late Xia Dynasty, and because relics
found in the city are similar to those found at Erlitou.
The experts are happy at finding traces of charcoal and animal
bones, which are usually used as dating samples.
They also found that the ruins of imperial palaces were located
along the axis, which was probably the origin of building imperial
palaces at city axes.
Foundations of at least eight palaces were found at the site of
imperial palaces. The Number Two Palace, which is under
excavation, is believed the largest Shang palace ever found.
Traces of reconstruction and densely-located pillar holes were
also found at the palace, suggesting a comparatively complicated
architectural structure at that time, the experts say.
_____________________________________________________________
_Date: 12/22/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_
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Fish fossils found
CHENGDU (Xinhua) -- Archaeologists have found fish fossils that
date back 70 million years in the southern part of Sichuan
Province in Southwest China.
A team of scientists uncovered the fossils in an area of one
square kilometre at a tourist resort in Yibin City, and the local
government plans to build a museum to help preserve and display
the finds.
Each part of the 15 to 30 centimetre-long fossilized fish can be
clearly seen, according to an archaeologist, who said they were
important for the study of biological development, the history of
fish, and geographic changes.
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_Date: 12/22/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_
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Doctors restore gorilla's sight
NOVEMBER 15, 1997, 7:30 am. Hospital affiliated with Henan Armed
Police Headquarters, Zhengzhou, Henan Province.
Eye surgeons Liu Subing and Zuo Zhigao were expecting an unusual
patient -- 15-year-old Nikou, a male gorilla from the Zhengzhou
Zoo who had suffered from cataracts for about two years.
Liu looked very serious and worried although he and his colleague
had helped many of their patients recover their eyesight.
This case was different. "We saw it as a great challenge," said
Liu. "It was the first such operation on a gorilla in China and
the risks were high."
The first was likely to be the most risky.
How the animal would respond to the operation afterwards remained
the most serious problem in the doctors' minds. They were afraid
that the chances for Nikou's recovery would be greatly reduced if
the first attempt failed.
Another fact making Liu and his colleagues uneasy was that there
were only four other such primates in China.
Nikou's parents were presented to China by the King of Spain in
the 1970s. In 1982, Nikou was born in the Beijing Zoo and the
family of three was very happy.
In 1985, Nikou, then three years old, was moved permanently to the
zoo in Zhengzhou.
Being gentle, easy-going, and quick-witted, Nikou soon became one
of the zoo's star attractions, sharing the spotlight with the
giant pandas.
He was very healthy and never suffered from any serious illness
until last year.
Then he changed suddenly, curled up in the corner, and became very
quiet. He looked low-spirited and showed little interest in
exercising.
Doctors from the People's Hospital of Henan Province diagnosed
Nikou as suffering from incipient cataracts. But the treatments
they tried were of no use. Nikou's condition deteriorated day by
day until he eventually became blind.
New hope came at last in the form of a medical team from the
hospital affiliated with Henan Armed Police Headquarters, which
had a good reputation for its ophthalmic work. The team went to
the zoo and gave Nikou a thorough exam.
Several oculists including Liu and Zuo set up a team of experts to
work on Nikou. They decided to transplant an artificial cornea in
Nikou's right eye.
Before operating on Nikou, they performed the same operation on a
monkey.
That operation was a surprising success and greatly increased the
group's confidence in dealing with Nikou.
Yet, when it came to the last moment, Liu was still anxious.
7:50 am.
A milk white Iveco pulled up to the gate of the hospital. Eight
medical staff members removed a large iron cage from the vehicle,
containing the 100-kilogram primate.
The team made their way to the ophthalmic operating room located
on the sixth floor.
It was Saturday. But a tense anxiety haunted the hospital. Scores
of medical and executive staff, including the director Wang Cheng,
had called off their weekend and stayed on duty as usual, to help
in any way they could.
Everything went smoothly.
8:30 am. Operating Room.
Anesthetist Zhu Pingzeng, with the aid of four experienced
veterinarians, anaesthetized Nikou.
Zhu gave Nikou two injections, one was antibiotics, the other the
anaesthetic.
The once restless patient gradually closed its big eyes and fell
into a deep sleep.
Looking at the quiet primate lying on the operating table and
hearing its rhythmic breathing, Liu Subing and Zuo Zhigao
exchanged nods and began the operation....
10:30 am.
The operation was over, but there were no sighs of relief just
yet. Instead, they all gathered around Nikou whose eyes were
wrapped with bandage, waiting for him to regain consciousness.
The clock ticked off the hours.
4:50 pm.
Nikou woke up and pulled at the bandage immediately. When the
doctor took off the bandages, Nikou moved his eyes from side to
side, a sign that he could vaguely sense the light in the room.
The doctors all heaved a sigh of relief.
Success seemed much closer.
For the following two days, 12 zoo keepers provided 24-hour care
for the gorilla, preventing him from pulling at the bandages again
and watching for signs of postoperative infection.
A week later, Nikou ambled carefree around his old haunts in the
zoo, his spirit revived, and his visitors happy and relieved.
_____________________________________________________________
_Date: 12/22/97_
_Author: Zhang Yuelin_
_Copyright© by China Daily_
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What's on (Page 10, Date: 12/22/97)
EXHIBITIONS
Oil paintings show -- Wanfung Art Gallery is holding an oil
painting exhibition entitled "Scenes of Old Beijing."
On display are more than 20 oil works by three middle-aged,
Beijing-born artists who have captured scenes like the old
hutongs, time-honoured gates, life in quadrangles with a
true-to-life close-up effect.
Time:9 am-6 pm, through December 30.
Place: Wanfung Art Gallery, 136 Nanchizi Dajie, Dongcheng
District, Beijing.
Tel: 6512-7338.
Contemporary art -- Red Gate Gallery is hosting an art show of
original works by some fine artists. On show are paintings by
artists including Su Xinping, Zeng Fanzhi and Guo Jin. Their works
have been selected for calendars in the past 10 years and in a
1998 Calendar.
Time: 11 am-6 pm, through December 31.
Place: Red Gate Gallery, third floor, China World Trade Centre, 1
Jianguomen Dajie, Chaoyang District, Beijing.
Tel: 6505-2266 ext 6821/5729.
Paintings of tigers -- Beijing artist An Yunji's one-man show is
being held at the China National Art Museum to usher in the coming
"Year of the Tiger."
Sponsored by the Beijing Wenxing Shengshi Culture and Art Centre
and two other departments, the one-week exhibition will display
more than 50 tiger ink paintings.
Time: 9 am-4 pm, December 22
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252
Oil paintings -- The Beijing International Art Palace is holding a
40-day oil painting exhibition rinning until February 6 next year.
The oil paintings on display come from the collection of the art
palace and most of them have been displayed in the gallery of the
art palace.
Set up in 1991, the Beijing International Art Palace has held more
than 200 art shows, including Chinese painting, oil painting, folk
art, and imitations of European classical oil paintings.
Time: 9 am-6 pm, until February 6, 1998.
Place: Beijing International Art Palace, 48 Wangfujing Street,
Dongcheng District
Tel: 6512-5063
Oil paintings -- Zhang Xiaogang's "Bloodline: The Big Family," is
running at the gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Zhang started his oil painting career in the early 1980s. However,
it was the "Bloodline" series he created after 1993 that
established his fame both at home and abroad. In this series, his
usual style disappeared. He presented instead the style of
charcoal portraiture once very popular in China in the 1950s and
the 1960s and chose old photographs with strong local
characteristics as his subjects. The photographs were typical
family portraits of the kind found in most Chinese households.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, until December 25
Place: Gallery of the Central Academy of Fine Arts, 5 Xiaowei
Hutong, Wangfujing Street
Tel: 6528-4838
_____________________________________________________________
_Date: 12/22/97_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_
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Updated on September 24, 1997
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_[1]The 15th Party Congress_
_[2]Sep. 12 - Sep.18, 1997_
[INLINE]
[3][LINK] _[4]General Secretary Jiang Zemin's
Report to the 15th Party Congress_
[5][LINK] _[6]New Party Leadership elected,
Top Leaders' Profiles_
[7][LINK] _[8]Communique of 15th CPC Central
Committee's First Plenum_
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Feedback: [9]cd...@chinadaily.net
_Copyright by CBnet ®, China Daily Information_
References
1. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
2. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtg124.html
3. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
4. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/report.html
5. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
6. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb46.html
7. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
8. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/15/engtgb09.html
9. mailto:cd...@chinadaily.net
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_Chinese, U.S. Presidents Hold Press Conference _
WASHINGTON, October 30 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Jiang
Zemin and U.S. President Bill Clinton have agreed that China
and the United States should strengthen cooperation in
building a strategic partnership oriented toward the 21st
century, with a view to promoting world peace and
development.
This was stated by Jiang during a joint press conference by
the two presidents Wednesday.
The two presidents also shared the view of holding regular
visits between the two countries' heads of state,
facilitating a Washington-Beijing presidential communications
link, triggering the mechanism of a regular exchange of
visits by foreign ministers and other cabinet officials, as
well as strengthening cooperation in economic, scientific and
technological, cultural, educational fields and in law
enforcement.
Jiang described his talks with Clinton as "constructive and
fruitful," and believed that his ongoing visit could attain
the goal of enhancing mutual understanding, broadening common
ground, developing cooperation and building the future.
The two presidents also agreed to handle bilateral relations
and differences in line with the principles of mutual
respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs,
equality and mutual benefit, and seeking common ground while
putting aside differences.
Clinton said that Jiang's visit to the United States gave
them the opportunity and the responsibility to build a future
that is more secure, more peaceful, more prosperous for both
peoples.
The two countries share a profound interest in a stable,
prosperous and open Asia, and a strong interest in stopping
the spread of weapons of mass destruction and other
sophisticated weaponry, Clinton said.
He said he agreed to move ahead with the U.S.-China agreement
for cooperation concerning the peaceful use of nuclear
energy.
In both China and the United States, trade has been a
critical catalyst for growth, and China is the fastest
growing market in the world for America's goods and services,
Clinton said. He also said the United States would "do
everything possible to bring China into the World Trade
Organization."
Referring to the Taiwan issue, Jiang said that China wishes
to effect the peaceful reunification of the motherland by
means of implementing Deng Xiaoping's concept of "one
country, two systems."
But China is not committed to giving up the use of force in
this regard, he said, adding that this does not target the
Taiwan compatriots, but direct against the foreign force
interfering in Taiwan affairs and against the scheme that
would attempt to separate Taiwan from China.
On the human rights issue, Jiang said the current world is a
rich and diverse one, and concepts on democracy and human
rights and on freedoms are relative and specific ones.
Therefore, they should be determined by the specific national
situation of different countries.
References
1. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/report.htm
2. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/d1-jiang_j15.htm
3. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/comment.htm
4. http://www.chinadaily.net/cndy/history/visit/backgrnd.htm
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